Help Name the Kittens

They're getting pretty big and we still have not settled on names for the two gray kittens.

Kitten No. 1 (left) is dark gray with tabby markings, white ruff and feet. We are pretty sure this is a female, but to be on the safe side we have come up with "Pepper." She likes to play and is quite curious. What name would you suggest?

Kitten No. 2 (right) is light gray, with muted tabby markings in varying shades. We think this is a male. I initially suggested "Ashley". However, I have since scrapped that name as being too gentle. He is somewhat of a bully, pushing siblings away from the food dishes or whatever else he wants. He follows Blackie a lot, looking like he is trying to impress his dad.

Anybody have any ideas?

Crowded Condo

All five cats but Mama Cat appear to be crowding into one of the condos at night. Sometimes Blackie slinks out in the morning, making that count six cats. This has been the case ever since the possum hid from my cane inside the other condo about 2 weeks ago.

Old Softie

Due to our new night visitors, I try to take the cat food in before dark. Of course, any cats in the immediate vicinity all put on their hungry faces. Erv was there the first time this happened, and he insisted that I should leave some sprinkles on the carpet. I thought they could survive until morning. Old Softie took out a cup of catfood and sprinkled it on the rug.

Raccoon Comes to Dinner

After dark last night the cats had a new visitor for dinner. We spied a raccoon chomping away. The cats don't seem to mind - they sit there like good hosts. They don't eat with their guest; they just watch. It took a lot of yelling to chase the raccoon away.

Go Away Possum

Last night Granddaughter Krissy and her friend Katie were at our house when I spied a possum chowing down on cat food. I grabbed one of Erv's canes and went out waving it and yelling. It looked up and charged into one of the condos. We were all yelling at the possum and I was at the back of the condo banging with the cane. The possum just sat in the condo. We could see it looking out, but no way was it going to come out. (What possum would give up carpeting and a floor heater.) We finally left it and after we went away it crawled out and ambled away. Today Krissy said that her friend Katie was laughing and telling schoolmates all day about my pounding and yelling at the possum in the cat condo.

Good Morning !!!

We did not see the two little kittens all day yesterday. This morning we were greeted by the sad picture of the two longhairs sitting on top of the condos, side by side, head to head, looking out to the back yard - and still no kittens in view. Once they saw movement in the house, the cats started lining up near the door. Yellow Ears strolled out of the condo, then one kitten, then the second kitten. They were all very hungry, particularly the kittens. I had taken the food dishes in early last evening because the possum showed up earlier than usual. And, of course, we have no idea what the kittens were up to all day yesterday. It's the first day we remember that they did not hang around the condos. Well, it turned out to be a good morning after all.

Missing for Breakfast

All three of the older kittens were waiting for breakfast this morning; but, alas, there has been no sign of the two younger ones (and they are usually around early in the morning). We hope that the little ones spent the night with Mama Cat, who still prefers her old homestead to the condos. We'll keep on the lookout for them.

Playground

When the longhairs were younger they used to play in 2 pots of artificial flowers on the back porch. When we installed the 2 condos on the porch we added 2 more flower pots and all now contain artificial holly. The current kittens like to play in them as well. Even their older siblings crawl through every now and then.

Hunting

We are very amazed as we watch our cats go into hunting mode. This morning one of the gray kittens spied a robin sitting nearby on the porch. Immediately her body went completely still - even her hind leg which had been trailing behind and had not yet left the condo porch. Unfortunately for the cat, but fortunately for the robin, the bird flew away before she could pounce. The bird's senses were also acute.

A couple nights ago, Erv awoke to see a large dark shape cross the back of the yard. Immediately, the two longhairs, Scarface and Harley, came out of the condo and headed for the back yard, crisscrossing each other's paths as they picked up and followed the trail.

Blackie Moves In

We're pretty sure that Blackie is the two gray kittens' dad. He started to show up in our back yard at the appropriate time. At first, we tried to discourage him, but food available every day and our cat colony is a huge draw. So we have often seen this view of him sneaking up for a meal. He has now apparently achieved the ultimate. This morning when I came out with the food dishes he scrambled out of one of the condos. Apparently he is a late sleeper. The colony cats are always up and waiting for me.

Taking Temperatures

Our outside temperatures have remained below freezing so far this month, and Erv has been wondering how warm the condos are. The kittens always spend the nights in the condos, and someof the time the other cats do too. Mama Cat rarely spends the night in a condo - she still keeps pretty much to herself. Anyway, Erv found a thermometer with a remote reader and installed it in the condo. The first reading (morning) was only 20 degrees (it had been zero degrees the night before. This morning it was 34 degrees (we're in a warming trend). That's probably pretty comfortable when about 3 cats curl up together on the carpeted floor which is over a heating pad. They all have pretty thick winter coats.

New Toy

The kittens love to play. They chase plastic leaves and flowers and each other's tails. We thought they would get a lot more mileage from one of Alex's toys than he does (one sniff and Alex usually lets them alone). So we appropriated a small stuffed mouse. That mouse has been pushed around mercilessly. They steal it away from each other and sometimes the winner picks it up and takes it into the condo only to bring it back out soon thereafter.

Plowed Path

We got 7 inches of snow yesterday - on top of the 3 we already had. Jim, our handyman, stopped by late in the afternoon to clear our walk. He always checks on the cats, and yesterday he cleared a path for them so they could more easily get to their hillside.

New Water Dish

The colony now has a heated water dish. Unfortunately, the only one we could find was a dog dish, so it's quite large. The kittens can reach it, but it's also fun to climb up and perhaps dip a paw into the water. Luckily, no one has fallen in - yet. Note Blackie, the father of the two kittens, who is seriously trying to move in.

Cat Highway

The sun has been shining, enough to melt down snow on the flat stone borders to the flower gardens. The cats are no fools, and these highways help keep their feet dry.