Kitten Talk

Out of all the things I've learned since I started working at CAT, one of the lessons that never ceases to amaze me is how a tiny kitten can turn the most sane, logical, intelligent, manly men and women of adults into coddling, baby-talk spewing piles of mush. No one comes through Kitten Headquarters without cooing at the babies, or expressing their extreme disappointment when there are no babies to coo at.

Try not to call me an itty bitty cutie wootie puddin pie. Just try.

With that in mind, I thought I would introduce those who don't know it already to the world of Kitten talk. Someone who can speak normally to a room of infants will still fall into high pitched gibberish upon seeing a litter of 4 week old kittens. Always.

Some of these are generally known throughout the kitten/foster world, and some are words I just made up, but here is the unabridged Kitten Dictionary for KHQ.

Hidey Bed:

Basically, a bed with sides and sometimes fully enclosed. I don't think I made this word up myself but I can't remember where I first heard it either. It's for shy kitties and baby kittens who need some warmth.

Stuffy:

 
This word isn't specific to Kittens, but that's what we call them. It can be any animal and is used for those small babies that need extra mom-like comfort. I even have two weirdly cat shaped ones that came with a warming pad and a heart-shaped dealie that beats like mom's heart. Kinda creepy.

Boingy-Boingy:

This one is all me. It's pretty much any toy on a spring that boings back and forth and usually comically boinks the kitten on the head.

Slurry:

Anyone in the foster world should know this word if they've had any experience with kittens who won't eat. It's a slushy mixture of (human) baby food, any soft, smelly kitten food (usually a/d) and kitten formula. It's great because if the kittens won't eat it on their own, though most will, you can also syringe feed it to them and it's not quite as annoying as formula to feed, though still very messy.

Muffins:

My Yuffie as a baby.

Yuffie's brother.

Basically any kitten, although I usually only call them muffins when referring to them while talking to their mommy.

Queen:

 Mom, aka momma, mommy, mother, life-giver, food-maker, mess cleaner-upper, tolerater of tail-biting, head-jumping and foot-chomping, knower-of-all and unconditional lover.

Not a word I made up. Moms in foster care are called Queens fur real. (hahahahaha pun!)

This has been Jos as your guide to the world of kitten facts. Happy Tails!

Props to Google for the toy pics, Dawn Rossiter for the slurry pic (plz don't sue me), Nancy Puro for the pics of my Yuffie, his bro, and Noodle, and foster parents for the other kitten pictures.