Animal Communicator?

Ok, so I am not an official animal communicator, cause I have no idea what they are thinking at any moment in time - but I can generally figure out what they are about to do by their body posture - but I am starting to believe I have the ability to TELL the cats what to do..

now for the most part my kitties are much like other kitties, they don't listen.  They take a message and get back to you sort of thing.  Often if you want them off something they are on, you have to walk up to them and threaten physical removal in order for them to care.

but recently I have started asking my cats to to get down, or come here, or leave their sibling alone... and it worked!!

I am sure it has a LOT to do with my tone.  If I tell them to get down in a sing songy happy voice, they just bask in the praise they think they are getting.. but there is that no nonsense tone I have that means *I have absolutely had it with whatever you are doing and the next time I speak you are NOT going to like it*.  You know the one, when you say, no, get down, no, go away, leave my food alone, no, NO, GEEZE  COME ON!!, no, down, sit down.. and THEN you get the tone, so you could pretty much tell them to fly to the moon and they'd slink down and sit somewhere close and watch you.  Maybe I've come to be able to use that tone the first time, but I got Kit to lay down on the first command the other day when she was so excited over seeing DH that she was about to step in his dinner for the fifth time.  I got Fleurp to get off the counter, twice.  I got Ollie and Muffin to drop their little scuffle (those are interesting.  Muffin is 1.5 times the size of Ollie, but Ollie is older and meaner.  They've never actually fought, but they have been having quite a few vocal scuffles lately)

I also haven't been able to do anything in my house with out an entourage.  DH thinks it is quite funny when I walk down the hall with at least four cats following me around.  Last night when I got home from work, I had six, and they were all squeeking and whining wanting my attention.  I was in the kitchen trying to talk to DH and I almost couldn't hear myself from all the hubub.  I told them to be quiet a few times, but not in "the tone" finally I had it, and told them to leave us alone! and surprisingly a moment later there wasn't a kitty in the kitchen (they were all on the far side of the island which I refer to as the dining area of our great room kitchen/living room/dining room room) no crying, no noise of any kind.  I almost went giddy with my power.  If I could get Jack to not cry for treats, could I take over the world??

I then went down to exercise, and my entourage came with me.  Fleurp has taken to sleeping in a blanket that is on the floor in the basement where I work out.  She comes down with me and takes a cat nap while I work out.  I have not worked out alone since... well since I can remember :).  But last night I had Skippy running around playing with a ping pong ball and trying to goat Fleurp into playing.  Muffin was there too, doing her best to distract me with her beautiful belly.  She so loves to flaunt that thing at me when I'm busy knowing I have a very hard time resisting it. Life according to Muff is that NOTHING is more important then paying attention to Muff - unless she's busy. 

We do have a little bit of a situation though.  Twee has ended up with a few scabs on her head, so someone is not playing fair.  She had a tiny one at the base of her ear on the back side last week, and on Sunday I found a rather large scrape/scab under her chin.  I see her playing with Skippy and Muffin (ok so Muffin doesn't play she tells her to go away with some rather aggressive tones but I can't see her getting physical) and I've never seen anyone trying to hurt her.  Not quite sure what is going on.  She's lost several patches of fur on her head previous, but with no scabbing, no irritation of any type.  Just a small round patch of fur missing (maybe the size of a pea) and smooth white skin peeking through.  *shrug*  I'll have to keep an eye on it and see what comes of it.

the silent vomit

Now this is incredibly interesting.

With eight cats, I am very attuned to the noise of the hurl.  It seems to come in waves, as my cats all seem to get hairballs at about the same time (yes, I know, if I brushed them more regularly that wouldn't happen) and they all seem to like to do it in the middle of the night, in the bedroom.  I know if I'm not paying attention I am ending up with a foot full of hairball.

Well the other day we found a small pile on the bed.  It was a really odd thing because it hadn't been there when we woke up, and for the most part either myself or DH was in the bedroom or the master bath all morning long.  We just couldn't figure out what was going on.  We chalked it up to we must have missed it and moved on with the day.

the other night, I woke up and realized that Skippy is turning into a really adorable boy.  As mentioned before, he has his attention quota, and will snuggle with me or DH every single day.  Not just a pat me sort of thing, but a crawl up on to your chest, rest his head on your shoulder sort of snuggle.  The other night he decided to snuggle up with me while I was sleeping.  I sleep on my side with my top leg curled up to me as if I were doing a knee lift if I were standing.  This leaves a nice little hole for a kitty (Skippy) to snuggle into.  My heart just about melted when I woke up and found him there.  Was a little perturbed when Muffin and Jack - realizing I was awake and set about to see who could stick their nose up mine first and disturbed Skippy so he got up and left.  As he started walking away, he seemed to be preparing to vomit - sans any noise at all.  I wasn't quite sure that was what he was doing, but I wasn't taking any chances at all. I pushed him along, and he took two steps and started making the same physical movements of preparing to vomit.  I finally pushed Muff and Jack off me and herded Skippy off the bed, and at that point I heard the tell tale noise of a successful evacuation of one's stomach contents.  It was the weirdest thing ever.  I have cats that vomit delicately, and I have cats that vomit much like you would imagine a drunk biker dude would.  I have never in all my years of cat ownership and cat fostering had a cat that vomited silently.

Not quite sure I like it.  Nope, I don't like it one little bit.  I just know there is going to be toe squishing ickiness in my future

the irresistible cuddling Skippy

I was thinking yesterday that I hadn't seen Skippy for a good cuddle for a while, and I might just have to seek him out.  But I was tired and cold, and my bed was warm and toasty, so I figured it could wait.

Well last night in the middle of the night, in some hour that should not be seen by mankind, I got up to go to the bathroom.  Getting up is a four step process (longer if you include the waking up and then thinking about getting up, which are pretty vital steps)  There is the taking off of the covers, getting the feet out from under the covers you can't get off your feet, swinging said feet off the side of the bed, then the actual standing up.  This is not a fast process in the middle of the night.  In fact it is agonizingly slow - especially in the dead of winter because we have adjustable thermostats so the house is cold at night.  I was in step three (feet over the side of the bed) when Skippy comes out of no where and jumped up on my lap.

"Cuddle time Mom!"

But Skip... it is the middle of the night.  I'm still sound asleep.  I have to go pee!!  IT'S COLD!!

"Purrrrrr"

arrrgh

I give up and roll back into bed so my feet don't get frost bite and we spend the next little while cuddling.

Until Tweedle thought she could join in.  Because Muffin decided Skippy had had enough "Mommy Time" and walked in between him and my face (not nearly enough room there for your 15lb fluffiness, but she some how found a way)  So poor Skippy felt a little claustrophobic (ok so I'm projecting, he probably just didn't want to keep smelling Muffin's butt) and left.

and fortunately for my bladder I have no problem telling Muffin to get off.  Mostly because she is relentless and is on top of me most of the time I'm in bed.

My bladder didn't have a good night, and a little while later I was up again.  Did I mention the house is cold?  well you do know that means the toilet seat is cold too right?  (a little TMI?  sorry, it is going to get a little worse before you start laughing at me)

So I was trying to hurry things along to avoid frost bite on delicate bits, and all of a sudden out of no where Skippy shows up and jumps up on my lap.

"Hi Mom!"

Um.. Skipster, I'm using the "litter box"! 

"Purrrrrr" *cuddle*

I'm always a gonner when he leans into me.  I'd give that boy the moon if he could find a way to ask for it while cuddling.

And yes, I'm still on the freezing cold toilet, in the freezing cold bathroom, which has freezing cold tiles.. so yes, my pants are down around my ankles.  There is just no dignified way to get up and go back to bed and keep Skip happy.

So I did it the un-dignified way.  I was certain he was going to get annoyed with me and leave, but I made it back to bed with him, and we spent a few more minutes cuddling before Skippy went to a sleeping DH and decided it was his turn.

Which is good, because my fingertips were starting to turn blue  (which frankly doesn't take much.  Don't think my house was actually icy.. the thermostat only goes down to 62 at night, but for me I'm cold at 72)

So I finally get back to sleep.  To be awoken several hours (I'm hoping anyway) by a Jack to the bladder.  How they know where that thing is, and are able to step square in the middle of it always amazes me.  I think Jack and Muffin have a running contest to see who can get to mine first in the AM.  When Jack fails, he tends to hang out by my head and stick his ice cold nose on warm bits that are exposed when he steps on the covers.

Why they want me to wake up in the morning I have no clue.  I do not feed them in the AM.  Guess they just miss me.

and I'm totally ok with that.

Eli update

Well the dental was pretty straight forward. He did have a broken tooth they had to remove, so that means antibiotics.. *hangs head* NOT a fun thing in my house for Eli.

Eli spent the first six months of his life being medicated for one URI after another. It got to the point where we had to isolate him to even catch him to pill him because every time we walked towards him (pilling time or not) he ran. He's now 7, and he's still running, albeit we have to be walking right at him and with a purpose. Let's just say he's still quite wary.

I opted for pills and went out and got some pill pockets.

The first morning I found him in the bathroom and locked him in and then went in and pilled him. I hadn't tested out the pill pockets will a pill in them (he liked the plain ol PP) and since this was an easy thing, I just did it. Freaked him right out, but we got through it pretty quickly. After wards I gave Jack his supplement for his urinary issues, and was amazed at how different the pilling experiences are. Eli is skittish, nervous and I need to be very careful putting my fingers anywhere near his mouth. Jack just sat there. I opened his mouth very easily, dropped the pill in, it went a little askew, so I stuck my finger in his mouth to pop it down his throat. Almost night and day.

So last night I split the pill in two to make them a little easier to hide in the PP. got out a hand full of dry food "treats" and threw it down for the cats. I got in the mix, and carefully gave each of the two PP'd pills to Eli. He was a little suspicious as to why I was keeping the other cats away, but he ate them no problem. This morning same deal, but I didn't split the pill. Stupid because if it hadn't worked, then finding him to get the pill in him wasn't going to be easy, but he gulped it right down and didn't ask questions (other then why can't Fleurp steal this from me?) So, this might actually work.

Skippy's exam was very "boring" (vet's words) and straight forward. He isn't worried about the rare congestion he's showing. The vet thinks it might be an allergy to something. I think it is his tricky way of saying he hasn't gotten enough attention lately. When I started fostering, I had a litter of kittens that would sound all congested if they didn't get to run around the house the evening before. I would let them out and the congestion would go away. (this was pre-fiasco and I almost never let fostered kittens run around the house any more especially if they are showing signs of illness) The vet commented several times that he looks a lot like an unfolded fold. He was found half dead in a driveway apparently, so I have no way of knowing, but if an unreputable breeder was breeding folds and only wanted folded folds, then I could see them ignoring him and not caring what happens. He does seem to have the physical traits and the personality traits of a fold.. *shrug* not that I care in the least, I just think it is interesting

On a side note, we think Kit isn't feeling well. She is eating, and seeking out attention, but she's reserved, and hasn't been coming to 'treat time' as enthusiastically as she used to. I tried to check her out this morning, but she was a little paranoid about the exam. Her eyes seemed a little sunken in, or maybe the conjunctiva was a little swollen (hard to tell it was slight) and she might have been a little dehydrated, so I gave her some fluids, opened up a can of cat food, and left her in the bedroom to be alone for the day with the food. Hopefully I am over reacting and this is nothing more than a down couple of days for her. Examining her, I realized once again what a very petite little cat she is. A five pound kitty doesn't leave much leeway when it comes to illness.

a few photos

I interrupted Fleurp when she was grooming. She looks like this a lot, as she spends a lot of time grooming, and is easily interrupted.



Skippy carving out a little sun bathing time. Looks so relaxed doesn't he?



Quality time with the kitties. Fleurp in the far background. Eli to the left, Twee to the right and the Skipster lounged over my thighs. I had the worst time taking this photo since he is on my upper thighs, angling the camera and seeing through it was impossible, so I kept taking shots and trying to reposition the camera to make sure they were all in the shot.  Eli got annoyed the flash going off so much that he left shortly after this photo was taken.


This is the whole crew.  I can't hand feed them treats as doing so often ends up with me shedding blood (claws in the thighs, teeth in the fingers) so I toss them on to the ground.  This is the ONLY way Twee eats treats.  If I ever catch her alone and try to offer her something individually she completely ignores it.  If I am bold and try to hand feed treats and toss one in front of her, it usually bounces off her nose and she completely ignores it.

Photos

 

Fleurp is turning into quite a beautiful young lady.  I took her collar off to get some good photos of her "mane"  I just feel bad about that eye of hers.  I don't know if anything can be done for her, but I am going to ask at her next vet visit.  Poor thing was trying to catch a fly that made it into the house, and with very little depth perception there was just no way.

Skippy is totally miserable hun?  I guess I shouldn't be that sorry about adopting him :)

I'm so sorry Skippy..

I so wanted you to have the perfect for you home. I wanted you to have family that could give you all the love you could possibly handle.  I wanted you to not have to put up with a pack of kitties watching you pee, and having to struggle for food.  I wanted you to have your choice of laps to curl up in when ever you wanted to.

I just couldn't handle the 'what ifs' of leaving you at the shelter.  I could not deal with the possibility that you would end up in a situation like you were in before, and being returned to the shelter again - or worse..

So I struck a bargain with the shelter, and I traded for you.  I had some old aquariums in the basement, and in the middle of an email exchange about a foster situation for a cat found in the middle of the road last week* I jokingly suggested that I trade for you, and she took me up on it.  She knew how upset I was at leaving you at the shelter, and how much of a toll on me it was taking to come visit you every couple of days and to keep leaving you there.. so I ran to the shelter after work, signed the paperwork, and brought you home with me.

and now you have to put up with my crew harassing you, and when I took you down to the litter box (because you seemed to be looking for your litter box in the bathroom where it was the last time you were here) you had all seven of them watching you pee.  Will you ever know peace?  Will my crew ever accept you?  Will you find a lap to cuddle on when you need it?

I love you so much.. I hope you are happy here.



*the new foster is coming on Saturday.  She was found in the middle of the road, either hit or thrown from a car.  She was pregnant at the time, but she ended up aborting.  They said her kittens were the size of mice, so it must have been several weeks before the due date.  They had a week old kitten who needed a mom, so they matched them up, and it worked out nicely, except for the fact that she is being fostered by a staff member who is not allowed pets in her home.

*headpalm* or why 8 kitties is a bad idea

Ok, seriously, I know owning Skippy would be a bad idea.  Doesn't mean I don't want to do it anyway though....

but this morning my kitties showed me very clearly why.  Mostly it would be that there would be more of them then I could handle.

So in the wee hours of the morning I woke up.  Not one of those *oh crud I'm awake in the middle of the night and I can't get back to sleep* bits.. but I had left my heating blanket on and I was a little warm, so normally I would have rolled over, shut it off and fallen back asleep.  But there were kitties on the bed who were missing me terribly, so when they realized that I might be conscious they sprang into action, and surrounded my head purring up a storm.  15lb Muffin, 12lb Jack and 6lb Fleurp were all there.  9lb Twee showed up a few moments later jockeying for a position to worship at the head of the sleeping mom.

Now if you have never had this experience, let me tell you it is a bit overwhelming.  I have blogged about it before, but it really is something to have four cats up in your face when you are barely awake... not to mention the fact that their bodies are the perfect length for their noses to be all up in your face, and their back feet to be targeted to your bladder.  *sigh*  off they all go as I stumble towards the bathroom.  I hate kicking kitties off me, but sometimes the bladder wins.

I stumble back into bed, get comfy, and once again there are cat noses where there shouldn't be cat noses.  Those things are COLD when it is cold in the house.  I finally convince all the kitties to settle down somewhere around the area of my legs, and drift off to sleep (but not before annoying the daylights out of DH who went to sleep on the couch.  Kitties were happy - more room for them)

Morning begging is reserved for DH who feeds them since he gets up first.  But when I got up, Jack was all up in my business begging for attention.  Fleurp dug out a superball and was playing with it.  I picked it up and realized that someone had chewed chunks off it.  I probably should have put the ball in my pocket to be stored in a drawer (ok I admit it, I really like superballs.. and yes it is appropriate to give me a gift of one) but I bounced it into the other room, and watched Fleurp fly at it, and look so adorable doing it.  something between a rabbit and a flying squirrel (I so wish I had video proof of it).  The ball ended up back at my feet, so I bounced it again, and this time she was so intent on getting it she missed the fact that the ball was bouncing towards the fridge, and she ran right into it.  Yes, Fleurp makes me laugh every single day.

But later, after I exercised, I went back into the bedroom to get dressed for work, and realized that a flipflop I have not work in over a year (wore them the summer previous) was on the middle of the floor.  I shook my head, knowing my Fleurp thought it was irrisitable and some how had dragged the thing from my shoe rack in the front of the house, through the kitchen, down the hall, and into the bedroom.  I KNEW it was her, only from the evidence of the lone flop on the floor.  Sure enough a few minutes later, she came and flopped next to the shoe and proceeded to "kill" it. I got a photo, but it only looks like she's laying on it.

Then I went to feed the rabbit.  Her water bottle was empty, so I bent over to take it off the cage, and went and filled it.  I bent back over to reattach it to the cage, when Kit in all her claws decided to jump up on my back.. OUCH!  I had been saying for a few days I needed to trim claws, well now was the time!!!

I also think one of the other kitties has convinced Twee to play Hide and Seek, because she has taken to hiding behind the curtains in the kitchen.  They are floor length, and mostly sheer.  When I went to pat her through the curtain, she was quite disturbed that she wasn't properly hidden, so I pretended I was just fixing the curtain so she could be happy.

Ollie is still quite annoyed with life.  He's annoyed that the other kitties want to do what he wants to do, and there for are in his way.  Doesn't matter if they were there first, and he walks in on them, if they are in the spot HE wants to be in, they get smacked.  If he offers his head for grooming and they don't groom fast enough, the smacking will commence.  Not quite sure who I feel worse for, him or them.

They definitely bring a depth and richness to my life.  The love, the cuddles, the laughter.  They do add a certain emptiness to my wallet though, the annual vet visits, the $800 surgery for Ollie, then the $500 revisit this year.  Eli needs a dental.  He has for a while, but I put it off, well I can't put it off any more.. Jack is having issues with his bladder.. at least I'm assuming his bladder is a little uncomfortable and he doesn't just like the Brazilian look.  All of my kitties are under 10 years of age, so I'll have multiple seniors at the same time in a few years.  Being proactive costs money, not being proactive either means more money or the loss of my kitties too young.

I just wish my heart understood all that..

Dear Skippy's new owners

You have adopted yourself one special little boy.  He is playful and cuddly and all around a great kitten.  He has a long back story before you found him, and I hope you won't mind listening to it.

He was found in a neglect situation.  He was so badly off, he was almost dead.  He was brought to a vet and survived, but he developed a urinary tract infection.  UTI can be a problem for cats.  Once they have them, they can happen again, so I hope you keep a good eye on his health.

While at the shelter waiting to get better and for a foster home to come along, he was exposed to ringworm.  Having just met him, I could not allow a simple exposure to risk his life.  Ringworm is fungal, and not fun to treat, but it is not fatal.  Unfortunately though there are lines that have to be drawn in a shelter environment.  Ringworm is very contagious. 

This is where I came in.  Sometimes when I visit the shelter there are kittens or cats that just cry out to me to help them.  This is probably why I own seven cats now.  Skippy was one of them.  Knowing what he suffered before I came into his life, I could not risk ringworm being his downfall.

I brought him home and set him up in my bathtub / shower in my bathroom, hoping that if he did bring ringworm into my house, that this double barrier to my own cats would prevent it from spreading.  It was a very long 10 days while he lived in my shower.  He was very good the whole time.  Every time I went to spend time with him, he simply wanted to cuddle.  In the past overly cuddly kittens has always been a sign of severe illness.  In Skippy it was just a sign of his personality.  He had to get in his mandatory cuddling, then he would be off to play.

When his quarentine was over, I brought him down to meet the other foster kittens I had.  They were smaller than he was, and I realized almost immedately that his prey drive is VERY strong.  He was relentless in his play with anything smaller then he is to the point of harassment.  I would strongly recommend that you not bring in another animal into the home that is smaller than he is.

Because he could not play well with the others, he went back into his bathroom, but he did not want to be contained.  Often he would slip out of the bathroom and run straight into the room that houses my rabbit.  Bri is a pretty standard size 5lb rabbit, which was bigger then he was when he met her.  Skippy fell in love with Bri.  He would always go and visit her first, and play very gently with her.

He never outgrew his need to spend time cuddling though.

As he grew, it was time for him to go up for adoption.  I reluctantly brought him back and he was adopted.  Unfortunately he came down with pnemonia and they returned him.  While I hated the idea of his being sick, I was overjoyed to spend more time with him.  He was very slow to recover so he spent quite a few more weeks together.  As he became healther and stronger, I introduced him to my own cats, hoping that a love match would be made, and I could justify taking on another kitty.  While he did enjoy playing with my younger kitties, his style of play just did not mix with some of my older kitties. 

It was so hard to return him a second time, and hope that his new owners would care and love him as much as I do.  He is a very special boy, being one that demands to spend so much time cuddling.  Just watch out.. he drools when he's happy!

He will bring much joy into your life if you let him.  I hope you bring joy into his life as well.

(and if you EVER need a pet sitter.. I am so there!)

Have I mentioned...

How much I miss Skippy?

*sigh*

Ollie had a bad night last night.  We were laying in bed, I was drifting to sleep, and I heard someone start to hurl.  I said "Get up!" and DH was up out of bed in a flash not realizing why.  Eli was also on the bed but when I said get up, he flung himself off the edge of the bed, not touching the foot board nor the chest at the end of the bed.. it was quite impressive.  Ollie hurled with out even standing up - not good.  And he continued to vomit after we put him on the floor.  You could tell he was upset about it, because he tried to cover it up... poor thing.  I think I'm going to wait and see if this is a one time thing, or if he hurls again. 

the good the bad and the skippy

I stopped in this morning to see Skippy.  It was kinda amusing since the shelter is technically closed today that one of the volunteered asked me what I was doing - as if I were part of the general public and I just snuck in.  I love it that she had the courage to ask since you never know what people are doing if you don't know who they are.

Skippy was in the litter box, growling at everyone.  Bearing his teeth at anyone who got close with a big hiss and a swat.  It was breakfast time, and he was growling so much he couldn't (or wouldn't) eat.   However I did get a few cuddles from him (as long as he wasn't in line of site of any other cats up at the same level as him) and a couple of kisses.  I left to talk to the staff about getting some atropine for Ollie (more on that in a bit) and when I looked in on him before leaving for work, I noticed he was about to pull the sound machine down on himself.  They installed white noise machines up high out of the way in each of the general population cat rooms that either play bird noises or waves.  It was unplugged and the plug was dangling down over a low cat tree.  Well Skippy thought this would be a good thing to attack.. silly boy.  I rescued the plug and gave him a few more kisses before working my way to the door.  Skip was back on the floor growling at everything, but yet attempting to play with a white cat's tail.  The white cat was trying to eat breakfast.  He then jumped up on another cat tree and the little thin tiger kitty who has been trying to be friends came over and Skippy swatted at it and hissed at it.  It backed off but Skippy followed.  I think Skip was playing, but it was hard to tell for certain.

I so miss him!!

*sigh*

Ollie & the atropine.  Well Ol has decided that he needs to spend a lot of time licking his healing incision, and has created a hot spot over his knee.  There is no way I could put a Elizabethan collar on him and live through the night, so I looked for the atropine I used last time he started pulling out his stitches.  I couldn't find it, so I looked to see if there was an alternative.  You know, there aren't many home remedies online to help deter that sort of thing.  I heard lemon juice (OUCH!) and I heard deodorant (that can't be healthy) so I figured since I had plans to go into the shelter to visit Skip, I'd ask them if I could have a tube.  Fortunately they had one to give me, and I ran home to apply it so the healing could start.  Oh wasn't he ticked over my "intruding" into his incision!  You know, it would be nice buddy if you could be a little thankful over the care I give you to keep you alive.. but NOOO.. you have to be all Ollie about it :)   He's a grumpy ol man.. all he knows is his sense of entitlement..

He wouldn't be Ollie if he wasn't being grumpy.

this bites

well Skippy is at the shelter.  I brought him in because he hasn't shown any symptoms since Wednesday, and I wanted to see what they wanted to do with him.  They suggested I set him up at the shelter in one of the community rooms and watch him for a couple of days.

He was so grumpy the second he walked into the shelter.  Growling, giving me the angry eyes, etc.  He hisses at any other cat that comes up to him, and lunges and snaps at me if I was pushing too hard.  I left for a while to get some groceries and went back and checked on him again,  he wasn't any relaxed.

*sigh*

He deserves more than I can give him, but he so doesn't deserve this.. Sadly this is the only avenue I can see to get him the home he deserves.

another Skippy / Ollie post

Getting a little overhwelming on the Skipster and Ollie postings lately, but they are all consuming right now..

So Skippy.  He was congested yesterday morning.. breathing through his mouth, sounding pretty miserable.  Last night he sounded just fine.  However he had to stop several times in the night (and again this morning) to cough pretty hard.  He's eating and active..   No idea what to make of this.  That little devil part of my brain keeps going back to the "he to smart for his own good, and got sick to be returned to the shelter" statement I made when I first heard he was returned.  I want to think he's doing this so he can stay with us.

Ollie.. I think he's very much on the mend.  He's back to his grumpy demanding self.  He hates the clavamox, but that is almost over.  Now I need to decide if I am going to try to take the stitches out myself, take him to the vet, or leave them in to dissolve..

*headdesk*

Last night I was so uber hopeful!!  Ollie was being a pain in the Ollie.. and he climbed up on one of the cat trees to survey his domain, even found a way up on top of the fridge - his all time favorite place to be (and yes, we were completely freaked out, but sometimes you have to let a boy do what a boy is going to do to help him feel better mentally even if it hurts him physically)  He then climbed up on the bed between us and started disin all the other cats.  I assumed he just felt the need to remind everyone that HE is alpha, even if he was out of commission for a few days, and that all was right with the world.

Well this morning he was hiding on me.  I searched and searched, and finally gave up and relied on the ol "throw dry food on the floor" trick.  With so many cats, giving individual treats is not really an option.  The agressive ones get all the treats while the passive ones get none. (even when you walk up to them to offer treats they walk away) so I have taken to tossing dry cat food on the floor.  I do this very sparingly because I consider dry food to be very low quality food (I think of it as cookies) and it does a number on Jack's system (He loves it, but it doesn't love him).  Usually everyone comes running when I open up the door the bag is in, but he did not show.  I rattled the bag, no show.  I tossed some on the floor, no show.  After a moment I thought I saw something on the stairs to the basement, and indeed he was sitting on the top step.  Why he was not participating I do not know, and it bothers me. I finally went over and gave him his medication, and figured I'd toss another handful on the floor just in case.  Well I only needed to touch the door and he came over, so they got another handful.

and to top it off, Skippy was congested this morning.

I was so hoping for ONE day with out stress.. *sigh*  I guess I'll just have to be content with the hour I got last night.

well he might have had a huge mad

but it definately helped him.  half an hour after I was in there DH said he was no longer on his bed, and was sitting on his computer chair.  He finished up all his left over breakfast, so we offered him some other yummies.  This morning he left the office and took a walk through the house, checked out the bathroom where we feed but did not eat any of the remaining breakfast.  He wandered around the kitchen/living room for a while, then walked back down the hall and went right back into the office when I opened the door for him.

He didn't eat the canned food I first gave him, but it was a pretty low quality food so I removed it and gave it to the "clean up crew" and even they didn't lick up every last little bit (but most bits -  I mean I don't call them the clean up crew for nothing) I gave him some Wellness, and he seemed more interested in that although I did not have time to check back to see if he ate it all.  He also didn't eat the hunk of beef we gave him, so I gave that to the clean up crew and Fleurp grabbed that and ran off with it.

We ended up putting Skippy down in the kitten room.  Not sure I like the idea, because I'm sure DH is going to let him wander around the house more.  But he does have more room and more activities down there then he does in the bathroom.  He sneezed a couple of times yesterday, producing what looked to be snot, but afterward he was not congested.. *shrug*

A post from Ollie

oh mah Ceiling Cat, i has teh wurst hooman evr!  Furst she gaev me 2 different pills, den shovd 2 different liquidz in mah mouth, AN DEN SHOVD NEEDLE IN MAH BAK!!



I haz hooj mad!!!
 
*note from mom.. he really isn't moving from his bed, and isn't eating very well, so I gave him a pill to help settle his stomach, one to stimulate his appetite, and then gave him oral buprenex for the pain and liquid clavamox for the inflammation and help with the little fever he seems to be running.  Then to help him feel better I gave him some fluids.  I felt the need to take him in to the vet on Saturday morning because he was so quiet and wasn't harassing the other cats.  Vet noticed he had a small fever (102) and that he had some inflammation because of where the incision is.  DH thought we should isolate him for a while so he wouldn't need to act all tough in front of the other kitties.  I wasn't a fan of the idea, but he seems to prefer it.
 

Skippy is sitting in my lap purring up a storm and drooling all over himself.

Lula and the kittens are at the shelter

Ok, I failed.  I realized that with Ollie in one room, Skippy in another, with my own cats and the rabbit and everything going on in my life, I just didn't have the time to properly socialize the kittens.  They are all hissy and spitty and while I find that freaking adorable, I know that does not make good kittens, so I brought them in and told them I was overwhelmed and so they kept them.

I told her what was going on with Skippy, and she suggested I keep him another week.  He had a bad day on Thursday with the congestion and the watery eyes, and so I started up the medication again, but it immediately disappeared and he's been fine since.  She suggested that I leave him a week with out medicating and see what happens.  This just delays the ineveitable, but it gives me a little more time with him.  Oddly enough he became quite pissed off at being at the shelter.  Growling and defensive.  This is not going to bode well with my soul when he goes back..

Ollie is so angry with me.  he does NOT like being medicated at all.  He seems to be enjoying being alone - in so much that he's not crying out, or begging at the door to leave.  When I open the door he's sitting on his bed and looks up at me.  He didn't want to eat his regular food - nor did he want a plain peice of chicken we offered, but he did eat some canned food and one of the two pieces of freeze dried chicken I gave him.  He also ate the few pieces of dry foods I put in there as well.  I hate this, hopefully he'll be back to being his PITA self right quick.

*sigh*

I have come to the end of the acceptable period to keep Skippy before bringing him back to be adopted.  Sunday is my new deadline for myself.  It was going to be Wednesday, but since Ollie had surgery that day, I did not want to face both of those things.

He's doing great - even if he is covered in flea dirt.I treated him with FL a little while ago, so he shouldn't be, but I don't think that vial I got is any good.

He's such a good kitty, he so deserves a GREAT home, and I can't promise him that if I let him go.

but my own kitties deserve a home where they are loved and not wearhoused because they are good kitties.  Seven kitties for two owners is pushing it as it is.  Heck, I have three extremely needy attention seeking kitties as it is.  There is only so much room on my body and in my bed..

I hate the thought of letting him go, but I do not think it is fair to anyone keep him.

Gratuitous Skippy Shot

Bonus photo:

Eating solid foods

Third was the first to eat solid foods.  Kinda freaked me out when I saw him sidle up to mom and start noshing on her food.  Second has also decided that solid food is good.  First has yet to figure it out, but that's ok... no major rush.

These kittens still have little use for me.  I cuddle them and coo over them, but they want down, and hiss at me often when I come in to visit.  I know I'm not spending a lot of time with them which probably isn't good, but I'll try to change that once Skippy has been settled (notice I did not say returned - not to say I'm not not returning him) and they are all eating solid foods.

I'm not sure why names are not coming.  Maybe they like their designations.. but it doesn't seem very dignified..

As for Skippy.. I HATE both options I have. I so want to keep him, but I so  know that would not be a good idea.  I know he should be returned, but I so very much hate that idea as well.  Not only for the crap shoot of a home he might get, but because then I wouldn't have him.  But he drools.. I hate drool.. *sob*  My plan was to keep him a few days after the medication was finished.. but now I'm thinking I'll keep him till Sunday.

Skippy Update

Man, I can't believe it has been since the 8th since I posted about him.

Ok, as I mentioned he spent the one night night with us. I moved him back into the bathroom the next morning, but shortly there after DH said Skippy should spend the night with us again.. so I ended up moving him over to the bedroom full time. There is another bathroom off the bedroom where I keep his litter box and feed him, so I am able to lock him away while we spend quality time with our own cats. Sometimes we sleep with Skippy, sometimes we sleep with the crew.. I end up feeling guilty no matter which option I choose because both are able to give me the biggest guilt trips..

Skip did worse this time with his cold. Last time it cleared up with in the week, but three days later he became congested again.. Now he's been on medication two weeks before it cleared up. I've decided I'm going to keep him on meds for a week after it clears - which was Sunday. He still HATES to be pilled, but if I do a football hold, and use something yummy to wash it all down with I can do it reasonably quickly (and I must be quick, because he starts trying to spit the pill out the second I put it in) He's not eating as much as I'd like him to, but currently I have less than ideal food. Even Lulu doesn't much approve (although my own cats are MORE than happy to help take care of any left overs..) I'm hoping there is something better at the shelter tomorrow.. or I'm going to have to go buy something for them. I wish I could feed him the raw that we feed our own cats, but I do not want to spoil him on it. I know it is best for him, but I can't know what his new owners are willing to feed, so I have to keep him open to the foods most likely to be fed. I know he loves it, because one day when he hadn't eaten for a while and I was getting really nervous, we offered him some, and he chowed down on it!!

He is a little escape artist now that he's feeling better. Keeping him in that room while there are other kitties to play with is a chore. I've let him run around a couple of times - mostly to help him work off some kitten energy but also because he likes it so. He often will go visit Bri (the rabbit). The other day he was so funny, he ran up to her, patted her gently on the head, then ran inside her cage and stalked her from in there while she was on the outside. I couldn't help but wonder what on earth was going through his mind :) Yesterday I was home alone because DH had an overnight for work, and he escaped. He ran around for a while, but I lost track of him. When I went to round him up, I couldn't find him anywhere. Finally I gave up and figured I'd check again in 20 minutes, so I went to bed and sat down for a bit. I was all comfy in bed before I realized Skippy was sitting there waiting for me. We spent the next hour cuddling before my cats got all too vocal that dinner hadn't been served yet (I had shut the door when I realized we were alone) He still LOVES to cuddle, loves to curl up in my neck and purr..

I so want.. but honestly seven cats is probably one or two too many - especially now that Ollie most likely needs surgery again.. They fit, they make a nice little happy pack, but they are a financial responsiblity, and I think it would be reckless of me to keep him.

Sharing the cuteness

Two very adorable things happened recently.

First Skippy. He's not doing well at all. I realized his URI was coming back, so I got more medication for him, and by the time I got it home, he was in full blown congestion. Stopped eating, rasped when he was breathing, just generally being pathetic. DH couldn't stand listening to him complain about being alone in the bathroom so we brought him into the bedroom for the night. He curled up under my chin and stayed there all night long. Now normally my cats curl up with me, but as soon as I start to wiggle to get comfortable they move on. Not Skip. Every time I tried moving to get comfortable, he snuggled deeper into my neck. Woke up several times in the night, and in the morning realized he hadn't moved. Didn't use his box, didn't finish his dinner, nothing. He did not want to wake up and start the day, was very much a teen fighting not to go to school. Once he realized I was getting up, he decided it was play time, and once again he went from stop to go. :) I swear that boy only has those two modes.. He wasn't into his breakfast at all, so I left him locked in the bathroom (figured there was less to distract him in there) with the heater on. I so need to find the perfect home for him. He so deserves someone who will give him all the love he craves after all the misery he's been through so far in his short little life.

Then I went down to deal with Lula and her kids. She was all "Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi!" and getting around her to check on the kittens wasn't easy. She's such an attention hog. When I finally got to the kittens, I realized Lula had given them a kitten toy to play with. It is a small little pastel colored cloth ball designed for kittens. It was just too cute! I mean they barely recognize that they own their own feet.

Lula also created quite a stir yesterday when she decided to break out of the kitten room (did I mention she is an attention hog?) because we were in the room outside of the kitten room ignorning her cries for attention. We have a window into that room, and there was a screen in the window. She busted right through the screen, startling the crew that was down there with us. She was so proud of herself for getting to us, and only wanted us to worship her :)

Skippy went for a walk, and picts

Well I have been feeling that we haven't been paying enough attention to Skippy, so I thought I'd give him a treat and see how he liked going outside for a walk. I got out the harness and tried to put it on him. He didn't much like it until I explained that it was going to be fun, and we'd get to go out, and then he settled right down and he let me put it on. I took him outside, and he was generally ok. He did freak out once, but then he settled right down. He enjoyed rolling around in the grass and acted pretty much like it was cat nip :)

He also found the fun in sprinting. And MAN is he fast!! So basically he had two modes, laying down or lighting fast running. I was a little concerned as the harness hasn't had that much testing, and I didn't want him to break out of it (cause I'd never catch him if he decided to sprint down the street) so we came in. We spent our half hour (MANDATORY!!) cuddling and then he started exploring the bedroom again and being silly. He's currently hugging DH's foot.

The newbies are growing like weeds. I swear they have tripled in size since their birth. Their eyes are slowly opening, and they are starting to test out their legs..

love the tongue


Here are the orphans the morning of their adoption. Their new home says they are doing beautifully, adjusting nicely and dealing with their older cat very well. They also apparently haven't stopped laughing since they brought the kittens home.

Skippy

Well the new drug combination is working wonders. He still sneezes a little, but you can't hear him breathe anymore. He HATES being pilled, and was quite adament about it this morning and spit it out twice. Fortunately I am craftier than he is and it eventually went down.

I so wish I could keep him.. but since that is not possible, I wish for the best possible home for him. Someone with gold plated kitty bowls and feather kitty beds..

Skippy update

Well his week of medication is up, and he still sounds horrible, and isn't eating very well, so he went back to the shelter to get a recheck with a vet.

I just went and got him, and now he's producing snot in his nose.. :(

They put him back on Zithromax and added Baytril.

*crosses fingers this clears him up soon*

I'm so sorry Skippy!!

This poor little boy is breaking my heart. Still kills me that ANYONE could give him up for any reason.. stupid people.

He looks fine. His eyes are clear, his nose is clear, but he's still quite congested. He is nibbling food on his own, but not much. He hates it when I force feed him, and even though he lets me, he has this look like "how could you??" which is the same look I get when I medicate him. You should have seen the look when I tried to give him fluids..

He's peed several times since being back, but only had a very small amount of stool pass sometime last night - and that is because I force fed him the 40ccs yesterday. I think he ate some on his own after that, so I have only given him little bits after that - mostly to get the lysine in his system.

Last night I took him out of the bathroom for some cuddle time, and walked down the hall into the great room. Our great room consists of the kitchen on one side of the hall, the dinning area on the other, and opposite that is the living area. In the living area there is a ceiling fan and it was running, and it completely freaked Skippy out I'm not sure why, all I could think of was what did they do to him? he was such a confident boy when he was down in the kitten room - but then again I don't think I ran the ceiling fan before. But he also freaked at the microwave being turned on and going off, and the opening of the patio door (DH was grilling) I felt so bad, so I took him to the bedroom and we spent quite a bit of cuddle time there. After he had settled I turned that ceiling fan on and talked to him softly while it ran. I don't think he trusted it not to fall on him, but he wasn't quite as freaked out as before. After a while he wanted to get down, so we locked the crew out of the bedroom and let him explore. He had a lot of fun climbing up and down their kitty tree, and pouncing on their kitty toys. After a while he decided he wanted to cuddle again, so he crawled back up on me and we watched a little TV together.

This morning we had some cuddle time, then I went and took care of all the other creatures in my house, and then went back to medicate him - side note I so need to trim his nails!! I tried to force him to eat, but he ended up with a lot of it on his bib, so I gave up. I'll work a little harder on it this evening when I have a little more time - that is if he's not eating on his own.

I decided to give the fluids one more shot. I ran to the shelter yesterday afternoon and got two 10cc syringes filled with subq fluids to give him - unfortunately they forgot to give me a needle. I had one left over from another time, but it was an 18 gauge needle - for a kitten that is pretty much like a cannon. I was able to give him 5ccs of fluids yesterday when I got home, but his reaction to the needle was pretty excessive (well not excessive for what it was, but it got to the point where I felt getting more in him was not worth his trauma)

There was about 4ccs of fluid left in the syringe, so I gave it one more shot this morning - holding him very close to me and letting him listen to my heart beat which he loves. I was able to get them in him with out a reaction - which was good for both of us.

I just hope the meds and the love start kicking in soon and he starts eating well on his own right quick.

Guess who's back!

Apparently Skippy was returned on Thursday. His adopted family noticed he was sick, and brought him to the vet. The diagnosis of possible pnemonia was too much for them to handle and he came back.

This bothers me in a different way than you might think. I'm glad they returned him, but they adopted him KNOWING full well that he could have medical issues with the UTI. I know they knew because I told them!!!

I'm just glad he's back. I wasn't thrilled with them due to their attitude and a few things they said / didn't say.

Personally I think Skippy was just being smart. He was breathing hard, and congested, but he isn't showing any outward signs of illness. I bet he's just fine and wanted to come back :)

Skippy Update

I went back to the shelter on Friday, and I saw Skippy's new owners. They said all the right things, and seemed on the surface to be perfect parents, but I wasn't 100% happy with them. Why? well they said a few other things that led me to believe they were just saying things to make us happy. I would have prefered they said "yes, we are going to let him out" instead of hiding it. Reason being Skippy is EXTREMELY prey driven, and probably will run after something small and get very lost. Also they had no questions about the possible re-occurance of his urariny issues. I would think that potential owners would want to know what that might mean for them and Skippy, but they didn't ask. Maybe they've dealt with it before? I don't know. I do know they said they really liked the idea that he wanted to cuddle a lot, and that they would be home to cuddle with him.

While I am an indoor only no dry food advocate, I am accepting that many cats do live a long life going outside and eating dry food. However, there are some cats that can't do that (like Benny or Skippy). Getting the right cat to the right people is what is important.

Dropping Skippy off

Well that was hard. I was so certain because he has always shown so much confidence that he'd be fine going back, but he wasn't.

It very much felt like a mom dropping off her clinging child on his first day of school.

he reacted badly to the ferrets that we were 5 feet away from, and he reacted badly to the other kittens that were there. They keep the kitten cages in a hallway, and in the AM they let the kittens run the halls. Well I went in there with the skipster and held him to see what he wanted to do. He cowered into my lap and hissed at the other kittens. I tried to get him to join in the play, and he just scrambled to get back on to my lap.

We tried him in an adult room, and he seemed ok in there until one of the younger cats started stalking him and cornered him.

So we put him back in the hall and put the bully orange kitty in the adult room. I put Skippy inside the open cage, and left him. I know he just has to get used to thing and he will be fine.

I also just got an email from the shelter saying he isn't neutered. For some reason when they shaved him down and cath'ed him for the infection they didn't neuter him. I asked earlier in the week if they wanted to double check, and I was told he was neutered, and I thought he was, but apparently he wasn't. Soooo, he goes to the vet tomorrow.

Poor Skippy. He's not having a good day.

It's time

I think this is the second hardest return I've ever done with a foster kitten. The first being Jack - and I ran into the shelter and got him the next day. Skip is headed back tomorrow morning.

Skippy is such an uber special little boy. I've never known a kitten so cuddly, so gentle, so playful, so happy, etc. Ok ok.. Fleurp was pretty freaking special too, but she was not as cuddly as Skip. He'll sit with me for ... if not hours a very long time in kitty time... then he'll go play or watch the kittens for a bit and then come back to me and cuddle some more. I pick him up, and he snuggles into my neck.

He deserves the absolute best home ever. Mine is pretty darn close, but with seven cats I know I could not give him the attention he needs. Muffin takes up my lap most of the time, followed by Twee. Jack takes up my nights, and Ollie takes up the afternoon/evening shift. DH is usually covered by Kit if not her then Twee.


I want someone who stays home a lot and loves to read or watch TV (so a lap is available) to take him. I want someone who understands or is willing to understand that dry food is evil and that going outdoors is just wrong. I know *hangs head*, I know.. But this is what I want. I can only pray that just the right home comes for him - what ever form that takes, and he is happy for a VERY long time.

Most of my fosters I am ok with passing on to new owners. I love them while I have them, and then let go. Some stick with me. I fear Skippy will be cuddled around my heart for years and years to come. The more that are there, the harder it is for me to let new ones in. I get burnt out quicker each year.

I am going to have to remember to not take only kittens any more..

You can not save them all

Well sadly Yippy went back to the shelter this morning. I couldn't figure out why Skippy would not leave her alone while she was out of the cage, but played very nicely with her when she first showed up, and when she was in the cage:



But then I realized that Skippy's prey drive was very very strong. He chases ANYTHING that moves and what more fun to chase than a living being. Yip spent most of her days in the cage so when she got out, she just wanted to flex her muscles and run. This resulted in some play, but when she would escape his capture and take off again, he went into overdrive and things got ugly. He never hurt her, but it did get to the point where I felt the need to step in before he got any further into predator mode. There are very few noises so tearing to the heart as a kitten crying out while being attacked.

I tried many different things to help them co-exist, but fighting against nature is a pointless battle. I contacted the shelter and arranged for Yip to find a new foster home where she wouldn't be harassed. I thought about keeping her as she only has a couple of weeks till she is old enough, but I am very overwhelmed with the orphans as it is, that I'm actually looking forward for Skippy to go back (as much as I adore him)

Bringing her back felt so wrong. My emotional side felt that there was more I could do, that there were other things to try, and that I was 'giving up' and basically doing the wrong thing. I knew my emotions were wrong. I knew that the shelter would take care of her and find her a home where she wouldn't be harassed, and where her foster parents would have more time to snuggle and play with her (which I am severely lacking with Skippy's demands, and the demands of the orphans, and the demands of my own crew)

There are times when doing the thing that feels wrong is the right thing to do. You (ok I) just have to learn to accept this.

I wasn't going to post about this right away, but I got a comment on a post I made several years ago about a foster mom who had a sick kitten:

You seem like an expert at fostering! I just picked up a foster kitty last Thursday that was about 7 weeks old. She weighed 2.9 lbs. She was very lively the first day, then had diarrhea every day after and started sneezing and having watery eyes. When I took her back to the shelter for an exam they said she had lost 9 oz. But didn't want to give her anything for her eyes because it might cause more diarrhea. Two days later she had stopped drinking and playing and mostly slept. She did eat better but everytime she did she had diarrhea. I got permission to take her to the emergency vet and for her to stay there until the shelter picked her up the next morning. Did I do the right thing leaving her at the vet? I kept thinking that she wasn't getting better staying with me, but I feel like I abandoned her. Of course, when we got to the vet she seemed livelier (like when you take your car in and they can't replicate the problem). Should I have kept working with her in the hopes she would get better on her own? When is it the right time to release the kitty back to the shelter?

Interesting how things like this happen. While this is not the same set of circumstances, it is the same emotional feelings.

Since the poster did not leave a way of replying, I thought I would reply here. I'm often saying that all questions regarding cats have been asked before, and will be asked again, so even if the original situation has resolved, it never hurts to add another opinion to the situation because it will come up again.

so yes, you very much did the right thing. You did the right thing at every step. Could you have done more? I don't know. From only the information you gave me I could suggest a few other things for you to have tried, but I would be uncomfortable suggesting them with out more information. Diarrhea is a very common problem, and usually not much of an issue - except for the young, the infirm and the elderly just as it is in humans. Young kittens do not have very many reserves and diarrhea for a couple of days can be dangerous as it drains the kitten of fluids and can dehydrate the kitten, and it drains the kitten of nutrients since food does not have time to be fully absorbed.

Did you do the right thing by leaving the kitten at the vet? Yes. They are much better equipped to handle the situation if it deteriorates. They have foods that are easier on the system, and they have fluids they can give to help keep the kitten hydrated.

Why did the kitten seem to improve when you brought it to the vet? well this is a testament to how comfortable the kitten is with you. Cats / Kittens will do everything they can to hide illnesses. When the kitten was comfortable at the house, it felt a little more able to indulge itself in it's illness. When you took it out of it's comfort zone, the kitten felt the need to work to hide how bad it was feeling. It is so very very common - and happens to me ALL THE TIME! Often I joke with the shelter staff that I just needed to bring the kitten in to fix it.

What you are feeling is completely normal. We've all been there at one time or another. I felt I was abandoning Yip because I could not get Skippy to not chase her. But since we can not save them all, sometimes you have to put them in more capable hands. It's hard to admit that - but with each experience you learn to help you deal with the next one. We have to work with the system we are in. Your shelter has proceedures in place and you do have to work with them, because after all, the kitten is still theirs.

Thank you for caring for that little kitten. Thank you for caring. I hope this will not put you off fostering. It is heart breaking when it goes wrong, but it can be so very rewarding when it goes right.

Yippy is incorrigible

Yip was growling at Skippy, so I set her up in the cage on the lower half. Well she found out that if she climbed the side of the cage and pushed aside the orphan's litter box she could get up on the second level.

When I first walked back in to check on them, she was sitting there with the orphans looking at her like she was a god.

I grabbed a clip, and clipped the towel across the small hole under the litter box, and hoped that would work (but I'm sure you figured out by the title of this post it didn't)

I picked her up and put her down in the room and she immediately started growling at Skippy again. *sigh* So I grabbed a four pack of canned food and put that over the hole and reset everything and went out to exercise. Two minutes later I checked back in on them



So I tried to think what I might have that might work, and remembered the NIC cubes I bought for my rabbit to make her a cage. I took one panel of that and laid it down over the hole, put the canned cat food over that, and the litter box on top of that... and after an hour she was still on the lower half of the cage, so hopefully she's still down there. She is still growling at Skippy who keeps doing the happy dance in front of her. He wants to be friends. If anyone can win her over it is Skippy.

Gratuitous orphaned photos:

Yippy

I went to the shelter today (I so need to stop doing that, they keep pawning kittens on me)

They had a 2lb orange little girl who was all alone. They thought Skippy might like her, so I brought her home. Below are some photos and videos of their meeting.

She's really sweet and loving. She's a little intimidated by him, and if you can tell from the photos he was showing off how impressive he is.

I know Yippy is a pretty silly name, but I couldn't help myself. I ended up setting her up in the cage. She was treated for fleas and ear mites. Her fur is a little greasy, and will need a bath in a couple of days. Can't do it now as she was just treated with frontline.

Skippy Videos

day 10 of ringworm watch and he appears to have dogged this bullet. So he's getting the free run of the kitten room tonight. I'm almost afraid for him... which is downright silly.

Skippy in the cage


Skippy wants to cuddle


Gonna let this one speak for itself :D

Good Morning Skippy

day five, no ring worm.. *fingers crossed*

SKIPPY!!

I have yet to introduce you to my newest foster..

yes. Go ahead and say it. I'm a sucker.

So I stopped by the shelter earlier in the week to get supplies (because OMG the nuts eat a lot of food) and the foster coordinator asked me if I wanted to take a hard luck case they had. He was found in an abusive situation, half to 3/4 dead, and then ended up with a raging urinary infection. They wanted to watch him for a couple of days to see how he was doing, but could I take him home on Sunday??

yes, I'm a sucker. I said sure. I asked if they could come up with a friend for him, since only kittens tend to not learn the manners they need.

Well on Saturday night two long haired kittens came in. So they offered those to me as well. They had just come in and hadn't been tested, so I waited while they went to test them, but when the tech went to get them, they found they had a raging case of ringworm. Since ringworm is fungal and airbone, Skippy was exposed. He was on the other side of the room, and the kittens were only in there for a short time, etc, but still.

Well after having heard Skippy's story, I could not risk him not being put in foster care (not many foster homes want to risk ringworm) so I brought him home and set him up in my bath tub:

click to enlarge


Because of his urinary infection he was previously sent to the vet and sedated for a catheter, so they neutered him already. Just need to get him healthy and up he'll go for adoption. Also because of the UI he's on antibiotics and Albon for intestinal issues he's had. so he gets ABs twice a day and Albon once.

So this poor little boy, who's probably 10 weeks old and should be causing major havoc, is just as good as can possibly be. I would be a lot more concerned about how easy going he is if A) he hadn't shoved his toy mouse in his water bowl and B) he wasn't as good as he is on laying on a HUGE guilt trip. He lays it on so thick that he must have been an actor in a previous life.

right now all he wants is to be held. If I'm not holding him, he'll make attempts to get out of the tub, but once I have picked him up he starts purring like a motor boat and just revels in being held.

His fur is quite soft, like a bunny. His markings on his chin, chest and legs are in cream not white. He's got a short little nose, and almost has a tough boy kind of look, but he is a completely push over. He is very very special. I won't be able to get better pictures for about a week as I don't want him running around the bathroom while he's possibly brewing an infection, and if the door to the tub is open he's right there wanting attention.

and I don't regret taking him for one second, but talk to me again if I or any of my cats get ringworm..