It's that time of year again

I realize I haven't updated you on any cats for a long time! It's not that I haven't taken any photos... I have plenty! And I still have plenty of cats. :) In fact, I have even more now, because it's kitten season again. Rainbow and Patches have both had litters, but they both had them in the stack of hay bales. I haven't seen Patches' because I can't get at them, but I know where they are (approximately). Rainbow's were slightly more accessible, but not much. I did manage, however, to climb up for photos one day. I had to just stick the camera in the hole and shoot, hoping I ended up with a decent photo or two. I managed to get these, but I also got my camera, myself, and as you can see, the three kittens covered with loose hay. Ha - it was worth it. ;)

Those were taken on April 11th, at just over two weeks old. They are now three weeks old. Last evening after I'd fed the cats, I stepped out of the garage and saw that Rainbow had brought me a gift... an awfully cute gift!

Sweet of her, wasn't it? I sat with it in the garage for a bit wondering what I should do with it, then decided to put it back out till I could figure something out. Rainbow had been busy while I was pondering... suddenly there were two!

Awwww.....

Then Rainbow disappeared again while these two (and I) waited.

Sure enough, she soon had all three of them in front of the garage.

I knew what she wanted. She'd raised a litter in the garage before, if you recall. I recall deciding never again! They're cute and fun, but oh such trouble when they get a little older. We ended up exporting that litter to a brother-in-law's farm.

It was getting late, so I put the kittens in a box and let them and Rainbow stay in the garage overnight. This morning I moved them to the old hog barn, where Rainbow has also raised a couple of litters. I thought all was well, until this afternoon I heard a tiny kitten cry outside the back garage door this time. I wasn't too surprised to find a fat little orange baby out there. So I grabbed the iPad and waited. I know some of you won't be able to see this little video clip on your tablets or phones, but if you can, look at it on a computer (or check my Instagram gallery). It's worth it!

Soooo... this photo below was my last view awhile ago. There's probably one more by now. The poor little things had quite a ride, as she had to haul them up and out a window! Mama Rainbow looks tuckered out, too.

Now what to do with them???!!!

Update: She did bring the third one, of course, and I moved them to a different location. This time I put them in a shed that used to hold ground hay. It's open, but the inner walls are lined with hay bales with some little hidey holes that I figured would work well for the kittens. Apparently Rainbow didn't agree. When I opened the back garage door this morning (Monday), I was greeted by Rainbow awaiting her breakfast... with her three kids! Aargh. I hauled them back to the same place, and so far they're still there (5:00 p.m.), probably thanks to the fact that it's been raining lightly all day.

Rainbow's such a protective mother! Yesterday I saw her go after a number of the other cats if they got too close. So I guess the hog barn with her older kittens is definitely out of the question. She needs an apartment of her own. Good thing we have a lot of sheds around here... even if she does prefer the garage suite. Ha.