Archive for December, 2007

25
Dec
2007

Woodpile Kitts Go Home for Christmas

By Marcus 2 Comments
Categories: Woodpile Kittens

Cleopatra & Cricket asleep in a flowerpot

They say it’s better to give than receive, and right now I know that’s true. We just gave away the two cute little Woopile Kittens that we’ve come to know and love … and the joy and warmth we feel has made this the Best Christmas Ever.

For the past five days Brett and I have been caring for Cleopatra and Cricket in our dining room. Their new family had a holiday trip scheduled, so we decided to postpone our own travel plans, bring the kitts inside, and get them further socialized and acclimated to life in a human setting.

It was a little tricky at first: neither one had ever been inside, and they hid in a cardboard box for a while. As they got accustomed to the new sounds and smells they started to explore a bit. Cricket, the most gregarious of the litter, decided pretty quickly that this new world was okay. He approached me, and when I plopped him on my knee he looked up at my face with familiarity, not fear. This is the moment I call “the turn,” when a wild kitten sees you as family, not threat.

It took Cleopatra a bit longer. In fact, for a while she disappeared completely. We searched the room several times, but it seemed like she had vanished into thin air! Then we noticed a flaw in our blockade – she had slipped past a large sheet of cardboard and gotten into the kitchen. Then she squeezed under the dishwasher into a narrow space beneath the kitchen floorboards. It took an hour to coax her out. But despite all the stress, Cleo soon followed Cricket’s lead: later that day she “turned” too.

From then on, the two of them couldn’t get enough petting and playing. When Brett and I left their room they romped together, then rested together, cuddled up in a flower pot or burrowed beneath one of the kids’ blankets the family had left with us.

The big day came today, Christmas Day. And the kitts were really ready. The family had flown in on the red-eye at 3 am, and showed up at our place at noon. The parents looked a little bleary eyed, but the kids (Claire, 5; and Eli, 8 ) were so excited they could hardly sit still as I offered a few tips on caring for their new animal companions.

When we peeked into the dining room the kitts were sleeping in a cardboard cat carrier on Claire’s blanket. No need for my elaborate plans for getting them into carriers. I carefully closed the box up. Huddled in the warm blanket and comforted by each other’s presence, they remained calm and quiet.

We suddenly noticed we were being watched. The mother cat, dubbed “Queen Anne OmegaCat” in Brett’s story (below) was perched on the window sill looking in. We all went outside to feed her – a way of saying thanks for the great kittens – and took of few pictures in front of the legendary Woodpile.

New Family

Then the family gently carried their precious cargo to the minivan and drove home to enjoy the rest of this very special Christmas Day.

24
Dec
2007

The Secret History of Cricket and Cleopatra

By Brett 3 Comments
Categories: Cats

Cricket and Cleopatra look like ordinary kittens. They are not. They have a secret. A secret so special that only a few people know about it. Because you have been chosen, I am allowed to share that secret with you.

The two were born in Woodpile Kingdom. It is in the borderlands of Takoma Park and Prince George’s County – in the Maryland Dimension. Some of their ancestors belong to Sacred Warrior Clans.

Prince Cricket Firecat

Cricket’s Secret

Cricket’s royal name is Prince Cricket FireCat of the WoodpileClan. His clan gifts are fire play and cat acrobatics. He specializes in quick cat karate and action leaps.

His energy runs deep and quiet but ignites like fire, quick as a flash. His ancestors were the protectors of Woodpile Kingdom. He is the last of his sacred line and carries the wisdom and strength of his lineage in his heart. He is dedicated to protecting his sister. She is to be the future Queen of Woodpile Kingdom, as the last sister of the WoodpileClan.

Princess Cleopatra ShyCat

Cleopatra’s Secret

Cleopatra’s Royal name is Princess Cleopatra ShyCat. Her clan gift is finding secret places for meditation and healing. She specializes in near invisibility. She can easily slip from sight, like she was just a day dream, a faint image in the mind that is not really there.

Her energy is nervous and calm. Her ancestors were the holders of the power in Woodpile Kingdom. Cleopatra needs a safe place to live because the politics of Woodpile Kingdom has changed, since there can be no more kitten heirs born. Skyhawks are now stalking the skies.

Cleopatra and Cricket are to find a new kingdom. Their mother’s stories have made them hopeful, but a little cautious. She has spoken of a vision where they are happy in a new home. Cricket and Cleopatra are eagerly looking forward to their new life.

Queen Anne OmegaCat

Queen Anne OmegaCat

Queen Anne OmegaCat is a peacemaker for all the Cat Clans. Her special genes allowed her to have kittens that she could teach blended clan gifts.

She hopes Prince Cricket and Princess Cleopatra will be able to blend their powers and stay close as they grow. Cricket’s fire and Cleopatra’s calm make a perfect balance when they are together. Queen Anne knows they will have to leave Woodpile Kingdom to find their destinies among the Tall Ones. To protect their royal identities until then, she rarely mentions their royal titles.

In a dream vision, she sees a Blended Kingdom where a mom, a dad, and two young ones will honor her children. This kingdom is for Tall Ones and cats. Her vision is fading now. That is her sign that the time is drawing near for the vision to come true.

This December 2007, when bone chilling cold blows deep below freezing in Woodpile Kingdom – threatening their very lives – Queen Anne does a hard thing for a mother to do. She asks the Tall One who has been feeding them, to please take her royal young out of Woodpile Kingdom. With a hopeful heart, she knows once they are gone they will find their true home.

Deep in the dark night, with bitter winds blowing, she climbs up on the window sill and peers into the den of the Tall Ones to make sure her kitts are safe. Seeing them cozy and warm, she cries a silent meow, sad that they are lost to her forever. Yet pleased that her plan has worked … the kitts of the royal line are safe, and their new life has begun.

20
Dec
2007

Cleopatra, Cricket Adopted by Local Family

By Marcus 0 Comments
Categories: Cats

Cleopatra & Cricket in a BoxNEWS FLASH: OUR REMAINING WOODPILE KITTENS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED. A Takoma Park family with two kids fell in love with Cleopatra and Cricket, our remaining wood stack dwellers, and after several visits it was clearly a perfect match. Details and photos to follow. Thanks to everyone who responded to our ads in Craig’s List and CityPaper! If you’re still looking for a feline friend or two, please visit the Washington Animal Rescue League (and check out their state-of-the-art facility) and the Washington Humane Society. Both shelters are filled with beautiful cats & kittens of every size, color, and temperament. There’s a furry little somebody waiting for you!

06
Dec
2007

Woodpile Kittens Seek Special Homes

By Marcus 0 Comments
Categories: Cats

I am trying to find homes for the cute and quite sociable kittens who live in the woodpile in my backyard in Takoma Park, Maryland. I feed, pet, and play with them twice a day, and although they still live outside, they want to come in!

Blu
BLU is a deep blue-grey male with sable soft fur and a quiet, thoughtful disposition. Like his two siblings, Blu is friendly and will allow you to hold and pet him (especially around feeding time!) – UPDATE: Blu has found a human companion and they’re just crazy about each other!

Cleopatra
CLEOPATRA, a female, is a slightly lighter shade of grey than Blu, but her coat is just as silky. She’s affectionate and mellow, and loves to chase anything that moves. UPDATE: Cleo has found a home!

Cricket
CRICKET, a tiger-striped male, is slightly smaller than his siblings, but more than makes up for it with his spunk and curiosity. He’s probably the most socialized, people friendly of the bunch, and would likely make the quickest transition to house-cat. Cricket is a polydactyl “Hemingway Cat” … he has extra toes that give him extra dexterity and enhance his puckish personality. UPDATE: Cricket is going with his sister Cleopatra to a nice warm home in Takoma Park!

Cats who grew up in the great outdoors can be a bit more energetic and skittish than their domesticated cousins, and they deserve a human companion who understands their special needs and appreciates their distinctive character.

In my classified ads, and in conversations with potential adopters, I avoid the F-word, “feral.” Or “semi-feral.” Because our Woodpile Kitts are not wild. Maybe a bit impatient to find a loving human companion; perhaps a little annoyed at having to stay outside, and certainly anxious when the weather gets nasty.

Cricket in Snow

These kittens are clean, healthy, and gentle. In all the months I’ve been caring for them I have never been scratched. Instead, they sit on my knee and demand that I scratch them. And rub them, pet them, and tease them with improvised toys made out of long twigs and leaves. Cleopatra will sometime reach out and tap my hand, to say “OK, enough petting. Open that can of food!”

And the truth is, tamed strays are a blast. Shadow (from the same woodpile, born to the same stray MommaCat) is my fourth, and, like the others I’ve plucked from various alleys and dumpsters, he’s lean and athletic, super-stealthy, very playful, and tightly bonded to me. He likes my partner Brett too, but since I spent a lot of time socializing Shadow after we took him inside, he sees me as his “alpha cat,” and wants to hang around where ever I happen to be. As I type these words, he’s zonked out, half on my lap, half on the laptop. (Which may not be such a great place for him… see cautionary tale.)

It does take time to build that trust with a cat from outside. But the Woodpile Kitts pictured here are actually far more socialized than Shadow was when he joined us; they are ready. Are you? Call Marcus at 703-898-0770 any time of the day or night for more information. Or email me: marcus(at)bigblackcat.org (substitute the real “at” symbol in the address)

Here’s contact information and a photo gallery of our Woodpile Kitten Colony

Blu AsleepNEWS FLASH – Tuesday 11th December 2007 – Blu was adopted yesterday! His new owner reports that Blu bonded to him in less than half an hour: “He’s sleeping in my lap and purring like mad.” Blu also delighted his new family by demonstrating that he knows what a cat box is used for. I hope this encourages folks who are interested in our Woodpile Kittens but wonder whether they’re tame enough. They’re not only tame, they love people… These little guys want to move inside and be with you!