Watching the Kittens Grow

What fun we had all summer watching the kittens grow! Duchess and the kittens sometimes seemed so relaxed and comfortable lounging and frolicking in the garden chasing bugs, but most of the time they seemed scared. They would keep looking behind like something was going to get them. They didn't know how safe they actually were on our deck. The food and water dishes were carefully placed under a table out of the site of the hawks. Any unwelcome guests looking for a free meal were quickly chased away by us. We were there to protect them from any predators.

We were quite distressed at one point. Marie's eyes looked red and swollen. Soon Toulouse also had the eye problem. Eye infections. We couldn't get near them. There was no way to get them to the vet unless we trapped them. Luckily, their eyes healed within a week.

I did progress from watching them from the window to watching on the deck. I would sit very quietly outside on the deck quite some distance from the food bowls and the cats would come. They would see me and eat, but if I moved or made a sound they would run.

It was interesting to watch the interaction between Duchess and the kittens. Duchess started out standing guard as the kittens ate. She would eat when they were finished. She seemed very affectionate with them when they were little.

Later, as the kittens got bigger, she would eat right along with them. Duchess was getting less affectionate. She seemed annoyed with her little ones sometimes.

We knew Duchess considered the kittens part of the colony when she would swat them away from the food so she could eat first.

The little family did not seem as close as they used to.