This is the newest addition to our family-we call him Bucky. (Named after the funny, sarcastic cat in the comic strip "Get Fuzzy") We had not planned to have any more pets after Ziggy and Heidi passed away, but this little guy needed some help, we offered, and we got attached, VERY attached, now we can't give him up!! It all started on Wednesday 12-20. Jennifer got a call from Tara, a good friend, in a panic-she works at the Block of Orange (a big shopping mall and entertainment complex). Someone 'dumped' a litter of 5 kittens in the stickery bushes near the parking lot. A crowd of people gathered and began rescueing the babies, all but one, Bucky. Tara picked him up and returned to her office and put him in a box. Knowing we are cat people, she then called Jen for advice. We in turn called our vet, who offered to examine him for free with advice how to take care of him. Jen and I drove to her office and found a very tiny kitten cowering in the corner of the box, extremely scared. We drove him back to the vets. Dr. Weiss said that he was a 'he', approximately 3 weeks old born somewhere around Thanksgiving, normal temperature, weighed a whopping 6 ounces, and seemed healthy other than being under nourished and small for his age. He would require specially formulated bottle feedings every 2-3 hours around the clock to survive. Tara said she wanted to keep him but that she could not be there for the feedings-she is away from home 10 hours a day. Jen pleaded, "Mom, can't we take care of him just until he is back on his feet?" (Yeh, right!!!) It was decided, I would care for him during the day and Jen would have night duty feedings. He took to the bottle fairly easy and began pigging out. The days and nights were long, but it paid off. He grew before our eyes, and now, he is a healthy, pudgy 7 weeks old. He went from a meek, quiet kitten to full blown "hyper-kitty", playing all the time and full of piss-and-vinegar. We decided after all we have been through with him, there was no way were going to let Tara take him. She agreed-she could see that he is being well taken care of, loved, and the dependency and affection he has on all of us-particularly with me-his new mother!! And I thought I was done raising kids-HAH!! Stay tuned for more photos as he grows.The pictures below were taken a few days after we aquired him.

Play time!!

One of the many feedings. All you had to do was lay him on his back and he knew it was food time. He would open his mouth wide like a baby bird!! He became so accustomed and agressive to the bottle, he chewed the end of the nipple off!!

Sleepy time. We kept him in a big box with a heating pad under a thick blanket. He snuggles with (and adopted) one of my brushed fleece night gowns for softness and warmth.

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