'Fraidy Cats, Fierce Kittens and the Impending Big Surprise

My brother bought some toys for the kittens: some jingle balls and tiny catnip mice. I scattered them around the living room and the kittens turned themselves inside out trying to avoid them. It's been five days now and, finally, two of them won't turn tail and run when I roll a ball at them.

Little Gray Mama got into the catnip mice. It took her a couple of days to approach one so maybe the kids' chicken-heartedness is genetic. I have yet to see any of the kittens with a mouse but suspect they must be getting into them because every now and then they go completely hyper and start bouncing off every object in the room.

The one thing the kittens are definitely not afraid of is heights. They love to climb. Specifically, on me. And anything I'm on, like the couch. Despite wearing socks and long pants, my ankles and shins are a crosshatch of scratches. They prefer to swarm on the (correct) theory I can't always stop them all at once. Two of them will start up my legs and a third will just leap for the couch cushion or start up the arm rest. Just when they're in a fuzzy mound around my feet, when I think I've finally tired them out and lean back to resume my book, I find one has snuck up the back of the couch and is reading over my shoulder. They'll rest or play among themselves for fifteen minutes and then start all over again.

We had a thunderstorm last night. The kittens were all eating solid food from mama's dish when the first thunder clap hit. Three of them made a beeline directly to, under and into the recliner where they'd made their nest. I have no idea where the fourth one disappeared to. At least LGM had the rest of the plate to herself.

Speaking of eating solid food, now that the kittens prefer kibble to mama she's been getting increasingly desperate to get them to nurse. She'll aggressively grab a kitten, hold it down despite its protests and lick it over and over but almost all they ever do is squirm away. Occasionally, one of them will humor her but they're really not interested anymore.

Which leads directly to the Big Surprise. For LGM, not us. Tomorrow is her appointment with the vet to check up on her battle wounds (which are looking pretty good although I fear there may be some permanent scarring of her beautiful sleek gray coat). Since the kids are weaned, it's time to disconnect the kitten-making bits.