3 + 2 + 4 + 5 - 5 , still equals a lot of cats

Apparently, Mama had set a high goal for herself.  She was out to prove that cats could reproduce as rapidly as rabbits and she was closing in fast on her goal..  By late spring, Mama had moved a new brood of four onto the little porch.  Minnie and Vick were cast adrift.  

I don't know where Blue had her first litter.  When they were old enough, she began their education by bringing them to my porch for free food.  Blue didn't growl and hiss at me.  She didn't need to.  Her kittens were horrified at their first sight of a human.  But since Blue was an inexperienced mother, most of her kittens disappeared rather quickly.  The only one of her children I saw more than a few times was Meowler, a funny little black wiseguy.  I was really sorry when he disappeared.  Cats are predators but they are also prey and I assume that something preyed on Blue's children.

To cope with her loss, Blue adopted Vick and they remained fast friends.  But for some strange reason, Blue absolutely hated Minnie and never got over it.  Wolf tolerated Vick and would let her eat out of his dish.  But he hated Minnie, too.  All Minnie had to do to get swatted was to walk by.  Minnie didn't seem to care that the other cats disliked her because she hated cats.  She seemed to prefer me.  Before long, she was following me into the house for quick visits.  By fall she would be sleeping indoors at night.