Twenty-One and Counting (Strange Invaders)

The Tall Lady and I followed the news on the Vancouver Orphan Kittens Rescue Association's website for a long time after we adopted the Flying Fellini Sisters. We kept noticing that there were recurring themes; VOKRA needed money (done), VOKRA had a lot of cats (agreed), VOKRA needed more foster homes (hmmm...).

So, there are we two in our comfortable little home with our two little furry paragons. We began to debate the reasons for fostering other kittens. Of course, there was never any question of housing more cats - we didn't have the room, we didn't have the time, our big girls would be upset, the place in which we live has an eight paw pet policy.

Nope, no chance, can't do it...

Tabor

Tabor (now Cooper) arrived in the third week of October, and might have spent as much as fifteen minutes adjusting to his new surroundings. A strange home was just something new to explore, new people should be all right if he was careful about trusting them. As for the two hissing, spitting, growling harridans in the living room, well, that would be fine too. Why, he'd just go right up to them, shake a paw or two and introduce himself...

Big, brave Xena ran away from him, screaming in horror, while our sweet, gentle Brie thumped his little noggin until it rang like a gong! Tabor kept trying, Xena kept running, and Brie kept buffeting his little, flat cranium. Fortunately, he kept Aunt Fraidy and Aunt Grouchy from noticing that there were two other kittens in the house.

Taylor

Taylor (Stella) left the dubious security of her cat carrier and took refuge behind the couch on one of the occasions when Brie was trying to knock the ambassador's head into touch. It wasn't her problem. If Tabor wanted to offer himself for sacrifice, well done and good on him, but Taylor had more sense. She wasn't going to accept this change at all, and she was determined to stay in her sanctuary until the horror was over.

The problem was, that Tall Lady kept kneeling down, looking under the couch and talking to her. Then, there was the other one, the big, fat bastard who moved the couch away from the wall, and actually tried to touch her! Taylor was certain that it was some sort of sinister conspiracy...but the talking was okay, and the petting really wasn't all that bad. All right, she'd come out, but there was no way that she was ever going to get up on either of those warm, comfortable laps...

Timber

Timber had security measures of his own in place. He had decided that the best thing he could do was to remain in the cat carrier and not to attract any attention to himself. All of the carriers stayed on the floor of our living room for about a week, becoming a kind of small trailer park, and Tim could travel from unit to unit in relative safety.

But those damn' people kept putting their hands inside his carrier and touching him too. Sometimes they brought him little treats called Temptations, and then his stronghold would be invaded by his brother and sister - or even by the big, grumpy cats.

Our VOKRA friend, Mickey told us that they'd given us the easy kittens for our first foster, and they had done. It was no time at all before all three had become professional lap cats. All of them loved Auntie Brie, in spite of her heavy fist, but they absolutely idolized Xena. Taylor, in particular, would follow her everywhere, trying to learn all of the magic and unlock the secrets. It wasn't long before they would be adopted to three different homes, where they were loved, pampered and spoiled, and our apartment would feel oversize and empty...for awhile.