I just did one of the hardest things I've ever had to do...give the kittens back to their mother :( Just 15 minutes ago, I saw their mother, Cleo, outside eating and took the kennel we were keeping them in outside. I sat on the deck and took the babies out. She had run off to the side of the house when I came out, but was watching me. I took the kittens out and they started crying right away. Cleo's eyes got really big and she came running to the deck. She slowly stepped up onto the deck and growled at me a little. I put one of the kittens out away from me and Cleo came up and sniffed it, then backed away a little, and then quickly grabbed the kitten by it's back and took it underneath the deck. I put the other two kittens on the ground where she could see and hear them, and she finally got all three of them. Now they are all underneath the deck...and I can't stop crying :( I had gotten so attached to them in just a day's time...we hadn't even had them for 24 hours yet. I got to nurse them three times yesterday, and then fed them about an hour ago this morning. It was kind of like having three babies! I really miss them :( I'm just hoping that Cleo will bring them around here still and that they will remember me. Cleo just came out from underneath the deck to eat some food, so maybe that's a good sign that she's not mad at us. I've just got to keep reminding myself that Cleo WANTS her babies and the babies would rather be with their mother than a human...especially when they are this young. It was so much fun taking care of them, and I'm grateful I got to experience it, but it is so, so sad........