Fosterers in Los Angeles took in the “Elf babies,” including Papa, Buddy, and Santa. The kittens were only six days old and needed round-the-clock bottle feeding and an incubator. While Santa and Papa are color point Siamese, their brother Buddy is a ginger tabby.
They arrived in “a horrible state,” but after 24 hours rapidly improved. They began latching to the bottle and were already purring, although they hadn’t been visited by the eyeball fairy yet. (It varies, but they can anywhere from 7-14 days old.)
“These babies have made such a quick and easy recovery from the horrible state they arrived in 6 days ago! Besides those first 24 hours, they have been so easy! They latch & eat well, pee & poop like they’re supposed to (some poop issues to begin but now regular), and they all purr so much already!
Buddy, Papa, and Santa on the bottom.
The Elf Babies Get Chonky
From the beginning, these three were strong, healthy eaters and vocal about wanting more, more, more! It’s what you hope for as a fosterer. As a result, they soon transformed into that chonky stage.
Papa Become ‘Big Papa’
The kittens developed purrsonalities early on, and Papa melted the hoomans’ hearts nuzzling and wanting cuddles after his bottle.
“This is how Papa was standing staring at me after his milkies this morning. Papa loves to be cuddled after his bottle feedings and will nuzzle his face into mine while purring. It’s the most satisfying feeling and makes my heart melt. Papa is a heart melter for sure. ”
Papa’s extra cuddles paid off in the form of a huge, healthy belly. The song “Big Papa” fits just right as he throws his paws in the air to music by the Notorious B.I.G
“Did he eat all the food there? ” someone asked.
Signs of Healthy Bellies
People often express concerns that big potato bellies could be a sign of worms or FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). But don’t worry; these kittens are thriving in expert care.
“We want our kittens’ bellies to be full, squishy and shaped like an avocado or an eggplant,”
Grown Up Elves
Flash forward, and here are the grown-up Elf babies after they reached the big milestone of spay/neuter day. Shortly afterward, bonded brothers Santa and Buddy went to a home together.
“These two brothers are two of the most bonded pair of siblings we’ve ever seen. They are literally side by side at all times. They sleep, groom, cuddle, eat, play and even potty together”
Buddy and Santa
Papa became Mochi after going home to new friends, Miso, the rescued one-year-old Siamese, and a senior brother cat, Homie.
Papa
“Miso is really enjoying being a big sister to Mochi ”
