Kroger spoils me -AND- my Kitties!

If you know me, you very quickly learn I'm a cat person.  

We currently have four cats.  It just kinda happened. And I'm OK with that!

Here is my Kitty crew:

Youngest to Oldest, Left to Right:

Duncan "Kitten", Little Bit "Momma", Rory, and Strax "Kitty"

In 2014 when my grandmother died, I went to the humane society for some kitty time. Through that visit, I searched on their website for a cat that would be my buddy, my emotional therapy cat (unofficially).  

A Tuxedo cat was listed, who would greet you at the door and loved to be petted.  I went and visited him, and a few days later, Strax came to live with us.

My husband named him Strax, after a current Doctor Who character. 

He will destroy you for the glory of the Sontaran Empire. Or maybe just a string.

He's a giant. He's 15 pounds, and his tail is an entire foot long.  He will cuddle as long as it's his idea, and only until the camera comes out, and then he's gone.  It's like he knows.  My grandma hated having her picture taken, I say that's how they're connected, because he always reminds me of her. Which is why I got him, after all.

He chases his food if I throw it across the floor.

Rory was my birthday present from God last year.

I was setting up the hammock on a pretty Sunday afternoon, and I heard a meow.  I looked toward the door... I hadn't brought Strax out with me.  I look around, and a little orange kitty has his head perked up in my direction coming out of the brush on the other side of my fence.  

Why, hello there, friendly kitty.  I showed him where the fence door was, and he trots right along.

I laid down in the hammock, and up he jumps, to sit in my lap.  

We talk and pet for hours.  I feed him because he was SO skinny, but I eventually go inside. 

The next afternoon, I come home from work and look into the back yard... and there he sat on the porch to our shed. I go back out to see him, and eventually he let himself in the back door. 

And that's pretty much the rest of the story.  We "fostered" him for a while, but it didn't take long to decide that this adorable, fluffy ball of affection was staying right here.

Little Bit might have been my sister's neighbor's cat. She looks like one we saw in the window. But they moved, and suddenly this sweet girl found herself outside. And in heat.

She was smart. The other neighborhood cat has my mom trained to come out at 7am every morning to be fed and cuddled in the outdoor chair for a while.  Little Bit noticed, and quickly took her turn at the morning feeding.  Then one day we noticed she was fat.  Did we feed her too much? 

OH.  Nope, she's pregnant.  

Mom got a box and blanket and left them on the porch for her.  She wasn't very interested and never sat still long.  

Then one morning she didn't show up for breakfast or at all that whole day.

The next time mom sees Little Bit, the neighbor has her in their arms threatening to call the pound and have her taken away.  She's clearly lighter, and those babies are out there somewhere.  Mom is SO upset. What to do?! Mom takes Little Bit, but not inside.  The neighbor leaves and doesn't say anything else.

The next morning, she's back for some food.  Mom is still sitting on the porch drinking her coffee, and Little Bit jumps down from mom's lap.  A few minutes later, she returns ...

...WITH A KITTEN IN HER MOUTH!

She repeats this walk, bringing three kittens up to my mom, who puts them in the prepared box.  Mom calls me and tells me, and we agree they all have to come inside.  She has a spare bedroom, and that's where they spend their first 8 weeks of kittenhood.  

Eventually, all 4 come to my house = for a total of 6 crazy fun kitties in my house at once = as I have some friends who were interested in taking them.

Two go to other homes, but the runt - Duncan - and Momma are still with us.  We just love them and don't mind if they stay here with us. They're loved, happy, and definitely well fed. 

Especially when Kroger's My Sharing Network gives us free samples!!!  

Take a look!

Of course, I needed help opening the box that was *clearly* for him! haha

 My heart melts when they meow.  Especially when I catch it in a picture!

I had this scene in my head in preparation for this posting.  Get all the bowls ready, and set them down at once.  These guys are really good about sticking to their own bowls during feeding times, and I'm very intentional about feeding Strax first, then Rory, then Little Bit and Duncan.  

Strax is part chicken, so this gives him a little bit of self-assurance. He's still my #1.

 Little Bit has never been that crazy about wet food. It's weird! She's backwards.  She would eat Duncan's kitten formula wet food, but then Duncan wanted the big kitty stuff and they would eat each other's food.  So now he's just eating with the big boys (and his momma).  

She LOVED the True Instinct dry food!  They all did, but she was so very happy to have an alternative to the Meow Mix.  No offense to them, she treats all the wet foods the same. She'll get just as excited about Kitty Food Time, but then turns her nose up as soon as she sees it in the bowl.  

Duncan loved the Meow Mix. While it lasted.
It was actually more like shredded chicken with gravy because there were some fairly large clumps in there. 
At this moment pictured (right) is when I noticed the clumps. 

I definitely noticed them again later...
on my rug....
in the dark....
with my bare foot. 
Along with a good hairball. Because if you're going to puke, at least multitask!

Later, I brought the Party.

THANK YOU KROGER!!!