Obviously, the white one will be Marley, as Marley is the ghost. The grey, Scrooge.

Or, if not Marley because one or both is/are a girl, white one Oogie, grey one Boogie.

A Christmas Carol is my favorite book and I love Oogie Boogie and collect Oogie Boogie stuff.

They are so RUDE. Wont even shake the hand that fed them.

Awwwwww.....thank you for taking care of them and feeding them. I think they've probably had it too rough to learn manners, but I'm sure they are grateful for full tummies.

Awww ....adorable. Thanks for caring for them.

Only 2 kittens? Seems like a litter is usually bigger? Wonder if they’ve wandered out of where their den is & there are others or are they the survivors? Both blue eyed - such pretty babies. It’s a feel good & heart warming story you’ve told us about you saving their lives. Thank you amylou for sharing.

I also thought it was strange to only have 2. Perhaps more will appear, though I admit I hope not. I really have no clue where they came from. I have not seen a mama cat hanging around. George does go outside but is neutered so they are not his, and frankly, he does not get along with other cats,so its a surprise that one felt it ok to move the kittens here. We have moved some of our cameras down where they are to keep an eye out for more and for mama.

Congratulations! You were chosen!

I hope they weren't dumped, but they probably were., or Mom was at one point or another.

The Cat Distribution System at work again! btw, Marley is a fine name for a girl kitty, even if the ghost was a Jacob.

You're likely saving those little lives 🙂

Perhaps they're the only ones left of a litter? I see that with wild ducklings around here - one by one a dozen or so dwindles down due to predators and other hazards.

Or the mother was malnourished and had a very small litter?

I love the look on their faces when you're sticking your hand out! Adorable

Cutie Pies! Mama may have been in the process of relocating the litter and can only take one or two at a time. She may come back for those two, but if you moved them they may now be yours. Congratulations!

I would guess mom has moved on. I ended up with Margaret P. because her mother moved the rest and left her behind. I saw one when it was older just down the road. The lady next over would just scatter dishes of food around for her cats and of course the dumplings would move in. My other cat bitsy was dumped with kittens apparently but none of them survived. It was a wonder she was alive she was so starved. People...

Those are young enough to tame. Good luck with them.

What an awesome story. Keep us posted on how things go.

Patriciae, the dumplings!!!!! How cute is that? I will never think of abandoned animals any other way now.

Precious! Thank you for taking them in! Your a good person. 🐈🐈

I think the white one is a girl and the gray one is a boy!

Very kind of you for sure. Lucky Littles. DH found a tiny kitten along our driveway years ago. Alone, absolutely starving. It was eating bugs and grass. We gave the kitten to his nephews daughters. He is a big fluffy guy now. .

I call the little ones Palm Cats.

Update: They hate me. But that is just because they do not understand me. They are VERY FERAL and very afraid. So I have just been feeding them and letting them be. I have picked them up when they were not paying attention and they did not fight me or try to get away, but as soon as I put them down they are back in both fight AND flight mode. They are still very small, but they are getting bigger and wiser and can see or hear me coming now so catching them to get to the vet will be a bigger challenge but whatever.

Today, they made their way out of the comfort of SOs shop, made their way up the hill and infiltrated our carport. I decided just to sit on the steps and hang out and let them get used to my presence. Scrooge made his way over to me a couple times, before thinking better of it and taking off, while Marley just sat under one of my cars and glared disdainfully most of the time. I do talk to them. Our conversation today:

Me: Merry Christmas Uncle Scrooge, God save ya!

*Hiisssssss"

Me: Christmas a humbug? SURELY you don't mean that!

*Hisssssss*

Me: Marley, speak comfort to me.

*Gremlin growl followed by hisssssssss*

Me: There's more of gravy than of grave about you, thanks to me you ungrateful little booger.

*FFT FFT Hissssssssss* (windmill fighting paws swinging at me.) Keep in mind I am making no effort to touch them at this time.

They are aggravating SO. He is anxious that we will accidently run them over or something. He would prefer that I would find them another home, and I will try to do so. But the fact is, animals are tough to find someone to just take them. My sister wants them but her husband refuses, and I really cant blame him. They have cats, dogs, cows, chickens, goats, peacocks, 6 offspring, 4 of which are adults and all of them still living at home. Who the HECK would want to add to that? Once they get bigger and easier to see and smarter about moving out of the way, SO will relax and all will be well, if I am unable to find them another home. I would much rather they get a life inside, which they will NOT have at my house. I will NOT dump them at the shelter or give them to a stranger under any circumstances. Better they be grumpy shop cats than take that chance with the evil in this world today.

Anyway, since they do not know their names yet, I was thinking instead of Scrooge, maybe the little gray one should be named Humbug. Humbug and Marley. Doesnt have quite the same ring to it but I think its a cuter name. I need to get a grip and remind myself that I am prioritizing finding them a nice home, and the lovely people that I am sure will take them will name them whatever they want.

I hear music tames the savage beast, so maybe I will break out my Muppet Christmas Carol Soundtrack. Or maybe find my Scrooge musical soundtrack, the one with Albert Finney. Maybe that will soothe their fears.

amylou - maybe they’re beginning to associate you with their food source & that’s one of the reasons they’ve ventured up to your carport - closer to you? Baby steps! Could you place one of your old / recently worn pieces of clothing wherever they seem to be hanging out to sleep?

I have a trick for you to try. Cats have scent glands on the sides of their chins. Rub the sides while rolling your hands around... to get their scent all over your hands, mixing your scent with theirs. Then your hands will smell "friendly"...and it helps to carry them around...spend time with them. Also drag a string around...mama cats teach their babies to hunt...while playing.

Play and food. Or rather food and play. Chop up chicken into small bits and offer it first in a spoon and then a finger tip and so on. Try some catnip and see if they respond to it. If you can snag them up do the mom thing of rubbing them firmly all over. It establishes dominance. You set them back down . And put something on a string tied to a stick or just buy one from the store and flick it around. You can buy smelly cat treats and that goo in a tube at pet stores. Females are harder than males for some reason. You are doing the right things though, just being around It is a good sign they followed you to your house.

Look up My Cat From Hell with Jackson Galaxy. He seems amazing.

They are warming up a little. Very little, but I will take it. They know I am the food wench so Ebeneezer will come up to me, but still gets huffy if I try to pet him, while Marley keeps their distance but doesn't really hide anymore. They still fight ruthlessly over the food. I do not want to leave a bunch of food outside where they hang out because it will attract unwanted critters, so I will just have to feed them a little more often so that they know that more is coming, no need to have a MMA match over some kitten chow and meow mix in gravy. I tried to feed them in 2 separate piles, but it did not matter. They, of course, wanted all of everything to themselves. Geez.

Scrooge tried to introduce himself to George, king cat around here, this morning. George was NOT accepting an audience however, hissed at him and ran away. Sigh.

Although only two of my cats came from the street(alley), and they weren't feral, I've read a lot about taming ferals. I'm a sucker for animal stories on FB and Instagram. Put one of your unwashed shirts out where they hang out so they can get your scent. I have a ton of cat toys everywhere in the house, but what gets my two youngest ones running is a long piece of regular rope, which I drag across the floor. They stand at opposite ends and then stalk the rope till one wins. Try that to interact with them. Good luck. You're a kind person to help them.

Progress!

The white one may be Siamese...rather, Siamese colored. They start off as white, then their "points" gradually darken. It is not unusual to have a Siamese colored kitten in a regular litter. Another way to tell, they will have blue eyes that are almost like blue crystals. Regular blue eyes on kittens, such as the grey one, have lesser brilliant blue color. Thank you for taking them in and being so kind to them. They will settle down.

Second update:

Scrooge, just as in the book, has completly turned around. He (yes hes a he) is now really happy to see me, likes attention and is almost fully tamed.

Marley is still and i fear will probably remain, a little afraid and very skittish. She will emerge from hiding when I pour the food in the bowl, but otherwise does not wish to engage with me. I can pet her while she is distracted eating, and can pick her up without her trying to skin me alive anymore, but she just isn't into me. Thats ok. I just want to be able to pick them up and put them in a carrier for vet visits without problems, and I think I can do that. I have put them in the carrier a few times, mainly to keep them coralled when my sister or her kids announce they want to stop by and see them,which I encourage for socialization purposes. Marley COMPLETLY loses her mind when she gets in the carrier,so I will have to work on that. Or get another carrier so that Scrooge doesnt get caught in the path of her wrath. Side note: One of my sisters kids, one of her 19 year old twin boys, really has a way with animals, and loves cats. Marley likes him. she is completly calm when he holds her and the ONLY time I have heard her purr or seen her make little kitten biscuits is when he was holding her and talking to her. My sister has the same way with animals, but Marley was not impressed with her, just her one son.

My cat George does not like them. At all. No surprise there. I hope that he warms up OR that I find a trustworthy person to give them a home. My sister REALLY wants them for barn cats, and while her husband protests, he will not deny her anything she wants, but is afraid that 2 of her dogs in particular might harm them, and so will not take the risk.

They have an appointment on the 13th for shots, worming and whatever else they need. I am going to really push for them to get fixed as soon as possible. I really mean as soon as it is physically possible to do it. A few vets I have seen before do not want to fix cats before they are 6 months old, and that just is not going to work. I am going to have to emphasize that unless I find a home for them, they are going to be barn cats, and waiting that long will risk them wandering off or getting pregnant. That is what started all this in the first place isnt it?

@amylou321...your a smart cookie! Getting them fixed is perfect! Such cute littles. Thanks for the update.

Just a thought....white cats with 2 blue eyes are often deaf(65% -85%). If Marley has a deficit...this might make her skittish....sensory depravation is "scary".

Third Update:

First vet visit went ok. Well, for them it did. I left very irate but that is neither here nor there. Vet estimates that they are 8-9 weeks old, which means they were 4-5 weeks when they first appeared, Both are exactly 2.27 pounds. Grey one is a boy. Officially named Scrooge. White one is a girl, named Marley, even though I debated whether or not to name her Fan, as that is Scrooges sister, but stuck with Marley, as I could not resist naming a solid white cat after one of my favorite ghosts.

As if I needed a reminder that I am in the south, the receptionist asked me if I spell Marley with a "ey" or "eigh." But to be fair, She also asked how to spell Scrooge and where THAT name came from. Sigh

Anyway, as my appointment was at 3, and the vet was only 15 minutes from my house, I ASSUMED I would have ample time to bring them home before going to work. But no, I suppose vet offices are becoming like human doctors offices. Appointment at 3, call back at 3:45, sit back there forever whilst they dilly dally, and did not leave until 4:30, so I had to bring them in to work with me for the night. And they did not do as i asked and put the flea and tick meds on them, even though they said they would. But whatever. They are at least wormed and have their first vaccines.

Great update amylou. Thanks for posting it. I was interested in what @NiCOZ5 said about possibility of deafness of the white kitty Marley. Did you have an opportunity to ask the vet about that or have you tried to determine by Marley’s reactions - or lack of - to sudden noises? Did anyone at your work express interest after meeting them? I was thinking that might’ve been an unexpected socialization opportunity.

No i did not think to ask about it KW. As I said, I was kind of, well actually REALLY irate by the time I talked to the vet, and I was trying very hard to hide that fact. I am sure they had a reason for being so behind and I try to be understanding and pleasant. Anyway, I was also kind of in a rush as I had to go to work and really just wanted them taken care of so we could go. The only thing I asked was that since this particular vet will not fix cats before 6 months of age, if I brought Marley in for her spay and she was pregnant if she would spay her anyway. The vet said she would do it if it were a very early pregnancy. I made it very clear that these cats will be OUTSIDE, and therefore wanted them fixed as soon as possible, but I am sure she has good reasons for holding off such a procedure, so I will heed her advice.

I do not think she is deaf though. Both her and Scrooge come when I call now, so unless she is just following his lead, I think she can hear me. I will try to remember and ask about it when I take them back for their next shots in 3 weeks. I made an early morning appointment, so lateness will not be as annoying.

While they were at work with me, many people came to see and snuggle them. No one wanted them of course, but now that have spent over 350 bucks on them just on vet bills, with much more to go I am sure, I am not really willing to give them away anyway. Lots of truck drivers played with them. Always funny to see giant. road weary men melt and become big marshmallows at the sight of small animals. Our lovely cleaning lady went absolutly NUTS over them. She held and talked to them for a long time. I have NO idea what she was saying as I neither speak nor understand Spanish, but I am sure Scrooge and Marley understood her perfectly. So they got lots of socialization that night, though they were not exactly thrilled with all of it. They were happy to get home and be back in familiar surroundings I think.

I hope they will be good mousers. They live in and around my SOs shop. He has had problems in the past with mice and rats going into his cars and building nests and doing a lot of damage to them. He has several race cars and hobby cars that are not used very often and any vehicle that sits for awhile is prone to such hazards. Maybe these two were sent to us for a reason.

Do not wait to get them fixed. A cat can easily have a first heat by five months and definitely by six and even though it might not lead to pregnancy it will increase the odd of Marley getting breast cancer later in life after her spay.

Do you have a spay and neuter clinic your area? They will normally do kittens. My previous vet (retired drat him) did it as early as possible. Eight or ten weeks. He was an exceptional surgeon though but the clinics get a ton of practice