This bold little guy is very unique. He displayed the same initial terror as his siblings, but only for a very short time. After a meal or two and loving hands, he shed his fear and became the litter leader.
Azkaban wanted attention and exploration. He would do anything he could to escape any enclosed space. But he quickly learned to come when called or just to say hi if you walked into the room. Every visitor in the first few weeks singled him out as the most loving. He purrs easily and is learning to come when called.
But Azkaban is also the one always looking for the next interesting thing... whether that's riding the fan...
making friends with the vacuum...
of following us into the shower...
In fact, after 2 nights of following us to the shower, we just took him in and gave him a bath.
A few days later, he brought his family
Update 11/8/20
Active Azkaban's health took a dive and scared the bejeezbus out of me. He stopped eating, stopped exploring, stopped doing much of anything. He started to lose half to over an ounce a day at an age they're supposed to gain that same amount each day. I think the only reason he survived was his initial weight gain-he started as one of the biggest and made the fastest gains the first few days. He would always lay like this and I was constantly touching him or watching for his breath. I moved him closer to his siblings or friendly housecats or put heating discs with him because he was so cold to the touch.
I was harrassing my rescue mentor on a daily basis, and after we exhausted our ideas, we sought help from our rescue's vet tech. We tried a few more things, but nothing changed so we reached out to the vet tech a second time, and we were prescribed antibiotics.
The difference was almost immediate. Azkaban started following me around again, especially in the bathroom, which seems to be one of his favorite places. He was climbing and purring within the first 24 hours.
He ate food without being force fed.
He chased his siblings around for wrestling matches.
And even at rest, he was more alert and perky (he's in the front on the pink unicorn bed-with the bright, alert, twinkling eyes!)
Azkaban finally started putting weight back on.
In fact, he seems to be making up for lost time. Azkaban came to me as the biggest of his litter and was the only one to get over 2lbs before he started his decline. Since starting his antibiotics-his weight gain has been fantastic!
I've annoyed him a bit with my insistence on picking him up and repeatedly poking and kissing his big fat kitten belly. But he is a very forgiving kitten.
Update 11/29/20
Azkaban is such a mellow boy when he's relaxed and feels safe. I love his belly.
He curled up next to Luka while I was trying to groom the dog- alternating between snoozing and biting the tail that kept wagging over his face. When I picked him up and moved him to the front side, Luka was SO pleased to have a kitten in his lap, he just grinned the entire time. Azkaban just laid wherever we put him, making no effort to hold his own body... so when he was on the dogs bag, he'd just slide off like ooze.
Azkaban just hopped up- in one of the videos I previewed to post- I was calling "Azkaban! Azkaban!" and now he's on my lap, watching me post videos of him and Luka, looking proud!
Little Azkaban was the first up for the photoshoot. I learned new tricks with each kitten so I didn't get many of him that are usable at all.
Azkaban's mugshot ID was pretty easy to find but harder to put into the picture at the size I needed.... it's not great, but I'm a public educator, not a imager. I just do this for fun, with very little actual skill, lol. His "crime" was also easy to identify... Azkaban HATES being confined. The surgery coordinator texted me- on the drive home from the surgery clinic, he broke out of his kennel and roamed the van.... still high on his surgery meds.
He seems content now that he is allowed to run throughout the house- but this kitten needs space!
Updated 12/8/20
Azkaban and his sister Kyln picked their own new family when some friends came to meet the Jailbirds in my home. Their new young mom was an amazing, natural cat mom. She sat down and let the kittens come to her on their own... this is a skill I admire though I don't really have it at all! They kept going back to see her- and before they left they decided Azkaban would keep his name and sister Kyln would now be Bellatrix.
Though Bellatrix seemed closer to Shawshank before their visit, they seemed to know they were destined to be together forever because Azkaban and Bellatrix started cuddling and playing together almost exclusively.
Azkaban also began to get more clingy- following me around for cuddles any time he could.
Sister Bellatrix developed a cold a few days before adoptions and had to stay home, but their new family decided it was worth the drive to pick him up as planned and come back once Bellatrix was healthy enough for adoption.
He's so handsome in his new collar. They said he loves to sleep with them at night- but also slept in the bathroom drawer- freaking them out until they found him. He is missing his sister though- so hopefully she'll feel better soon.
I'm usually too lazy to post pictures individually, but these are just so gorgeous, I had to make them big enough.
This one is my favorite. Wow... just wow!! Look at the love and happiness in her eyes!! These kittens will have the BEST LIFE.
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