well I have a surprise for you mrsD.......I guess I may never have mentioned that Twilight and Shadow were feral. Twilight looks so Abyssinian now that he is a yearling. I must try to get a picture of him with that look. So haughty and regal, peering from totally upturned yellow slits for eyes.
Yet when he goes wide eyed and and puffs up his cheeks in playfulness, he and Shadow are clearly brothers. I have never seen *that* look on Shadow.
Anyway, they were from a feral litter taken in to a pastor's house after they were found living behind a shed. The family cared for them while they contacted a local cat placement group there (near Disney) who then put pics of them online, with history, for adoption. The rescue agency took care of the initial cleaning, worming, vaccinations and other veterinary care, and of course, the neuterings...when we nearly lost our Shadow....... We had adopted them under the clause that we would take them earlier than they normally adopt out, on condition we brought them in for neutering to the rescue group's vet when they were still so young
These gals thankfully will be under the care only of our special vet, who really helped us get Shadow back after the seizures and blindness episodes.And he doesnt use ketamine nor spay or neuter that young!
Both Twilight & Shadow are
very affectionate, and even tho they had never lived indoors before us, they have been amazingly careful with our stuff...even tho Twi can sometimes make a low thoated growl that I have never heard from any other tomcat and he goes racing up the stairs or thru the house at such a speed
but he has so far not broken anything and is quite the most nimble and agile cat I have ever had. Shadow is a very gentle and oh so affectionate cat, Twi is affectionate in a very feline way.on *his* terms LOL tho he was so loving on the night Shadow was missing, sleeping curled right near my head (he usually prefers the foot end of the bed) and purring at me most of that sleepless night ....
They were thankfully already litter trained and somewhat *tamed* when we got them, but they had never lived indoors, only in the screened porch at their foster home.
This was them when they came to us
Shadow
Twilight
The difference between them and the new kitties are eye color ...Catsby and Twisp have green eyes while Twi and Shadow are now totally copper eyed.(were greenish copper when we got them)
But honestly, altho the other 2 were younger, the similarities in looks and temperament are so uncanny in these two girls...Catspy is a ruffian, loml as is our Twilight (he hides in places and pounces out at Mama Snowball and dances around her lightly slapping till she goes back into her basket and Caspy is already arching and hissing in that comical kitty way at the older cats, whereas Twisp is shyer and seems to want to make friends, just like Shadow was when he first came here.
the Spice Girls are definitely litter trained and I am estimating maybe 6 weeks? They will be going for the new kitten exam etc at our vet tomorrow, but they do look healthy and are definitely used to indoors, so I dont think they are feral. They have huge appetites, but dont appear undernourished tho Twisp is a bit scrawnier and doesnt have the chubby little kitten round tummy that Catsby still has...no fleas that I have found and ears are mite free, no sign of ringworm etc. they really do appear cared for. Amazed someone would leave them on a doorstep................but thankful I was there just at that moment when they were about to be turned in to the county shelter. I saw the stray area and the thought of those 2 lil ones in ones of those bleak cages ....ugh!
anyways...
I am rambling...no secret when it comes to cats I can go on and on and on
here is today's pic of our Shadow sitting in his sunny spot on my desk. Still a bit dishevelled looking from a looooong nap
thanks once again to each and every one who posted here, and to anyone who read and said a prayer for Shadow's safe return. I cant begin to say how thankful I am that he is home safe. We have a bond with him that does very very deep ........our miracle kitty
