Pepper Ann

PEPPER-ANN

WATCH ME GROW!
Date	Weight
8/8/07	3lb, 6.5oz
8/29/07	4lb, 4oz
9/13/07	4lb, 11.5oz

Pepper-Ann was our fifth successful kitten rescue. Originally, we though this kitten was a little boy, and decided to call him Bouncer due to the activities during our first observation of the kittens on our deck. Brownie had brought them up to eat and play, and while wrestling with a sibling at the edge of the deck, this kitten rolled off, falling to the ground below. We were very concerned, as our deck is off the second floor, but within 5 minutes the little bugger was back up to play some more, none the worse for the experience. But, as we eventually found out, HE was actually a SHE. So Bouncer became Pepper-Ann.
Pepper-Ann is a very solid kitten, a little bigger than her siblings. I think she will grow into a good sized cat. But her temperament is gentle.
Pepper-Ann's social skills have come a long way. When first rescued, she would draw back, hiss and then swat at anyone who tried to touch her. But I kept working with her, braving the claws and teeth. She still is a little scared of "the hand", but if you get her at the right time, she will let you pet her, and maybe even pick her up. She likes her head scratched, and sometimes purrs while I scratch and pet her. We need to continue working with her, but I think she will come around, in time.
Pepper-Ann enjoys chasing the other kittens' tails and playing with the little fake mice and soft ball toys. She also likes to sleep on soft spots, like a foam basket-bed, or pillows on the chairs.
In August, I snapped this picture of Pepper-Ann on the counter. I thought she looked so guilty, those eyes almost say "Oops, she caught me!!". She had been playing with the spoon. You can't see the instigator of this plot, Waldo, who is on the other side of the sink, out of camera range.
I often find my sneakers untied in the mornings when I get dressed. I always just slip them off in the evenings. I don't think Pepper is the ONLY culprit, as I have caught several of the kittens in a similar position, and even worse, nearly tripped over Waldo as he was playing with my shoestrings as I was walking down the hallway. However, Pepper may be the one who carries my socks halfway down the hall.
As with many of the kittens, Pepper does not particularly like to be cuddled. Every now and then, she will allow me to hold her for a very brief time. Her favorite activity is being petted. Every morning, she visits my sister in the bathroom where loves to be stroked and scratched. In this picture taken in September, she was watching me after I finished petting her in the kitchen. I think she prefers to roll on the smooth, linoleum floors. And she loves to hide under the toe space.
In these pictures, Pepper is doing what she loves to most, sleep. Both taken in August, she is sleeping in the toy box (below), and under the "protective" box of the old climbing tree (left). She loved to hide under there, thinking that she was safe from being picked up.