Meet Pins & Needles….

Pins & Needles

These kitty cats are Pins and Needles, our boys. They are brothers, and will be two years old in May this year. Not only do they look totally different they are very different characters, and what characters they are.

Back in April 2015 once back from our honeymoon and we moved into our home, and kept seeing a small tabby outside. We slowly tried to introduce ourselves to her. She was so small, and thin and not healthy looking. We started to leave food out twice a day, she soon got used to this and would turn up at the same time each day. She would only come within four or five feet of us, if we tried to get closer she would run off.

Although she wouldn’t come near us, she had started to look at us. Odd thing looking at a cat with cross eyes. No wonder she was so thin, she must only be able to run around in circles, not much help when trying to catch a mouse. We called her Kriscross.

Kriscross started to put on weight, and we put it down to our feeding her twice a day. Two weeks later she disappeared for two days, we were concerned, but on the third day she turned up again, although a lot thinner. We worked out she must have had kittens, but where?

We started to leave more food out for her as she was now a nursing cat. We just couldn’t work out where the kittens were.

Three weeks later, hubby came home with a smile, he had been in one of the sheds moving hay bales. He moved one at shoulder level, and there staring back at him were two pairs of eyes. He had found Kriscross’s kittens.  For the next three weeks, we would go up to the shed with milk twice a day, and talk to them, but not touching them. The black and white kitten would come out when we were there, it took another week before the tabby would. Kriscross was never far away, watching us. We still left food out for her. A friend who worked in a cat rescue centre asked us if we have taken the kittens home yet, (we had already decided to keep them) Normally kittens stay with Mum until around 8 weeks, so had been planning on that, but our friend said ‘No, go and get them now, as Mum could move them anytime’, she was surprised that she hadn’t already.

Five weeks old

They were six weeks old, and we didn’t have anything at home for them. We carried two scared little fur balls home. Turned a wicker waste bin on its side, put in a bedding of the hay from the shed. We put them on the floor, and they both ran into the bin and cuddled up together at the back. We made up a tray with earth from the garden for their dirt tray, didn’t think they would use it, as they had never left the shed until we removed them.

The next day we woke to find the kittens exploring their new home. They had used the dirt tray, result!

From that day with became a family of four.

First week with us

As for Kriscross, we still left food out, and in no time was pregnant again. This time our neighbours took in the kittens and found homes for them. It turns out that was her third litter in one year, no wonder she was so small and not healthy. Hubby and our neighbour caught her, she wasn’t happy about this, and managed to bite right through the fire glove hubby was wearing. She would never be tamed. The neighbour had her spayed. I’m happy to say she is back in the area, happy, healthy and a good weight.