Farewell Fosters Friday

Well, Kitties, the day has finally come that we are Fosters No More! Lucy and Smudge went back to their REAL foster mom's home today. Mosaic Lady has already cleaned the foster kitty bedroom carpet and washed the poo splatter off the walls. It was a lot of work and on some days, a lot of stress. Some days ML felt like all she did from the time she woke up till after lunch was wash poo off of carpets, floors, kitty condos, blankets, towels, cubes, scratch toys...We did not even tell you that after Smudge poo'd in our cube for the FOURTH time, ML gave up and threw it away!

She is now an expert at poo stain removal (Resolve, of course) and poo stink removal (Nature's Miracle 3-in-1 spray). The skin on her hands is peeling off from all of her OCD hand washing, made 6 times worse by our tiny house guests.

And, of course tonight, three brief hours after their departure, she is depressed and sad and wants them back!

Here are some of ML's favorite final photos of the Poosome Twosome...

Smudge tried to employ Annie's Worming My Way In (TM) strategy by being sure ML noticed that he was a white boy kitty, just like Walter. (The Snapfish memorial collage is finally framed and soon to be hung. Really. We mean it.)

This is how he tried to soften up ML's heart and worm his way back in after putting a half cup of liquid poo in one of her plastic tubs full of mosaic shards. (This was after our T13 post so you didn't even hear about that one either. You're welcome.)

This was just this morning. Helpful muses, aren't they?
Don't you think they've gotten big in just 3 1/2 weeks?
Bigger = More Poo!

Smudge even let Annie have the special muse chair when she wanted it.
Sort of like how Sadie had to let Annie have it when Annie claimed it.

Black, white and the gray in the middle.
See how the light falls on the middle path?

A never ending source of bitey amusement for each other.
They had never met until they came to our house on September 25th. Now they are close friends and best play partners.
Tomorrow Lucy will go with the TAAG prez up to Pet Smart for the adoption day.
She will not stay and sleep there in a cube, however. ML confirmed that first thing.
(Don't tell anyone but ML was prepared to foster Lucy longer if it came to that.)

This was a very long fostering experience for us, especially since we are new to it and the kitties had the run of the house for many hours in the day. (And especially since we fostered Annie for several weeks right before it!!! -- Sadie wrote that part.)
But it was also a very fun, joyful and exciting time. We all came to accept the chaos and the newness. Mosaic Dawg loved the kittens, and they loved her right back. Smudge would often walk right up to her and kiss her nose. Leah did not ever expect it. She's freakishly confused or often over-excited by displays of affection.

Even though it was like having two human babies around (not that ANY of us would have a clue what that involves since we are all Child Free By Choice), there were days when we saw ML put her ear up to the kitten bedroom door, hoping to hear them awake and squealing to come out to play. She would start looking forward to letting them out when she was driving home from town.

Even though Smudge's poo challenged existence had ML close to wrist-slitting some days, this is how we will choose to remember him**.
Happy (Poo Lined) Trails to you, darling Smudge and Lucy.
Until we meet again...


Psssssssssssttttttttttttttttt...
HEY KITTIES!
I heard ML tell TAAG Lady that if she could solve Smudge's poo problems and get him to use the litter box 90% of the time instead of 10%, she'd think about keeping him forever!!!
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....
don't tell Mosaic Cats!


**Finding the roses in the pile of poo by our talented pals over at Zoolatry, of course.