Sophie, Hiro and Miko

I was introduced to a wild mama today by the name of Sophie.

Sophie

She was brought in to the sanctuary as a pregnant feral and gave birth to her litter in the kitten trailer. In a room at the other end of the trailer were some older kittens who'd been trapped earlier. Describing this to me, Leslie remembers how surprised she was when Carol told her that Sophie was in fact the mother of both litters.

When the older kittens were reintroduced to their mother, who they'd not seen for a number of months, there was no question whether they remembered her or not. A cuddle-fest ensued. Most of the kittens were later adopted out, but brother and sister Hiro and Miko remained at the sanctuary. They can still often be seen nearby their mom.

Hiro & Mary

Tabby Hiro's a little nervous around people, but black Miko loves a good cuddle. Today, she spent a good amount of time wriggling around on top of the cage where she was perched, anxious to demonstrate her immense cuddleability.

Miko

Sophie's still a bit wild but, if pressed, will make an effort to allow herself to be stroked. Some time spend in a cage receiving attention from animal care staff a while back seems to have helped her get more used to people. Now, even if she does give in to the urge to swat, she will (at least in my experience) limit herself to a light slap on the wrist.