As I mentioned before, Charlene is thrilled to have babies back in her life. When they first met, the friendly kittens surrounded Charlene and brushed their tiny bodies against hers. Some of them thought they might be able to nurse on her so they tried to climb beneath her. She wasn't too keen on that.
She loves being around them. If they are awake and running around, she's always close by, watching them play. When one comes near enough, they get rolled and pinned, then groomed by Charlene.
This batch of IBKs is pretty fearless around her. They'll pounce on her, they'll tackle her giant swishing tail, they'll even gang up on her. Just yesterday, Clementine climbed on the edge of their basket and launched herself towards Charlene. Charlene was a little startled by the brave maneuver, but just shook it off. Sue was there to witness it and we had a huge laugh over daring, darling Clementine.
Out of all the Mayfields, I think Fergus loves Charlene the most. He's always parking himself at her toes. He'll lift his head up and wait for his bath. Of course Charlene is always happy to accommodate.
Maybe because she was an orphan herself, she understands what these babies need. Or maybe they just taste good, so she likes to lick them. Who knows for sure,, but either way, it's sweet to watch.
More more more! This is so wonderful to see and read about. Hooray!
ReplyDeleteI love Charlene and the babies! ^_^ And I was surprised to see just how small the babies are next to her. Sometimes, it's hard to get a good perspective on their size through the pictures you take. But they are always the cutest! ^_^
ReplyDeleteOh goodness gracious, look how WEE!
ReplyDeleteSo, so cute!
ReplyDeleteCharlene is such a beautiful and graceful cat.
ReplyDeleteOMG, those kittens are so tiny! We got our Nibbler when she was six months old. I forget how tiny kittens can be. and Butterbean with the babies is just the cutest thing ever. How sweet is all that? Excuse me, I have to brush my teeth now so that I don't get cavities. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's so great that Charlene acts like a "foster mom" to the kitties. That kind of attention from an adult feline, along with all the love they get from their foster humans, is exactly what they need to help them grow up into happy and secure cats.
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful pictures! Charlene Butterbean definitely has a magnificent tail. And it's so wonderful to see the pictures of her being a big sister to the itty bitties, who look so tiny next to her (so far).
ReplyDeleteoh that last one! Almost too much to take! I had little Bernadette (god bless her dear soul) enjoying the blow dryer as my background, but I think i have found another.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great foster mom she is!
ReplyDeleteMiss Charlene reminds us all of why the ancients worshipped cats...She has such a beautiful heart.
ReplyDeleteAaahhhhh....now THAT is what I was waiting for....pictures of a Butterbean bath. *sigh* Sometimes I wish I were a kitty....they look so content.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Cyn, no wonder the ancients (and may I say, some of us today) believe cats to be deities. It does seem like a home with a cat enjoys an aura of warmth (hmmm....well, at least *I* think so!) I love every day's pictures more than the one before, how DO you do that??? (And I'm going to start nagging for a book again any minute now, be forewarned....)
ReplyDeleteI don't know why, but seeing Charlene brings me great peace. To me, she is beautiful, not merely adorable. You capture her spirit very well in your photos!
ReplyDeleteCharlene has an amazing maternal presence with the babies. I bet she was taught well by her own mommy :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw those first three pics, I couldn't help but singing to myself: "One little, two little, three little (substitute kitties for Indians)..." and so on. Miss Butterbean is such an attentive foster Mommy; she's learned from the bestest! YOU!
ReplyDeleteKitty Hugs, Robin
Ms. Butterbean, you are the best! I second anonymous, the adult feline attention has got to help the Mayfields grow up feeling safe and secure. And, of course, Charlene's attenion to the tiny ones maskes for great "awwwww" moments.
ReplyDeletee.marie, it was so nice to read that someone else has got sweet Bern getting her "new do" up as a screensaver, too! :-)
How do I make IBKs into my screen saver? I've had whatever was on the screen when I got it forever. HELP, please.
ReplyDeleteAnn Bolyn,
ReplyDeleteIf you want it to be your desktop background
right click on it & then choose "set as background"
If you want it to be your screensaver
right click on the picture & choose
"save picture as"
be sure to put it in My Pictures
Then minimize the IBKC webpage & right click on an empty spot on your desktop.
Choose "properties"
then click on the tab that says "Screensaver"
On the drop down menu, select "My Pictures Slideshow"
Click on okay
Those pictures are so sweet!
ReplyDeleteAmazing to see the size of the kittens compared to Charlene.
Aw, Charlene - you're a good mom!
ReplyDeleteWhen I brought home an itty bitty I found in the parking lot at work - my 12 yr old male (neutered) cat took to her immediately. He cleaned her, cuddled her and did everything a good "mom" would do. (3 years later, and he's still mothering her!)
I think some kitties are just that way...
I love the window pics - agreeing with Robin Beam... 1 little, 2 little...
Hey, Sam's Lackey, you've made me feel like a techno-genius! Who says you can't teach an old(65) dog/cat a new trick? THANKS!
ReplyDeleteI think Charlene must have taught Maddie how to cuddle as well and as often as she does. These guys will be cuddlers, too!
ReplyDeleteI read long ago that being licked is the most comforting thing in the world for cats.
ReplyDeleteI believe what the previous anonymous said about this helping them grow up secure and stable is true.
C