Gandolf the Grey, Dude, Goose, LeeLoo, Mouse and M’aiq

The 5 humans in our house are in love with the 6 new feline additions to our family! Isn’t that how it works?  You go in for a lap cat and a couple of kittens, and then you cannot help yourself and you double it… :) We renamed all the cats, and so now we have one senior (bonded) pair of cats named Gandolf the Grey (was Cream Cheese) and Dude (was Lox) and four kittens – a pair of 6-month-old siblings and two older kittens with whom they bonded, named Goose (was Orzo), LeeLoo (was Vodka), Mouse (was Mini Wheats), M’aiq (was Twitch). Dude (formerly Lox) (brown tabby), by far the oldest at 11 years old, immediately became the house favorite with his laid back, “pet me as much as you want” nature. Never discount a well cared for older cat! He is also very tolerant of the kittens, and they just love him, always rubbing up against him like he’s their admired big brother. They have even managed to get him to play with them a bit. He purrs very loudly when we pet him, and he loves to sit in an open window with the breeze coming in. He also loves to clean up everyone else’s plates, so we are going to have to watch his weight! Gandalf the Grey (formerly Cream Cheese) (gray and white with long fur) is the other older cat that came with Dude. He seems a lot older than Dude in his demeanor. He’s very quiet and shy, and like Dude, sleeps a lot. He mostly likes to keep to himself, sleeping in his cat cave, and I think it’s because he is not used to all the kitten antics yet. Goose (formerly Orzo) (gray and white tabby) was the other early house favorite, as this 6-month-old kitten has a LOT of “cattitude.” He is very animated with tons of energy, and he loves playing with toys, jumping on the other cats, and trying to get all the cat treats for himself! While wary sometimes, he is very well adjusted to people and purrs loudly when we pet him. He and the other kittens are also obsessed with the laser pointer… it is so fun making the pointer go from room to room with 4 kittens all chasing after it! LeeLoo (formerly Vodka) (gray and white tabby) is the littermate of Goose and was brought home 1 month after him due to her needing to finish a round of antibiotics. While she looks like Goose, LeeLoo is very shy, and it’s taking extra time for her to come out of her shell with us humans. She does LOVE those push up snacks (as all 4 kittens do!) and those are helping us gain her trust. While still very wary of humans, she is comfortable with all the other cats. She and her brother Goose have started playing a lot lately, and it is fun watching them chase each other around. M’aiq (formerly Twitch) (black cat) came home with us later and on the same day as LeeLoo. Because they were both hiding together the first week or two, LeeLoo took to M’aiq instantly and really bonded with him. We would always find her sleeping next to him under the couch or in a closet. M’aiq has turned out to be a real cuddle monkey with humans and other cats and very talkative. He is a little bit of a Jeckl and Hyde, though, racing through the house, up and down the stairs at night, wild-eyed, not wanting to stay in one place very long. Then, during the day, very cuddly and more laid back and sleepy. Since emerging from the closet, he is now sleeping on our bed, and I think we are going to be able to turn him into our lap cat! Mouse (formerly Mini Wheats) (grey with specs of orange – “dilute Calico”) came home in the same cat carrier with Goose, and they stayed in there together for 24 hours before either would come out, and later they would often sleep in the same cat cave together.  At the shelter, Mouse seemed to be bonded with LeeLoo, but spending so much time with Goose (and LeeLoo’s arrival being delayed), these two really bonded. Like LeeLoo, Mouse is very shy, but has come a long way since we brought her home. She loves head scritches from humans, and she loves playing with her two brothers.  Goose loves to jump on her and they wrestle a lot. Now, lately, she and M’aiq love to chase each other up and down the stairs at night. It’s so cute! Thank you to the Animal Haven for taking in and caring for these wonderful cats and for introducing us to them! We are loving how, after only a couple of months, all our new babies are bonding with us and with each other. They have brought so much joy to our lives! Our family chat is now predominantly cat pictures….