The Cat Trees

### Arrived at KA

Everyone Else - September 28th, 2017Hannah Banana - October 15th, 2017Cashew - December 4th, 2017

### Kittens

Filbert, Larch, Crabapple, Juniper, Buckeye, Maple, Hickory, Chestnut, Sassafras, Ginkgo, Elderberry, Eucalyptus, Cashew

## Kitten Academy Classes

### Following class

The Birbs

The Cat Trees hold the record for the largest class at Kitten Academy. They are a group of cats with a wide variety of ages from a cat colony formerly living in a barn in Indiana. It is speculated that Fig and Magnolia were two of the momcats of this colony, and it is also possible Filbert may have fathered some of the cats as well. The ages of many of the cat trees are only speculated, although almost all of them appeared to be less than a year old.

At first it was rumored that 15 kittens and two momcats would be coming to Kitten Academy, but when they arrived it was confirmed only 12 kittens arrived, with two momcats, for a total of 14 cats originally in the class. With the four Purrsians and 6 faculty cats, this set the record of 24 for the most cats at Kitten Academy. All Cat Trees originally went in the main room

The smallest three Cat Trees, Ginkgo, Elderberry, and Eucalyptus, were separated from the rest of the class because they were so small and also had flea treatments. After a few days, Ginkgo returned to the rest of the group. Eucalyptus and Elderberry, the two smallest of the smalls, also had a mild URI. Because the Academies treated those two "sapling's" URI with steam treatments in the bathroom, this room became known as the Kitten Academy Spa.

All the other cats and kittens at Kitten Academy except for the Saplings and Tahini graduated all at once on October 2nd. Ginkgo, Sassafras, Chestnut, and Hickory had a fever, and were temporarily moved to the annex and went to the vet on the 9th along with Eucalyptus who still did not seem to be recovering from her URI. The four with fevers recovered quickly.

Also on October 9th, Filbert was the first of the Cat Trees to be adopted by one of the OAW volunteers. Larch and Crabapple were also confirmed to be adopted together by a member of the discord community, although they wouldn't be picked up until the end of the month.

The 13th kitten of the group was very shy and unfriendly after being rescued, so she spent a few weeks with another OAW volunteer to get her socialized. By October 15th, she was comfortable enough to join the rest of the class at Kitten Academy! Named Hannah by her first foster, she was named fully as Hannah Banana to keep with the Trees theme. While she took some time to get adjusted to the other cats and the Academy, she quickly became friendly and playful.

The cats continued to play and learned to cat at Kitten Academy. The momcats, especially Magnolia, enjoyed spending time outside the kitten room with the faculty. Crabapple and Larch were picked up by their adopters from Florida on the 29th, and Ginkgo was approved to be adopted by previous adopters from Massachusetts, to join notable KA alumni, Kazoo!

The Saplings moved to the Annex the next day. While Eucalyptus had still not gotten over some of her URI symptoms, it was speculated she did not actually have a URI as she didn't have other common URI symptoms. After a few more vet trips, on November 3rd Eucalyptus got her spay surgery and a thorough examination, and a large nasal polyp was found to be the cause of her symptoms and removed! Once she was able to breathe better without the polyp, Euki became much more active. The Birbs class arrived at Kitten Academy and joined Euki and Elderberry in the annex, as they were approximately the same age

On November 12th, more of the Trees got approved adopters that were more people from the discord community! Buckeye was adopted by a supporter in Texas, Fig from a supporter in Ohio, and Euci and Elderberry were adopted together also by a community member in Ohio! Juniper was also adopted, by the same adopter who picked up Crabapple and Larch! Ginkgo and Elderberry were the last to officially graduate, on the 14th. Ginkgo was picked up on the 17th, and Euci and Elderberry on the 18th.

On November 25th, local approved adopters for Maple and Hickory together visited KA with their 8 year old son, who interacted very well with the kittens, and therefore Maple and Hickory went home with them the same day! The next day, Hannah Banana also went home to Wisconsin with her approved adopter. While these adopters were not originally a part of the discord community, they quickly joined and continue to give many updates on their cats. Juniper was picked up to live with her panther brothers in Florida on December 2nd, and Buckeye picked up the next day to live in Texas.

This left only Sassafras, Chestnut, and Magnolia still in need of adopters. Maggie spent most of her time with the faculty, and most notably was a notorious sandwich thief, stealing the bread off of Mr A's sandwich prompting him to chase her around the house saying "Maggie, I want my bread!" (She later came back for the tomato from the same sandwich.) Already by this time there were some calls to make her officially a part of the faculty, but Mr A and DJ wanted to give her a fair shot at being adopted by someone else.

In the meantime, a new potential momcat arrived to Kitten Academy on December 6th. While animal control believed she was pregnant, when she arrived to Kitten Academy there were some doubts. The next day, X-rays confirmed she was not pregnant. She was named Cashew by DJ, and joined the remaining Trees. She has a naturally plump figure, and a funny sideways way of sitting.

On December 17th, Fig went home with her family in Ohio. Cashew graduated on the 19th, and the vet found nothing abnormal about her chubbiness and the way she sits. She's just quirky! Cashew got an approved adopter who is local to the KA Illinois area and had previously adopted a cat from OAW. Cashew was picked up on December 30th.

Because of their extra time spent at the academy, Chestnut and Sassafras had become very close, and the community was extremely happy when they finally got an adopter together! Another member of the discord community who lives in Oregon! The two of them (Chessifras) were scheduled to fly home with their adopter on January 13th 2018, but their flight to KA was delayed quite a bit and therefore Mr A and DJ delivered Chestnut and Sassafras to the airport baggage claim, where they met their adopter and Chessifras went on their way back home.

After Sassy and Chestnut were adopted, Magnolia was the only member of the Cat Trees left at Kitten Academy. By this time she was well used to the Faculty, and always stayed out with them while more classes were settled into the kitten rooms. DJ especially grew to be very fond of her, and she and Mr A began considering adding her on as a permanent member of the Faculty. After debates about "fractions of love" and if they really wanted to foster fail another cat, on March 17th (St. Patrick's Day) Mr A announced during mailbag that they had decided that if Maggie truly had no applications by April 20th, the KA anniversary, they would adopt her. Soon enough, April 20th came with no other applications for her, so Maggie became the official Breadmaster of Kitten Academy, and the latest faculty member.