Clyde has retired and is (not) available

Hello.

UPDATE: Clyde will be moving to his forever home soon!

Clyde is two years old, but despite our best efforts he never became interested in girls. We decided to have him neutered so he can retire to his forever home.

He likes to play rough, so we think the best fit for him will be a home without children or other pets. Clyde is a love muffin and will happily cuddle with you on the bed, but he also doesn’t know his own strength if he is overstimulated or wants something from you.

If you are interested in Clyde, please send an email to atlastcats@gmail.com to tell us a bit about yourself and why Clyde might be a good fit for you, and we’ll send you the online application.

Permanent link to this article: https://atlastcats.com/clyde-has-retired-and-is-available/

Kittens overnight

Lola gave birth to four kittens on November 25th. They are all growing very fast. Because Lola enjoys making things hard on us, she delivered the first kitten around 11:00PM and took her time between kittens, finishing up around 3:00AM.

Lola, as ever, is a very protective mama and gives a low growl when we approach to check on the kittens . She’s also very food focused, and it’s funny to hear her growl while she eats and we weigh her babies.

All of these kittens are available and we will will be contacting people with approved applications.

“Why are you disturbing my babies?”

Permanent link to this article: https://atlastcats.com/kittens-overnight/

Early, as usual

Tiger Lily gave birth to three kittens on November 12th (two days early). All are doing well and starting to walk. The last kitten (“Tiny”) was very small and we weren’t sure if she was going to make it, but between supplementing her diet with formula and an attentive mama, she is thriving, if not as big as her two older brothers just yet.

All of these kittens are available and we will be contacting people with approved applications. Since Tiny was born so small we are going to hold off on taking a deposit on her for a few weeks to be sure she is developing normally.

Hungry babies!

Lily was consistent with her behavior last year, in which she refused to use the litter box after her kittens were born. And we don’t mean that she went outside the litter box. She just held it all in, and needed trips to the vet to have her bladder expressed and such. Luckily, we figured out that if we put her in a carrier with a litter box she would do her thing within a couple of miles. Yes, she’s a weirdo. We’re not sure if it was the motion of the car or being away from the kittens that made her feel like it was okay to go, but we’re glad we figured it our because it’s a lot cheaper than a trip to the vet.

Anyway, she did the same thing this year, so we just started taking her for quick daily car trips so she could relieve herself, dubbing the car the Pooper Uber. She just started using the box in her room today (similar to last year, about when the kittens started walking) so hopefully that’s the end of it.

Permanent link to this article: https://atlastcats.com/early-as-usual/

It’s official!

Violet is now a TICA Supreme Grand Champion!  She got Best Cat from one of the judges at the Quebec City show, which the last thing she needed to cross the threshold from Quadruple to Supreme.

We’re especially thrilled because it’s very hard for a female Maine Coon to reach Supreme, as the breed standard favors boys. And while we’ve had other cats reach Supreme before, they were cats we got from other breeders we added our lines. Violet is the first Supreme of our own breeding!

As for Violet, while she could continue to show and earn points for a regional title, she’s happy to retire from showing, go on dates with some boys, and make some kittens.

Congratulations, Violet!

Supreme Grand Champion Atlastcats Violet

It’s official!

Permanent link to this article: https://atlastcats.com/its-official/

Eye see what you did there

Mariah and Fezzik’s kids are doing great! They’ve graduated to solid food and have mostly mastered the litter box. It’s always entertaining when you walk in the room and they all come running up to your feet to check you out.

We chose an “Eye” theme for the litter because they were born a just a few days before Chris had eye surgery.

Since they all look so similar we’ve had to put velcro collars on them to tell them apart. Side-by-side you can see differences: Iris, Retina, and Cornea are darker than Pupil and Macula (Iris is probably the darkest and Pupil the lightest) but that doesn’t register on the pictures unless you look closely.  Hopefully, as they get older and slightly less squirmy we can identify markings so the collars won’t be necessary.

All of these kittens are reserved.

Retina (boy) purple collar

Pupil (boy) green collar

Macula (boy) red collar

Iris (girl) pink collar

Cornea (boy) blue collar

Permanent link to this article: https://atlastcats.com/eye-see-what-you-did-there/

Mariah’s first and last

Mariah gave birth to five beautiful kittens on September 3rd. All of the kittens are healthy and growing like crazy. Mariah took to being a mother very well, and the kittens took to nursing with no issues. The kittens are just starting to walk and explore beyond their nest a little.

Apologies for the long delay in posting this, but it’s been quite the time. Although we got as many kittens as expected and counted all of the placentas (and then some) there was still an extra placenta inside Mariah that we didn’t know about. She developed a serious infection and had to be spayed. Plus another visit to the vet a few days later for stronger antibiotics.

This hasn’t prevented Mariah from nursing the kittens and being a good mama (though the e-collar after surgery certainly frustrated her).

There are four boys and one girl, all of which are reserved. We’re keeping the girl to replace Mariah.  Mariah came to us with very good genetics from another breeder, and we definitely want to keep those in the mix for future litters.

Fezzik, the father, was pleased that the kids all have his red silver color (though it could have come from Mariah just as easily). We are having a very hard time telling all of the kittens apart!

We’re considering an “eye” theme for the litter, since I had cataract surgery a few days after the birth. Possible temporary names are Iris, Cornea, Pupil, Retina, and Lens. Marie vetoed Vitreous Body, Sclera, and Optic Nerve, for some reason.

Five cuties

Permanent link to this article: https://atlastcats.com/mariahs-first-and-last/

Logan, Violet, and a Cat Show

First things first! We’re incredibly happy to welcome Logan to our home as a show cat and future kitten daddy. He comes to us from Coons’Kin Maine Coon Cats in San Diego, California. Besides being a beautiful boy, Logan is was super friendly from the moment we picked him up a the airport (hence the name). When he isn’t playing, eating, or sleeping, he seeks out our laps.

Yes, he will grow into those ears!

This past weekend we brought our girl Violet to a cat show in Auburn Massachusetts. Although Logan is too young to show, we brought him along so he could get used to the sounds and smells of the show hall and staying in a hotel. He handled it all like a pro.

Meanwhile, Violet had a great show! She earned her Champion title at her first show a few months ago, and we’re pretty sure she earned enough finals and points to be a Triple Grand Champion. (Maybe a Quadruple. We haven’t done all of the math yet).

Violet is judged

Violet did well!

After the first day of the show, Violet and Logan relaxed with us in the hotel. Being a show cat is tiring!

Sleepy Violet

Sleepy boy

Buddies

Permanent link to this article: https://atlastcats.com/logan-violet-and-a-cat-show/

Tropicana is available!

Update: Tropicana has found her forever home!

Tropicana is an energetic 6-month-old girl who also likes to curl up in a lap. That is, when she isn’t playing with anything (or anyone) available. You know how kittens can be. One minute they’re napping and looking super-cute and the next minute you’re laughing because they got a case of the zoomies.

If you’re interested in Tropicana, please send an email to atlastcats@gmail.com and tell us a bit about yourself and your household, and if it seems like you’re a good match with Tropicana we’ll send you our online application.

Just chillin’.

Permanent link to this article: https://atlastcats.com/tropicana-is-available/

Goodbye, Hemi

Hemi

Yesterday we said goodbye to our 17 year old Hemi, a black and white shorthair cat. She came to us in early 2005 as a kitten from a rescue when we still lived in Connecticut. She preceded our cattery and our first two Maine Coons, Fargo and Flash. She was the exercise enforcer for the early period of her life, ensuring all the cats and kittens got plenty of exercise running around the condo. She was initially scared of men, even Chris. By the time she was 10 she finally became comfortable with him. We assumed she had been abused before we got her.

In her second decade she developed arthritis in her spine and began to slow down. Last summer she was diagnosed with kidney failure and not long after a growth, probably cancer, was found in her lungs. At that time we were told she had at best a few months to live. We were lucky to have another 9 months with her. This past weekend she started to have problems breathing, so it is likely the lung tumor had grown. She was a love to the end, even purring when it was hard for her to do so. Her passing is so very hard for us and she is missed.

In the last two pictures she is looking at the sheep on our lawn that escaped from their pen across the street.

Merry Christmas!

Rub my belly!

This laptop is nice and warm. You didn’t need it for anything, did you?

Are those sheep in the front porch?

Are they goof for eating?

Permanent link to this article: https://atlastcats.com/goodbye-hemi/

One for Nikki

Darling Nikki had a single boy kitten on February 27th in what is probably her last litter.  He’s just starting to walk and is growing fast (but then, he is getting all that milk to himself).

Fezzik, the father had no comment other than that he’d like to try again, if only to prove his virility. We’ve told him that based on his past performance that we have complete confidence in him. But for him it’s a matter of pride. Or he’s just a horndog.

This kitten is reserved.

We woke him up for this picture

He’s a cutie

Back to sleep

Permanent link to this article: https://atlastcats.com/one-for-nikki/