Oliver

Portrait of a kitty

Name:  Oliver
Nicknames:  Pussito, Olipuss, Oli-de-puss, Kitty Man, Huzzy Huzzy, Oliman
Breed:  Domestic Short Hair
Age:  21 months
Story:  Born wild, his mamma a stray who frequented the area around a friend's office building

Oliver came to us in April of 2011 as a three week old baby kitty who had to be bottle-fed every few hours and stimulated to go to the bathroom.  The first few days he was with us were terrifying--I had never cared for a baby kitty before who was absolutely dependent upon me for everything, and I was so scared that the care we were giving him wouldn't be enough to help him make it through his early weeks. 

Kitty baby: the first night. He was roughly 3 weeks old

His little ears hadn't even started to stand up and take on the characteristic feline points, and his teeth still hadn't broken through his gums.  He had to be coaxed to drink from the tiny kitten bottle, and he cried for his mamma.  Such a tiny scrap of life, but we loved him from the start. 

After a few days we got the hang of it, and little puss started to thrive.  He was interested in everything and wanted to investigate the big new world...

When he was big enough he explored the jungle in the back garden...  with supervision, of course!

He would explore and play until he was absolutely exhausted and could fall over asleep at any moment.

As a baby his eyes were blue, like all kitty babies, but eventually they started to darken to a lovely green...

And before we knew it, he was such a big part of our household that it seemed like he had always been there!

Just look at that sweet face... and those splendid whiskers!  Who could resist?!

As time passed, Oliver came to be called more often by 'Pussito', and he grew into quite a handsome fellow...

He will never be a cuddly lap cat, but we accept him for who he is--we all have our personality quirks, right?

He loves to hang out in the back garden and is a great supervisor of all gardening endeavors...

As well as being a master climber--all the better to survey his kingdom!

Over the past two years he has developed an incredible habit...

See the red blanket behind him?  I made him that little quilt when he was a baby, and he carries it around in his mouth like a security blanket.  We find it upstairs, downstairs, under chairs, and in behind furniture.  Such a cute little quirk!

Overall it's been an amazing experience--caring for him as a little baby kitty, watching him learn how to be a big kitty and grow into the adult cat he is now.  Thank God we took him in--he probably would not have survived if our friend hadn't found him crying, motherless and alone. 

We love you, Puss Man--you're quite a boy!

Time spent with cats is never wasted
~Sigmund Freud~