Five newborn kittens, 3 days old.

Momma Cat has been catching up on her rest lately, very pregnant with her second litter of the year.

She's a prolific cat.

Her first litter was born on a cold, rainy morning and we think they must've just gotten too cold. As Kim says, she's definitely an outdoor cat (all our cats are outdoor cats...no inside pets for me, as I can barely clean up after Kim and me) ...she always has her babies outside, when she could choose to have them on the porch or in the barn.

She's about 4 years old now, and she averages 3-4 litters per year.  Life in the country is harsh and many of the kittens don't make it, but the ones who do are great mousers and earn their keep.

Right after her very first litter, Momma Cat was struck by a car and her whole back end was broken.  We thought sure she'd die and leave those kittens for Dana to feed.  But she drug herself around for a few weeks and fed those babies, and eventually she seemed to heal up just fine.  She definitely used up one of her 9 lives!  But she rarely goes on the road any more...she must've learned her lesson.

So in true Momma Cat fashion, she birthed these 5 little ones under the ferns next to the cabin foundation.

She's a very good momma!

Now just gotta keep those grabby granddaughter fingers (Kelsey and Juni especially LOVE the cats!) away for a little while until the babies get strong enough to defend themselves.

Sweet little new babies.