Willy or Wilhelmina

We've been adopted.  Three days ago I saw James stooping in the woodshed.  I went out to see what he was doing and caught him giving milk to a very tiny kitten.  We don't know where he/she came from.  We've recently lost all our chickens to a predator or predators.  I'm wondering if maybe the same animal got her family or maybe she was just dumped here.  Whatever, she seems to like us and calls to us constantly.  If we aren't spending time with her she seems happy to have Baxter hang out with her.  He licks her and she rubs against him and follows him.  I've seen him carry her in his mouth which worries me a little but I don't think he's squeezing her and she doesn't seem to mind.  He must remind her of her mom.  The 2 of them have similar coloring.  Baxter has spent lots of time with her over the past 3 days so they've already bonded.  Today was the first time Lex has spent any time with her.  They were both nervous of each other at first but it didn't take long till they decided to be friends.  She's moved from the woodshed, to the garage or under the Toyota, and now to the steps by our back door.  If she hears us walking in the house she cries.  She's cute but we don't want a house cat.

Today James said, "so, should we give her a name?"  I named her Willy.  Tomorrow I'll look more closely at her to see if I can tell if she's a boy or girl.  I had to go online to see how to tell the gender of a very young kitten.  I think I know now.

I thought I was going to be blogging about piglets today.  Yesterday morning I was able to express some milk from Mickey's teats.  I've read that once they have milk they will farrow within 24 hours.  Mickey isn't following the rules.  It's now been 36 hours and she hasn't begun nesting.  Maybe tomorrow morning but I'm not counting on it.  See how round her tummy is.  If you watch long enough you can see hooves and noses pushing on her sides.

 Here are the happy parents-to-be spooning.  I had just given Mickey a tummy rub and Wendell wanted one too so he pushed up against her so I'd do him.  I think Mickey fell asleep.