Darwin
Darwin was the runt of a litter of seven. He was so tiny and thin that I had to take him home (he had also stuck his head in the cup of coffee I was drinking). He weighed less than 400g. Five years later, he is a whopping 5kg furball who the vet said could easily carry another kilo or two without being overweight!
Evolution FUZZZ!!!!
Baby Bat FUZZ! Look at those ears!
That sweet little thing will grow into his ears, don’t you worry none.
Looks like Darwin has “evolved” into a big strong man-kitty after getting lots of TLC!
a big strong man- kitty? hilarious.
and im not being sarcastic when i say hilarious. really.
Tiny but mighty. I can see the determination in those blue eyes.
Darwin is one lucky kitty, and a very handsome boy.
me likey Darwin:)
Has he grown into those spectacular ears?
Destined to write ‘Origin of the Kitties’?
I love tiny tots
of course I again reference Josi my resident tiny ….
Hi Brandi Lee, Sorry to hear you have the flu. Hope you are feeling better. Glad to hear little Josephine is doing good. She sounds like a little sweetheart. Give her and the rest of your furbabies a hug and a scratch for me.
Renee,
and will do on the passing on the scratches, although that will take awhile LOL
I am feeling better thanks
What a cute little, sad looking ball of fuzz! Oh those eyes, just saying “love me, won’t ya!”
Just what I was thinking! Who could resist!
To the “cat mobile” batcat said robin!
No bigger than a minute with ‘please love me’ in his eyes. An absolute cutie !!
*~Naturalist Fuzz~*
that’s a gremlin, not a kitten !!! seriously though, a beautiful face and ears…
My baby was the runt of 6. He grew to be 23 lbs. at his heaviest. Now he’s an 18 year old man and he’s losing his muscle tone. He’s down to about 12 lbs. now, but he’s still doing very well.
Sounds like your baby has kidney disease. My kitty, Whiskers went from 10lbs down to around 4lbs in one year. She died two years ago at the end of this month. I still miss her from time to time. I have her memorial on the Rainbow Bridge website. I have another furry buddy who is 1 year and four months and who is now the object of my affection.
Aah, little Darwin has evolved! Hurrah!
Darwin looks to be mostly furr in this pic. How adorable! I’m happy to hear that he’s grown into a big, healthy boy…thanks to your love!
I agree with Cheri, the little guy is a gremlin…but a lovable one! I hope you and he enjoy many happy times together.
Survival of the FUZZiest!
Darwin has such a sweetly shy expression, unlike yesterday’s kitten who looked irresistibly snotty! (I love a cat with a superiority complex.)
He looks tiny and scared. Kind of grabs your heart when you see him. Gentle kisses on his little head. He looks like he’s probably grown into a beautiful coat. Darwin is a lucky little baby to have been adopted by you!
Since I was clueless about Darwin’s weight, I had to look it up—he started off weighing less than 14 ounces and now he weighs 11 pounds! What a comeback.
D- Thank you SO much for that nonmetric conversion for us U.S.ers
I think his cuteness must cover up a devil in disguise. You are so precious and darling. Not to take away from your machismo, however.
cute ,but a face only a mother could love.
A spirit kittie!~~ Adorable!!
Here is a video of the dog that is nursing 20 puppies!
http://www.wfmynews2.com/news/watercooler/article.aspx?storyid=77696
To 2catmommy
I was just catching up with Friday’s postings this morning (I was a bit under the weather then). In response to your question about knotted fur on your longhair– I have 4 longhair fuzzbutts, and experience has taught me to use prevention (grooming) as often as possible, but sometimes that was not enough. For me, scissors were a bad idea because my kitties would not be still and scissors could cut the skin. Their skin is very thin and could bleed easily.
I was successful in using barber clippers if someone else would hold the kitty. They didn’t like it, but at least I didn’t hurt them.
I’ve found that my long haired fuzzies like a comb called a “rake”. It gets all the loose hair without pulling. They seem to like it and now line up to be groomed every day!
Good luck to you!
If this Darwin is the “missing link” I sure wouldn’t mind being related to him!
Thank you Dee for the info on the metric exchange I was lost.
Here is another story about a “reluctant” cat lover. I love these….
It’s amazing, but not everyone is a cat lover. Cats have so many wonderful traits that it’s hard to imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to connect with a furry purring playful friend. To each his own I suppose, but sometimes cats don’t look at it that way. Sometimes cats are certain that they can change your mind and make a cat lover out of you. I just read a wonderful story about a cat that did just that.
Claire Luna-Pinsker in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania tells the story of the cat she didn’t want. It wasn’t anything against this cat in particular; it was just that she had never really been a big feline fan. She thought that cats were sneaky, hair shedding, furniture shredding, mice killing fur balls. Not to mention that having a cat stare you down in that way they have gave Claire the chills.
However, Claire’s husband loved cats and wanted a cat desperately. Claire went along with his request because she loved him, but reluctantly. In fact when they went to the shelter to look for an addition to their home, Claire was secretly hoping they would come home empty-handed. That wasn’t in the cards, however.
Although there were no kittens when they arrived, a calico kitten miraculously appeared and before Claire could think too hard about it, they were on their way home. That first night the kitten, who they named Elvis, chose Claire’s pillow to sleep on, nestled into the top of her head, much to Claire’s dismay. In fact the cat decided that this was the appropriate permanent spot to sleep at night and also began following Claire wherever she went. Clair still wasn’t convinced.
Elvis made it his job to convince her. He never relented in his constant affection for her and even protected her from strangers he perceived as threatening as he got older. If this wasn’t enough to cement their friendship, Elvis made their connection even more obvious. Whenever Claire was ill, Elvis seemed to develop sympathetic injuries including an abdominal infection and a limp. It took a lot of feline persistence, but Elvis did it. He won Claire’s heart.
I have been a cat lover since I was 12 months old when my parents got me my first kitten…..(”Pogy”, a huge Siamese that was my constant companion for 13 years) I still have trouble imagining anyone that can’t appreciate the pure joy of cats. Thank goodness Claire finally allowed her self to get in touch with what animals are all about! Her life will be (hopefully) enriched and she will be able to enjoy all animals. More than anything I feel sadness for people that were not brought up to understand the importance of nature and all it has to offer. It should be a vital part of parenting! My 2 college educated children are constantly taking in homeless animals. We welcome them as treasured guests that can teach us what we can not know on our own and make us a better race. What better lesson can we teach our children?
Super cute cat story. I’m just wondering how the little calico ended up a boy….? > ^ . . ^
Let’s hope it passes this time!
**Animal Fighting Bill Launched on Congress’ Opening Day**
January 4, 2007
On the opening day of the 110th Congress, lawmakers signaled their commitment to animal protection by introducing a bill that would make animal fighting a felony punishable by up to three years in prison.
The bill, introduced by Reps. Elton Gallegly, R-Calif., Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., and Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., would make it a felony to transport an animal across state or international borders for animal fighting. Additionally, it would prohibit the interstate and foreign commerce in knives and gaffs designed for use in cockfighting.
The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act enjoys overwhelming support on Capitol Hill. Introduced in the last Congress by Rep. Mark Green, R-Wisc., the legislation gained 324 cosponsors (about three-quarters of the House and more than nearly any other pending bill). A Senate version of the measure passed the upper chamber unanimously early in the 109th Congress, and is expected to be reintroduced by Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and John Ensign, R-Nev., next week.
The bill introduced on the first day of the new Congress shows increased awareness of the seriousness of the crime of animal fighting because it allows up to three years of jail time rather than up to two years, as the bill debated in the last Congress allowed.
The link between cockfighting and avian flu is of growing concern to federal lawmakers. With cockfighting shown to contribute to the disease’s spread in Asia, there are fears that birds brought illegally into the United States for fighting could bring avian flu with them.
**Tell your representative to support the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act**
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2007_endanimalfighting
**ASPCA SUCCESS STORY OF THE WEEK: PUPPY LOVE**
“My husband, Chris, and I decided to volunteer at our local humane society in Snohomish County, Washington,” Michelle Ranous tells us, “even though we both know it would be a bad idea.”
Hmmm…since when is volunteering a bad idea?
“Well, we knew that I would immediately fall in love with every animal there and quickly add to our three-cat-and-one-dog home,” explains Michelle.
It was Michelle’s husband who succumbed first.
“Chris noticed a very hyperactive young girl named Jada,” says Michelle. “The shelter director told us she’d been abandoned.” Because the dog had been implanted with a microchip ID, the shelter was able to contact her former owners. “But when the shelter called, the owners said they no longer wanted her,” explains Michelle.
So Chris and Michelle began looking at Jada in a different light. “She was always so excited and hyper, and very clingy and eager to please,” says Michelle. “Sure enough, my husband decided to adopt her on the spot.”
Once in her new home, Jada began to settle in. “She still is very clingy,” says Michelle, “but we relish the chance to show her love and trust. It truly is a blessing to be able to save an animal and show that animal unconditional love.”
Pennsylvania residents: please click on this link. (I had no idea this was going on….)
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/PA_2007_contests_packet
and New York residents, as well….
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/NY_2007_contests_packet
Today is Elvis’ birthday and it is quite festive in Tupelo, MS. I was really interested in the report this morning on the news in regards to the controversial Hemingway cats. Those cute polydactel felines in Key West are causing an uproar with the federal government. However, I am going to burst the feline origins of those cute fuzzy butts. Papa Hemingway raised pea cocks and pea hens and his children’s cats were a nusance to the fine feathered birds. Upon arriving home one evening he discovered that his sons had painted the two resident felines green. With that, Papa uncermoniously discharged the cats over the fence of the property. Who knows the exact origin of those polydactel Hemingway felines, but Uncle Sam sure does know how to start a cat fight in the fabulous Florida Keys. A former Keys resident that is land locked in the birthplace of Elvis!
Elvis would be 72 today. I wish I had been able to experience the frenzy that he inspired. When my brother (who is 20 years older) talks about Elvis, it’s as if he has become hypnotized!
I have seen every Elvis movie zillions of times I know they all pretty much have the same plot but who cares! People of my age (56) can remember where they were when they heard JFK, MLK and RFK died also when the news of Elvis’s passing.
Darwin looks so tiny in this picture - just a hugh head attached to tiny body. I would love to see a picture of him now!
Does anyone live in or near Austin? Scary stuff….
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070108/ap_on_re_us/austin_shutdown
My house is about 2 hours away, but I go to Austin every chance I get and know that part of town well. Congress Ave. is the main street in town, and has the state capital smack-dab in the middle of it. 6th Street is where all the nightlife is–Austin is the “live music capital of the world.” Needless to say, lots of locals, polliticians, tourists and students (Austin is also home to the Univ. of Tx, just north of the city center along IH-35), alike.
I have a hard time believing it wasn’t some kind of sabotage, especially when coupled with the “noxious gas” incident in NYC! Either that, or the hot air from the politicians (the Legislature opens tomorrow) reached critical mass early this session!
haha! true!
tee-hee…can we say “gas-bags?” you’re too funny Ginny!!! Not to make light of the situation though. Don’t go into the city, Ginny, until the cause has been discovered!
Not to worry–I’m too $#%$&*$^ busy catching up on doing nitnoy paperwork that was all due at the same time and is now overdue. All that, and trying to educate kids, too. Yee-ha. I’m a teacher; please let me teach!
Here’s to you — and all the other over-worked, under-paid, over-stressed, and under-appreciated teachers out there! My husband works as an IT Manager for a large school system and knows many teachers who fight to have a “system” in place that will let them teach! Administrators keep coming up with new programs to “help” teachers, but end up causing them more harm than good… Thanks, Ginny, for hanging in there!
I’m down the road - are you speaking about all the dead birds?
exactly…
Darwin is a sweetie! Like all black kittens I have known I know he has a shiny sleek coat by now!
Who could resist that sweet face?
Please love me?
awwww i want to smooch him
What a cutie
If anyone who made New Year’s Resolutions, is starting to find them difficult to keep, here is an interesting article…
You and I can change. Not just superficially, or temporarily. We can stop doing the things that hold us back or cause us suffering and create a life filled with meaning and happiness. But it’s not easy, as anyone who has tried to change a habit or do something new knows.
To bring new behavior into being takes work. Our brains have enormous “plasticity,” meaning they can create new cells and pathways. But our brains create strong tendencies to do the same thing over and over. Here’s why: our neurons (brain cells) that fire together wire together. Meaning, they have a strong tendency to run the same program the next time. That’s why lasting change takes lots of practice; you’ve got to create a pathway to the new options. (Six to nine months, say many brain scientists–so much for those seven-day wonder programs.) The process is not about getting rid of bad habits—the pathway to your current behavior is there for life, baby—but building new, more positive ones. Even stopping doing something, like smoking, is really about creating a good new habit, nonsmoking.
Our brain structure is also why you’ve got to put external reminders in place, at least in the beginning. Unless we have a trigger from the outside—a note, a email reminder, a friend who shows up at the door to go to the gym with you–it’s very likely you’ll keep defaulting to the old behavior because it’s automatic. That’s also why it’s so important to be willing to start over no matter how often you blow it or get discouraged.
Do you keep hoping that a magic fairy will appear to make your dreams come true? That if you just read enough issues of Shape those thunder thighs will disappear? You’re not alone. Most of us are also not concrete enough about what we want and unrealistic about what we can reasonably ask ourselves to learn.
Here’s what a new client of mine said he wanted to learn in three months: “to be less nit picky and fearful; to be more optimistic, to be more responsible and empathetic; to be more creative; to be more productive; to live a healthier life and to take better care of myself.” “How about create world peace while you’re at it?” I replied. “And what does `more’ mean anyway? Even if it were possible to focus on all of this in that time frame, how will you know if you are more of any of these things?”
As this client so touchingly demonstrated, we expect too much of ourselves and we expect to change overnight. When that doesn’t happen, we resign ourselves to staying the same, convinced that we are hopeless, weak, or unmotivated. Which makes us even more stuck. As another of my clients, eager to lose weight, puts it, “Once I eat the first cookie, I figure I might as well go through the whole box.”
Top Ten Resolution Pitfalls
1. Being vague about what you want
2. Not making a serious commitment
3. Procrastinating and excuse-making—no time, wrong time, dog ate homework
4. Unwilling to go through the awkward phase
5. Not setting up a tracking and reminder system
6. Expecting perfection, falling into guilt, shame, regret
7. Trying to go it alone
8. Telling yourself self-limiting rut stories
9. Not having backup plans
10. Turning slip-ups to give-ups
To truly change requires three things: desire, intent, and persistence. You have to identify what you desire enough to be willing to stick to, make specific, measurable, achievable goals (”stop yelling at my kids” rather than “having more patience,” and avoid the common pitfalls (see above).
Armed with these attitudes and behaviors, you can cultivate any new habit or behavior. When you have this invaluable tool in your arsenal, you’re not just getting fit, becoming more patient, or writing that novel. You’ve become empowered to experience greater satisfaction and fulfillment in your life because you can now bring anything you want into being. You’ve become the master of your fate rather than the victim of old choices. How’s that for a Happy New Year?
My resolutions were:
1 - Gain weight
2 - Start smoking
Ha ha!!! I used that for the last 3 years and I finally broke the 2nd one. I quit smoking 23 weeks ago! I used to tell everyone my New Year’s resolution was to continue smoking. That was 1 resolution I didn’t mind breaking.
Darwin, you seem so small and scared. You remind me of my Galileo when he was little. I’m glad you grew up to be a big strong handsome kitty. I just love the big fluffy ears!!!
Congrats on your stopping smoking. I am still trying and unfortunately failing but I’ll keep trying. I have smoked for 41 years and enjoyed it very much one of my few vices I have left. It is tough when my family smoke and so do a few friends.
If anyone is a Dave Barry fan, here is his hysterical “year in review” for 2006…
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/dave_barry/16345989.htm
what a hoot! Dave Barry is hysterical! Thanks for the link, Dee!
CatRancher—were you directed to the article, or was there a registration page with the Miami Herald when you clicked on the link??
I didn’t have to register….that page came up…but I was able to “click” through!
this “Heathcliff” comic is pretty cute…
http://www.comics.com/creators/heathcliff/archive/heathcliff-20070107.html
FUZZ?? that kittys just a mini fluffball!!!
but cute!!!
“A strange black cat on your porch brings prosperity.–Scottish Superstition”
Oh my goodness those ears are just precious!!!
“It is impossible to keep a straight face in the presence of one or more kittens. –Cynthia E. Varnado”
Hi Dee! How true! I can’t keep a straight face with just one but get more than one kitten together and it is such fun. I watched three baby Cerval kittens play yesterday on tv. They were so cute.
Darwin is such a little cutie. Who could’ve resisted him. I know I couldn’t have. My Theo, used to be a runt, now he weighs about 10 lbs. and is a little love bug. He was just a late bloomer.
Renee—here are some great looking winter soups for you….
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/slideshow/slideShow.jhtml?slideid=/templatedata/bhg/slideshow/data/SoupsandStews101_09252001.xml&page=1&catref=cat190037
Are you interested in knowing your cat’s biological age in people years? Here is an interesting test…
http://www.catage.com/reg/regentry.aspx?cbr=OV02_C&ovmtc=content
Oh Darwin! I have a compelling urge to tuck you in a blanket and hold you in my arms. And your tiny black nose definitely needs a “Beep!” and a kiss or two.
Take good care of your peeps, big boy!
The big question is: did he grow into his ears??
Darwin is a beautiful boy…look at that coat! Glad he’s doing well and getting many loves….
Oh what a beauty! Those ears are fantastic.
He looks so sad. I’ll bet he’s a beauty by now.
Here is the newspaper article John Grogan of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that was the inspiration for his best-seller, Marley & Me. (If you have not read Marley & Me yet, put that on your to-do list!)
Saying farewell to a faithful pal
By John Grogan
Inquirer Columnist
In the gray of dawn, I found the shovel in the garage and walked down the hill to where the lawn meets the woods. There, beneath a wild cherry tree, I began to dig.
The earth was loose and blessedly unfrozen, and the work went fast. It was odd being out in the backyard without Marley, the Labrador retriever who for 13 years made it his business to be tight by my side for every excursion out the door, whether to pick a tomato, pull a weed, or fetch the mail. And now here I was alone, digging him this hole.
“There will never be another dog like Marley,” my father said when I told him the news, that I finally had to put the old guy down. It was as close to a compliment as our pet ever received.
No one ever called him a great dog - or even a good dog. He was as wild as a banshee and as strong as a bull. He crashed joyously through life with a gusto most often associated with natural disasters.
He’s the only dog I’ve ever known to get expelled from obedience school.
Marley was a chewer of couches, a slasher of screens, a slinger of drool, a tipper of trash cans. He was so big he could eat off the kitchen table with all four paws planted on the floor - and did so whenever we weren’t looking.
Marley shredded more mattresses and dug through more drywall than I care to remember, almost always out of sheer terror brought on by his mortal enemy, thunder.
Cute but dumb
He was a majestic animal, nearly 100 pounds of quivering muscle wrapped in a luxurious fur coat the color of straw. As for brains, let me just say he chased his tail till the day he died, apparently convinced he was on the verge of a major canine breakthrough.
That tail could clear a coffee table in one swipe. We lost track of the things he swallowed, including my wife’s gold necklace, which we eventually recovered, shinier than ever. We took him with us once to a chi-chi outdoor caf and tied him to the heavy wrought-iron table. Big mistake. Marley spotted a cute poodle and off he bounded, table in tow.
But his heart was pure.
When I brought my wife home from the doctor after our first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, that wild beast gently rested his blocky head in her lap and just whimpered. And when babies finally arrived, he somehow understood they were something special and let them climb all over him, tugging his ears and pulling out little fistfuls of fur. One day when a stranger tried to hold one of the children, our jolly giant showed a ferocity we never imagined was inside him.
As the years passed, Marley mellowed, and sleeping became his favorite pastime. By the end, his hearing was shot, his teeth were gone, his hips so riddled with arthritis he barely could stand. Despite the infirmities, he greeted each day with the mischievous glee that was his hallmark. Just days before his death, I caught him with his head stuck in the garbage pail.
Life lessons learned
A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours.
Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things - a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity.
Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.
When his time came last week, I knelt beside him on the floor of the animal hospital, rubbing his gray snout as the veterinarian discussed cremation with me. No, I told her, I would be taking him home with me.
The next morning, our family would stand over the hole I had dug and say goodbye. The kids would tuck drawings in beside him. My wife would speak for us all when she’d say: “God, I’m going to miss that big, dumb lug.”
But now I had a few minutes with him before the doctor returned. I thought back over his 13 years - the destroyed furniture and goofy antics; the sloppy kisses and utter devotion. All in all, not a bad run.
I didn’t want him to leave this world believing all his bad press. I rested my forehead against his and said: “Marley, you are a great dog.”
Here is a site that has 12 pages of adorable pet photos—a lot of them I’ve never seen on cute overload…(you will crack up over some of these…)
http://www.innocentenglish.com/cute-animals/index.html
I thought I was the only one who had a cat that says ‘mama’
What a cutie! Darwin sure grew up to be a big kitty!
My kitty Whiskers was the the runt of five kittens and the only female too. She was so tiny when I got her at all of six weeks that she fit on my hand and had room left for her tail. She didn’t have much fur on her either so her tail was like a rat’s tail for at least until she reached 10 weeks. She would sleep on my chest purring away. I loved when she would do that. She will be gone two years at the end of this month. I now have a new furry buddy who loves to play and who always makes sure he is touching me when he sleeps on my bed at night. He weighs 14 lbs and is 1 year and four months.
I love them when they are so small kitties.
Darwin is such a cute tiny little thing. Love the brown under the silky black fur. So tiny and so precious. Guess now he is big and precious.
Q What do cats like to eat for breakfast?
A Mice Krispies.
Hi Dee! Good story, I like these type of stories, too. It reminds me of reading some christmas stories, lately. If you are interested in reading them, here is the addresses:
http://cats.about.com/od/christmas/a/thegift-2htm
http://cats.about.com/library/weekly/aa120899d.htm
The first one is” Edna’s Christmas Gift”, the 2nd is “A Christmas Miracle”. They are touching little stories. There is some more listed below, like” The Fourth Magi” and “Nicky’s Christmas Wish”
Thanks so much for those, Renee….I am going to read them later. I love those tear-jerkers!
Dee, I got the second address wrong by one letter and it puts you at the end of the story. There are 4 pages to the story. Here is the correct web address:
http://cats.about.com/library/weekly/aa120899a..htm
Sorry about that.
Disregard that web address. I can’t seem to get what I was looking for, even though I copied it down. I hit my own posting address and got a listing for Oct. articles.
Anyone from Ohio? I’m sure you are all buzzing, as we are in Florida, over the huge game tonight!! (Some people even had the day off in Florida today!)
cute cat yes thet are all nuts up here too
I would love to see an adult picture of him just to see how big he’s gotten.
My email is nightwonder@hotmail.com ^_^
Me too!
The first thought that came to my mind (I don’t even know why) was: Ah what a Tootsie Roll! He is suck a cutie! Thanks for sharing his adorable picture