In the summer of 1999, July 4th weekend, to be exact, I started seeing a black female cat in my garden. Because I put food out for them, there are great many birds at my house, and she was trying to catch a bird to feed herself and her small black kitten. At first, I thought they might belong to someone who was away for the long weekend, but sadly this was not the case. I began putting out dry food and water for them, which they seemed so grateful to have. I called her “Fleur” and the kitten “Fleurette” which is French for “flower” because they were like two especially beautiful flowers in the garden. I saw Fleur occasionally after that weekend, though I never saw Fleurette again. I continued to put out food and water every day whether I saw her or not. Some months later, I saw her with another kitten, a tabby. I then determined that I would try to catch them in a humane trap, and have them neutered to stop the proliferation of kittens. Where I live, there are coyotes, bobcats, foxes, hawks and owls all looking for small animals to feed themselves, so young kittens don’t have much of a chance living outside. Much to my surprise, I caught the kitten right away! She was about three months old, so very cute, and after she was spayed, I was afraid to let her go since she wasn’t really old enough to be on her own, and I wasn’t sure if she would be able to find Fleur quickly enough for her own survival. So….I decided that since I already had two cats, I might as well have three. Tweaker and Tashes, now grown, adopted her as their own, and as she like to sleep tightly wedged between them, she became known as “Tweenie”.

continued to set the trap some of the time for Fleur, but to no avail. About three months later, I saw her when she came to eat, and she looked to be pregnant again! I renewed my efforts to catch her, and after only two days, I succeeded! I rushed her to the vet, and was told that she wasn’t pregnant, but only looked so because she had had many kittens. When I came home, again working outside, I began to hear what sounded like meowing---maybe---I thought. The wind was rustling in the trees, the birds were singing, and it was very hard to tell for sure, but I started to search: up and down the hill, back and forth. It was so hard too tell where the sound was coming from! Finally, the sun was starting to set and I scooted down the hill. When I stood up, directly behind me in the ivy was a tiny kitten! Fleur had been pregnant after all, and this kitten, just born, had been alone for many hours with no food and no mom to take care of him! I felt SO bad!!! I rushed him into the house, wrapped him in a towel and put him in a box to warm him up. Now I was REALLY worried that there might be more kittens out there, and it was going to get dark soon! I raced back out, and frantically searched, but neither heard nor found any more. Back to the house and zooming to the vets’ to get kitten milk replacer and instructions on how to take care of this barely born kitten. Milk replacer every two hours, around the clock! Are you tired already just hearing this??? The next morning, at first light, out I went, up the hill again to search. Nothing. Now, off to get Fleur and bring her home. No wonder she was so frantic and angry when I caught her! I kept her confined for a week, but she was too wild, too frightened of humans to turn her into a pet, so reluctantly, I let her go. She still lives in the garden and beyond, and I put food out for her every day though she doesn’t always show up. Maybe some other kind-hearted soul is feeding her too; I hope so!

Which cat, Bella Wella, black like Fleur, or Buster Boyo, Stripped like Tweenie do you think was Fleur’s kitten? Keep reading!

A few days after all of the above, I got a call from the vets’ saying that they had a newly born kitten that someone found in their garage and brought to them with the instruction “Get rid of it.” Since they would never do that, they called to ask if I would take on one more, and in return, a home would be found for the two of them together when they were old enough to be adopted out. How could I say no? When I got to the vets, I was handed the smallest kitten I had ever seen! It fit in the palm of my hand, had strange fur that looked like blanket fuzz, and black, slanted, almond shaped eyes that made it look like a space alien, which is why the name Roswell seemed perfect. This kitten was pitiful looking, sick, and as it weighed only a few ounces, had to have a single drop of penicillin every day for a few days. Despite its looks, it was such a fighter, with such a strong will to live, that with a little bit of care it began to thrive. Some weeks later when it became obvious that “it” was a “she”, her name became Roswella, and as she grew, and her blanket fuzz fur became like shiny black silk and her eyes turned a gorgeous green, she became “Bella Wella”. By the time they were old enough to be adopted out, I was MUCH too attached to them to let them go to someone else.

So, there you have it; the really true story of the Fab Five and how they all came to live at my house. By the way, Buster Boyo is Fleur’s kitten and is Tweenie’s half brother. Bella Wella is unrelated except by love.

Do you have a picture or drawing of your cat that you would like to send us? If so, send it, along with the story of how he/she came into your life, and once a month the Fab Five will select one to post on our web site. If yours is chosen, you will receive a free T shirt with our logo, so be sure to include your size, name and address.

Our address is:

CuteKittyPix
9663 Santa Monica Blvd. #754
Beverly Hills, Ca. 90210-4303