Up close and personal! :-)
Hi!
You finally get to meet the mother of the adorable kittens on Nala's Babies page!
Full Name: Nala
Nicknames & Phrases: Itty Bitty Nala Kitty, Mama's Sweet Little Lady, Little Lady, Nila
Birthday: July 11, 2000
Current Age: 6
Quirks: Nala really isn't a very quirky cat but she's very loving! :-) However, if she's not had
enough loving from you, don't be surprised if she makes a grab at your hand asking for more! Hehehe!
She's newly developed the habit of digging clothes out of my waterbed drawers
so she can get under the bed, though! Little silly kitty! lol
History:
As many of you have read, I brought Nala home already very pregnant with her litter of 5 beautiful babies. Her owner was unable to have her spayed at the time and Nala was easily accessible to the 3 whole males living with her. She'd been becoming pregnant from the time she was able to have kittens. Her owner was worried that it would be too much on tiny little Nala, so I agreed to take her home with me.
As always, my vet was very understanding of the situation, loaning me a large cage in which to house Nala while she adjusted to the rest of the Herd. It also came in handy for after she gave birth, shielding the little ones from those cats who so badly wanted to play with them (Uncle Kahn, for instance...lol)!
Uncle Kahn is the correct title for the big baby, by the way. He and Kitana were born a mere 6 months (give or take) before Nala came into the world. It just took her a bit longer to arrive here! lol
At first, Nala didn't much care one way or the other that the other cats were around. She was loaded with progesterone in preparation for her babies. It became quite a bit different after they were born, though!
Anyone who's ever had a mama kitty (queen) knows just how wild they can get if they believe that someone's going after her babies! The only cat she'd allow in direct contact with the kittens was Kahn. Maybe it's because he took on a lot of the dirty work for her! lol Whatever the reason, the other cats weren't allowed anywhere near the kittens in their first couple of weeks.
Eventually things calmed down and Nala settled in as a permanent member of the Herd. Having her has been a joy as you can well imagine! Once the gauntness of mothering had a chance to disappear, Nala filled out beautifully!! :-) How about a recap?
See what I mean? BEAUTIFUL!!! :-) Well, I could have edited the first picture a bit more I guess, but the result stays the same. In spite of her fillling out so nicely, Nala remains the "mini" of Tay's babies weighing in at a mere 7 lbs.
Still, I couldn't ask for a nicer companion, either! Nala is one of the most gentle of the Herd, giving quietly of her love with soft head butts, rubs and that limpid, adoring stare (she's very polite, though...not staring too long...lol). Normally, it's hard to catch her with her eyes wide open as in the above pic. She usually carries with her a serene, half lidded gaze of complete contentment! :-)
On the other side of the coin, Nala isn't any different than her siblings when someone is aggravating her...lol As a matter of fact, I can't think of another cat that has a growl as fierce sounding as hers! I still have trouble associating that vicious sounding growl with little, easygoing Nala ! lol
Until Ripley came on the scene, Nala didn't have much reason to growl though, as she gets along with the others pretty well. Oh, the occasional smack or nip at an ear is the most I'd ever seen until Ripley came along and she's fired everyone up! lol Most of the time, Nala quietly walks around or plays, meowing in a soft little voice.
Be sure to talk to the little lady before you leave! The Siamese genetics run strong in Tay's babies and they all love a good conversation. Nala's been pure pleasure from the moment she's arrived! Though the quirkier cats can be more amusing, the Nalas of the kitty world are often the best balm during a time of sadness or trouble! Nala's a champ at comfort! :-) I hope that she's here for many, many years to come and I hope you enjoyed meeting her! :-D
Lovely, serene...it just doesn't get much better than that! :-)
