HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YUU!

#1 here. Today's post is a celebration of Yuu-Chan as it is his first birthday. Yuu-Chan came to live with us at The Poupounette on October 1, 2009, when he was just under 4 months old, but he was already familiar with the "back room" as he had stayed there a couple of times with his mother and siblings.

I first met Yuu-Chan on June 18, when he was just 9 days old:

I have no idea which of the three red kittens in the photo is him. He was a little runty and he was also a "flat-chest kitten" so his chances were not clear early on. But he made it and his ribcage gradually returned to the shape it was supposed to be

I next saw him in early August when Uncle U left him and his family with me for a few days. Here he is at 7 weeks:

Getting a little lick from his mother:

And with his siblings:

Here he is at 10 weeks:

And on the day he came home for good:

He was a very cuddly kitten, right from the start:

And quickly learned to appreciate the cat run!

He and Sei-Chan got along very well and quickly became known as the "Terrible Reds":

At 6 months, he was already beginning to look regal:

And even more so at 8 months!

At the age of 9 months, he welcomed his little brother Bibi-Chan with open paws:

And the two of them have become best friends and trouble-making cohorts!

By 10 months, he was already quite the golden boy!

And now, at ONE YEAR of age, he is enjoying life to the full!

He is a little fragile, prone to URIs and with a delicate stomach, and he HATES travelling by car, so I try to avoid stressing him. He is the snuggliest cat I have ever known, actively dispensing cuddles throughout the day, and wanting to be held a lot. He moves like a dancer and is a real joy to behold, with the most soulful eyes. He is also very dominant, which does not always go down well with Princess Tama, and there are occasional spats regarding this matter between them. He is the only one of the cats who does not actively snuggle with Tommy although they like to play and hang out together - real guys! He had his first outing with the Puppia harness last weekend and just loved it, so there may be more of that in the future, especially on the days when there is outdoor dining on the patio!

For his birthday, he is getting lots of treats and snuggles, and I have also ordered for him some great new collars from an Etsy shop called RescuePaws.

Tama-Chan, Sei-Chan, Bibi-Chan and Tommy join me in wishing Yuu-Chan

A VERY HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YUU!

There will be partying all day in the cat run, and his special dates for the day are AttieCattie and Baby Audrey!