If you’d like a Niblets Holiday postcard, send a message with your address info to cats(at)colehaus(dot)com and we’ll drop one in the mail asap!

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Dearest Niblets,

Today, this is the happiest day and yet hardest letter to write. Today, one of you begins a new life with the one of the best forever families ever. Weeks ago, you charmed everyone with your sweet personality and already, they love you very much. They have waited so patiently for you to grow big and strong and now, it’s time. You couldn’t have found a better home to become a part of and we know you’re going to have a fabulous forever. Sadly, we’ve given you the last of our million kisses and we’ll always remember our time together. Be good, Niblet Robbie. You’ve made us and your mama so proud.

Robbie Niblet at 9 weeks – 2013 © Colehaus Cats

Russell, your time with us is short. Your forever family is busy preparing for you and in a week, you’ll be leaving too. Until then, may you find all the sun puddles your room can squeeze in.

Russell Niblet, almost ready for his adventure – 2013 © Colehaus Cats

Miss Illy, you and your sister Viola are still with us too. And what a charmer you are, Illy. You are confident, proud, spunky and mischievous, sometimes all at the same time. We love watching you race around pouncing on top of the Time Tunnel of Crinkly Fun, often when someone else is inside it. Anything that makes crinkly sounds, you are in love with. And that purring! And your love of laps! So much adorable wrapped up in a single package.

Illy and Viola at nine weeks – 2013 © Colehaus Cats

We love how you snuggle with Viola as if you know she is your little sister and you like having someone to take care of. And you’re learning that while the vacuum cleaner isn’t anything to be terribly afraid of, those noisy school buses outside won’t be tolerated especially if you’re sleeping on the window sill when they come speeding up and down the street. Just don’t get us started on how beautiful your Tortoise Shell coloring is coming in. You are going to grow into one of those true beauties that we know others will soon see.

Illy’s Tortoise Shell coloring coming on – 2013 © Colehaus Cats

Viola, perhaps always to be the littlest Niblet. That’s perfectly fine with us because we know how hard you play every chance you get. You must burn twice the energy most kittens do at your age so it’s good you eat so well. We see a bit of brother sister Robbie in your round eyes and high forehead and we see a lot of your mama in there too. Did we tell everyone that you have the tiniest patch of orange right between your ears that we call your Mama’s Kiss? Because that’s what that looks like, a little delicate kiss mark so you won’t forget your orange mama. We’ll talk about that later though, after you’ve grown up a little more.

Viola Niblet at 9 weeks – 2013 © Colehaus Cats

With misty eyes, we part ways with you, sweet Robbie. Happy holidays to you and your forever family! It’s time to turn the page and begin a new chapter.

(Direct Robbie Niblet YouTube video link)

With all our love,
your foster Mom & Dad

Wednesday, all the Niblets went off for their first round of shots and a good looking-over. Everyone is in exceptional health and shape and now with first round shots done and sporting microchips, they are good to go. Robbie will be leaving us tomorrow. Russell will with us for one more week so both of his forever parents can share introductions into his Portland home with a new big sister.

But during their vet exam, didn’t you know there had to be a hiccup somewhere? It would seem that sometimes, just sometimes, bobtail and manx kittens can throw curve balls. Or not.

Yes. We said it before and will undoubtedly say it again. As foster parents, we completely, totally, utterly fail at sexing kittens. And we did it again, this time with the company of friends even. It happens, or so we’ve been told. Yes, we all got Robbie wrong.

Robbie is a girl.

A very, very healthy little girl, not the boy we believed. Which makes him, er, her rather, even more endearing to us, and better still, to her forever family who look forward to adopting her just the same. She, who will always remain Robbie to us, who isn’t afraid of the vacuum cleaner, who boldly rushes open doors (that will have to be unlearned and pronto in our opinion!), who throws herself onto every toy with everything she’s got and then some and yet who lies on laps and calmly gazes up into people’s faces as if memorizing every feature, our tough, brave Robbie is just the coolest girl kitten ever!

So with everything in tip-top shape – correct tip-top shape, tomorrow Robbie begins her new adventure with her loving forever family who has been patiently waiting for their sweet little one to grow a bit more.

Remembering how small these Niblets were just 9 weeks ago, let’s take a look back at our time together with Robbie.

Niblet Three (name day coming) – 2013 © Colehaus Cats

Before there was Robbie, there was Niblet number three.

Robbie Niblet, October 19, 2013 – 2013 © Colehaus Cats

We learned that Robbie’s a little comic with an endearing ability of making funny faces.

Little sweetie Robbie Niblet – 2013 © Colehaus Cats

With the biggest, roundest eyes of all the Niblets, Robbie was first at so many things including mastering the cat half meatloaf pose.

Ambassador Robbie Niblet – – 2013 © Colehaus Cats

The one to always greet us each morning, Robbie quickly became the Ambassador of Cute.

Hi, I’m Robbie and I have meeelk on my nose – 2013 © Colehaus Cats

Robbie Niblet growing up – 2013 © Colehaus Cats

Robbie Niblet at 9 weeks – 2013 © Colehaus Cats

Here we can see how beautiful Robbie is becoming. She’ll be winning hearts over in no time with that look on her face, the look that says, “Might I be yours, please?” Sorry world. She’s taken!

Join us in wishing Robbie the very best in her new life and raise a toast to the first Niblet adventure beyond. Keep requesting your million kisses each day, little girl. You deserve that and more. Be good, play hard and love harder. You are going to a great home!