'Bubbly' 'B' Kittens: Huntington Adoptable Pets Of The Week

HUNTINGTON, NY — Beau, Bentley, Benjamin and Brooks, around 8 weeks old, are the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter's Huntington Pets of the Week.

"Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe…that is basically what you have to do when looking at the 'B' kittens because three of the four look almost identical!" said Debbi Larkin, president of the shelter.

This group of four male kittens was actually only half of a litter from a mom who had eight kittens back in March, Larkin said. The torti mom named Gia was part of a stray colony in someone’s backyard.

"Unfortunately, because the mom was so small and young herself, she could not take care of all eight kittens and that is when we stepped in to help after receiving an SOS call from another fellow rescuer," Larkin said.

The rescue took the mom and four of the babies while the others went into another foster home to bottle feed and make sure they were thriving, she said.

Gia and her babies are doing well in foster care, Larkin said.

"Gia would much rather be back outside again, so as soon as she is spayed, she will be released back into the backyard colony she came from and will be taken care of for as long as needed," Larkin said.

The boys will stay in the foster home for approximately six more weeks. Although they were born
in March, they are all very small and their weight corresponds to that of a 6-week-old kitten — not one that chronologically is close to 8-9 weeks, according to Larkin.

Beau, Bentley and Benjamin are the black ones, and unless you pick them up and look at their bellies, it is very difficult to tell them apart, Larkin said. Brooks is a striped tabby.

"All four of them are eating on their own and have voracious appetites..so much so that the foster mom has said they are eating her out of house and home!" Larkin said.

They are all very inquisitive and can be seen running and exploring in their special kitten room that they occupy and they are lucky enough to also have a sun room to lounge in for a change of scenery. They love to play with the springs and the balls, the feather teaser and the kitty
tunnel that they have. After running around for their exercise, they are all quick to climb up on the chair or go back into their cage for a siesta.

"They are also lucky enough that there are other cats in the foster home (although the older cats are not quite sure about these little ones with all of their energy) and a 10-year-old golden retriever named Molly that has grown up with cats and kittens all of her life and just loves these
babies," Larkin said. "Hopefully all four don’t try to chase Molly at the same time!"

Beau, Bentley, Benjamin and Brooks have all been checked by the rescue's veterinarian.

They have tested negative for FELV and FIV, tested negative for parasites, had their first set of vaccines, ears checked, heart checked and nails clipped…for those not familiar with kitten nails, they are very sharp and like razor blades, Larkin said. They will receive another set of vaccines in
three weeks. Then, three weeks after that, they should be ready to be neutered and come right into the shelter for adoption.

If you are interested in meeting the "B kittens," you may call the shelter at 631-757-4517, email cats@laphuntington.org, visit the Facebook page or visit at the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter. The shelter will give updates from the foster home and let people know when they will be arriving.

The rescue is at 3 Verleye Ave., East Northport, and visiting hours are Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

The shelter is also open from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday nights only for those who cannot make it during the daytime hours.

"These four bubbly, bouncing, bonded, boisterous boys would be the BEST addition to your family," Larkin said. "Once they arrive at the shelter we would love to see them adopted in pairs, unless you already have another feline and/or canine in your home. They will be the life of the party, but just make sure if you choose two of the black ones, that you have a way of identifying who they are …I don’t think you want to be picking up a 10-pound cat and looking at their belly to make sure you know which one you are talking to!"