# OMG! Kittens! Kittens in the bushes in our front lawn! What do we do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 10, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omg-kittens-kittens-in-the-bushes-in-our-front-lawn-what-do-we-do/513334 "2009-10-10T19:09:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omg-kittens-kittens-in-the-bushes-in-our-front-lawn-what-do-we-do/513334/61 "2009-10-13T15:40:20Z")
> [@NajaNivea](#): > > I totally do not mean to be a kitten killjoy, but please… please be careful about keeping them carefully quarantined from your adult housecats, at least until they’re screened by a vet. [Feline Leukemia Virus](http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/felv.html) is no joke and in some areas is rampant in the feral kitten population. A lethargic, goopy-eyed baby sets my red flags wavin’ ☹ > Adult cats are significantly less susceptible to FeLV (and presumably have been vaccinated) but still if you can avoid exposing them… > > Here’s hoping there’s no cooties around… those little colorpoint kitties are awfully friggen’ cute 🙂 No joke with FIV – I recently lost an adult cat to FIV. He was a disputational sort of tomcat and apparently got bit by an infected cat as they scuffled. (My neighbor across the way has a whole mess of cats that run around half wild, that’s probably where the culprit came from.) Abby had previously been a big, gorgeous, healthy cat and he went downhill in very short order. The vet tells me that adult cats contracting FIV is rare but it does happen. It did happen here. So be careful. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omg-kittens-kittens-in-the-bushes-in-our-front-lawn-what-do-we-do/513334/62 "2009-10-13T22:04:00Z")
Grumble on the all-black kitty thing. [Inigo](http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL21/73667/116012/675765.jpg) is just the biggest ball of personality, purr, and “pet me” around. We adopted him when he was 10mos old–his _mother_ was actually adopted before he was. The whole “not adopted because he’s a black kitty” never occurred to me. He is just the best cat–we joke he’s a dog in a cat’s body. He comes when he’s called, walks on a leash, does tricks (okay, _a_ trick–he sits up for a treat on command), and _loves_ other cats. [Mija](http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL21/73667/116012/31906672.jpg) was a stray kitten around a friend’s backyard, starving and begging for both food and attention. She’s more tuxedo than black (obviously), but more black than Formal Kitty. She’s also quite, erm, nutty. I think spending those first 6mos or so starving to death did something to her cognititive development. Or something. Maybe she’s just nuts. Sweet (when she feels like it), but a bit nuts. And of course, we love her for it. [Bonus photo of the two big bad black kitties playing on a new cat tree](http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL21/73667/116012/31906733.jpg). Of course, this should mean Formal Kitty should join our brood–but I think growing up with Siamese cats has made me partial to Frank. Also, I’ve learned the most adventurous, active kitties (Intrepid!) are _not_ necessarily what we’re looking for–he’ll be great fun, but I don’t need my house destroyed any more than the cats and preschooler already manage on a regular basis. Frank is a lapkitty who likes to watch (play, too, but mostly watch). I fed them a disgusting gruel of KMR, soaked kitten chow, and about 1/3 can of wet kitten food. They inhaled it. They were also all over me–gone is the pathetic-to-amusing attempts at hissing, present is the purring and the playing. Awwwww. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omg-kittens-kittens-in-the-bushes-in-our-front-lawn-what-do-we-do/513334/63 "2009-10-14T01:41:30Z")
Mr. S and I are thinking that someday, if/when we decide to get a house cat, we’d like to try to get a black one, in honor of the two black kitties we lost last winter. ☹ The sight of an all-black cat (or, as a few weeks ago, a black cat with a white star on his chest like Grimmy had) still makes me a little sad. ---
**Author:** ![Gesturing\_Mildly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/65b543/32.png) [@Gesturing\_Mildly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gesturing_Mildly)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omg-kittens-kittens-in-the-bushes-in-our-front-lawn-what-do-we-do/513334/64 "2009-10-14T15:17:48Z")
Black cats are the best - no white fur all over your black dress pants. Ruffian, I love Inigo’s OMGNEWTOY! psycho-stance in your picture. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omg-kittens-kittens-in-the-bushes-in-our-front-lawn-what-do-we-do/513334/65 "2009-10-27T13:29:27Z")
I thought I’d update everyone. The kittens all went to new homes yesterday. 🙂 A college friend of mine I’ve become reacquainted with on Facebook was smitten by the photos, and while she couldn’t take any of the kittens (she already has three cats and a dog in a small house), she took it upon herself to find homes. Her brother had recently moved cross-country and had to leave his two cats behind (I think due to divorce, but don’t quote me), so he will be taking two of the littermates. The other two are going to the family of a coworker of hers who’d had two cats, but both had recently died…they’ve been kitty-less for about six months or so. My friend, who lives a good 2 hours away but was in the area for the U2 concert, came by yesterday to pick the kittens up and take them back home. There, her brother and the family would meet and be introduced to the four kittehs; they would watch them interact then determine which pair they are drawn toward. She came with two of those cardboard Petco cat carriers, and left four kittens and some leftover kitten food–and our profound thanks. She’s going to update me on who adopted whom. So, the kitten saga has ended. Next chapter: trapping mom and getting her spayed so we’re not doing this again in a few months. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omg-kittens-kittens-in-the-bushes-in-our-front-lawn-what-do-we-do/513334/66 "2009-10-27T14:30:54Z")
Great news! You are good parents! ---
**Author:** ![taxi78cab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@taxi78cab](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taxi78cab)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omg-kittens-kittens-in-the-bushes-in-our-front-lawn-what-do-we-do/513334/67 "2009-10-27T18:49:07Z")
Yay for a happy ending! They are all soooooooooo cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute! I want a second cat, but our lovely [Lily](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v685/taxi78cab/IMG_1436.jpg) is strictly an only kitty. We’ve had two other cats with her at different times (one got FIP - nasty disease, and the other died of kidney failure), and she just sort of faded in to the background. Now that she’s the only kitty, she’s outgoing, she’s a lap cat, she snuggles with us in bed. It’s great, and I don’t want her to go back to the shy, hiding kitty she is when she has to compete for attention. But I’d love to be able to take home a cute little kitten! ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omg-kittens-kittens-in-the-bushes-in-our-front-lawn-what-do-we-do/513334/68 "2009-10-27T21:00:36Z")
What a great ending to a great story, complete with kitten pictures! ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omg-kittens-kittens-in-the-bushes-in-our-front-lawn-what-do-we-do/513334/69 "2009-10-27T23:39:02Z")
You had me all excited - we are looking for a kitten and we are going to SoCal in November… darnit! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omg-kittens-kittens-in-the-bushes-in-our-front-lawn-what-do-we-do/513334.md?page=3)