Catching up with the kittens

Well it seems two of my fosters are taking after my eldest cat Em. Bugsy goes poo, and then scrapes at the side of the box and never actually covers it up. Scooter is becoming obsessive about this licking thing. *rolls eyes* although one thing Scooter does that Em doesn't is she's kinda perverted about it. Last night Bugsy had a little something left on his behind when he was done with the litter.. I grabbed him and held him while I went to get something to clean him off. Scooter took care of it for me. Then this morning she was attacking my leg, and trying to nuzzle into my crotch.. she is one weirdo kitty.. She also seems to be begging for attention but when I give it to her she runs away. Not sure what that is all about.

Bugsy and Mel are on the med. They both look like kitties that have suffered a cold... but bugs isn't wheezing nearly as bad, although most times when I go down there he does have a bit of snot caked on his nose.. and Melvin looks a lot better. His eyes are obviously still doing something cause I cleaned his face off last night and this morning it was dirty again Although I say that hes doing better and this morning he had blood on his nose. . Izzy had some on hers last night but it turned out to just be a small cut. guess she got a little too rough with something or other.

I think the mom cat is going insane. She's missing patches of fur off her back legs probably cause she just licks them all day long. She's quite submissive when it comes to the kits.. letting them eat the food she wants to eat, and play with the things she wants to play with.. so most of the day she's just sitting around looking at them. Last night I got her to play a little, but as soon as she started, a kitten would jump on the toy and that would be that. Although she did chase Izzy a little, but once she caught her, I could tell she realized she was doing something wrong. I tried to praise her, but I don't think she cared what I thought.

I need to go to the shelter today and get some more meds for them.. they are having an open house so I'll probably be there for a while.. :)

Felv

I'm still kinda a mess, but I figure now is as good a time as any. So Andrew didn't eat on Sunday night or Monday morning. Nor was he interested in food on Monday night. I was getting concerned but I knew I was bringing them into the shelter today for their check-up anyway, so I didn't do much more than force some more food into him. Monday morning his stomach felt like he had eaten, just not when I was around, but by Monday night he seemed weak. Tuesday morning he seemed very weak and thin. He was having a hard time holding his head upright... just seemed to tilt to one side. I fed him, and he decided he wanted to jump down. I put him on the ground and he toddled off to the litter box. He seemed a little drunk. So I quickly medicated everyone except him and ran down to the shelter. They didn't like the way he was acting either so I left his sisters there while I took him to the vet. We had to wait a while, and Andrew decided to go to sleep.. and didn't I start to panic.. I kept telling him that he could not die. After losing his sister I didn't think I could handle it. The vet took a look at him and thought it might be leukemia, but thought it was a little late for it to be showing up. They started thinking it might just be an inner ear thing and started tossing around the word treatment. I was starting to hope when someone from the shelter called to tell them that his sisters tested positive, and pretty much that was that. I broke down in the vet's office. I hugged Andrew tight and eventually let him back into the carrier and back to the shelter we went. Kirsten gave me a big hug when I got there, and I broke down all over again. I know this was an emotional moment, but I didn't want to make the shelter workers feel any worse than they already did.

Andrew's sisters were still there in the carrier, so I put him back in with them and gave them all one last cuddle and hug and kissed their tummies before leaving. I'm not quite sure how I got myself out of there. Nor how I got home. I guess a lot of avoiding my feelings and denial.

Since the kits lived with the kittens, there is a chance they were infected. I need to keep them for six more weeks in case, which is the incubation period. *prays they weren't.. I have no idea how I'd survive losing them all*

(added in 2015 - FELV should not be an automatic death sentence as it was in the case of Andrew's family. Two of this litter died and it was obvious throughout my fostering of them that there were other issues. I still regret the entire family being euthanized, and if this happened today I might have fought to keep the remaining kittens with me for a few more weeks and have them tested again, but in 2002 no one would have adopted these kittens) 

devastated

the kittens are gone. They tested positive for leukemia. More later when I'm not such a wreck

I have a kitten on my shoulder

I have a kitten on my shoulder *grin* the three tiger kits "escaped" out of the kitten room tonight. Galatea tried to climb into the oven tonight.. guess she liked the smell of our dinner. Andrew decided he wanted to sit with me. he was on my lap for a while, but quickly climbed up onto my shoulder. I pulled him off and cuddled him a little, but he climbed right back up there. and I think this is the most adorable thing any kitten has done so far..

Andrew is sick

Andrew didn't eat last night either. I forced some more food down him. Wasn't interested this morning either. Was wheezing up a storm. I piled him on the couch with some other kittens and went to exercise. I figured I'd take him in the bathroom with me when I took a shower cause I take REALLY hot showers and they create a lot of steam... so I went and got him, and he seemed to not be wheezing so much, but away we went anyway. He wanted to sit on the shower's edge and see what I was doing. He was amazed.. that I would voluntarily get into water.. When I got out he was purring like a fool.. sounded better, so hopefully that did him some good. I'll check in on them a little later... and if he sounds better I wont worry so much. They are going in tomorrow for their first round of shots and what not.

Last night we were watching tv in bed, and EVERYONE was in the bed.. they were being as adorably evil as kittenly possible. You probably don't understand just how evil these kitties are. they are cute yes. but I've had cute kittens before. These guys have kittenie wiles.. and they use them to their full advantage. Now we want to keep Bugsy, Scooter AND Melvin.


help me

3 AM

I woke up at three am last night/this morning. when I got back into bed Bugsy was sitting there waiting for me. I picked him up and cuddled him to my chin. He just sat there and purred. Then Melvin and Scooter joined the cuddle fest. it was so sweet. Then of course the morning time came and the bed once again became a giant cat toy.. *rolls eyes*

The elders except scooter have ear mites. I'm doing my best to keep their ears clean, but the mites make dirt faster than I can clean it - or so it seams - and the kittens really don't like it. I can't blame them. I remember when I was little and my mom would clean out my ears, I hated it. Looks like they have worn themselves out again. *looks around for Izzy* okay. .if she's behind me, where's Bugsy.. *looks under monitor* hey.. there he is.. on the back of the table. they were running around like fools this morning. I swore one of them was just about to climb the curtains.

Andrew aka snot boy didn't eat this morning. Just sat in my arms shivering. I forced a little something into him,and he ate it, which is good.. I think I should check on him again and if he hasn't eaten on his own make up some formula for him. *crosses fingers*

I am not a "Muffin"!

I told my hubby that I didn't have a name for goldie's sister, he suggested muffin. I tried it this morning and she gave me the most disgusted look.. it was a riot

Names

I think I've come up with names for them.. but I'm missing one.. It started when I started calling the little black one little miss. So I thought I'd call them all after the movie Bicentennial Man. But no one lists the other daughter's name.. hum..
male tiger: Andrew
girl tiger (aka goldie): Galatea
girl tiger:
girl black: little miss
girl black: Portia


I'll have to check and see if it is playing sometime soon.

Four wheezing kittens

I'm sitting here surrounded by four wheezing kitties.. sigh. I thought they were getting better! I just gave Bugsy some pediatric nose drops.. hopefully that will help him breath.. One nostril of his is completely blocked.. poor thing. I went into the kitten room to get the drops, and Goldie and little miss were laying on the couch next to each other, with their front paws intertwined.. it was almost as if they were holding hands. It was SOOO cute. I patted little miss, and she wouldn't let go.. Goldie wasn't very active this morning.. I hope she's okay.

Snot boy got back out into the house last night. MAN he's gotten big. in this past week alone they seem to have almost doubled in size. I don't think they have, but it seems that way.

Hold on, I think Bugsy wants to type something.. nope.. n/m.. he has laid down.. although he's thinking that my thumbs are moving in some weird sort of game. *giggle*


You know. I can not recommend fostering kittens highly enough.

This kitten is never going to eat.

well.. I tried the meat baby food. Goldie didn't care. The other kittens cared.. big fight over it.. I tried roast beef.. this time she took a snap at it, but then acted oblivious to it. I offered it a second time, and a second time she made a small attempt to eat it, but then blew it off. The third time it was like it wasn't even in my hand. So I offered it to the mom cat, who was happy to have it, but quickly gave it up when Melvin decided it was going to be his. She's so good that way. waits to eat till all the kittens has had their fill.. but why on earth wont she nurse them!!?!?! ugh.

Snot boy is still all snotty. Getting to the point where his face is so raw it seems bloody. sigh. The kittens also seem to have swollen glands. This can not be good. Will have to do a little research on this one. Bugsy's snot is getting green (man aren't you glad you read this blog?) so I think that means he's almost better. I'm really getting to the point where I want to separate them.. so the kittens don't reinfect the elders, and the elders don't reinfect the kittens... but part of me thinks it is pointless cause the kit's own sisters could do it.

I also decided to put in a second litter box in the room. The mom kicks the litter right out of the box, so I put a covered box in the room to prevent that. I don't have another covered one, so I was reluctant.. but the box gets full fast.... so I brought a box in the room, and the kittens had so much fun playing and laying in it I didn't have the heart to fill it up.


I suppose I should get in there and feed them.. *dons protective equipment*

Running with the big boys

the little boy kit decided he wanted to run around the house with the older kittens today. It was sooo cute. He's also has the nick name of snot boy right now. I cleaned his face off this morning, and then an hour or so later it was covered again. He had a lot of fun attacking my toes as I worked out. Scared me silly that I might step on him, but he luckily didn't get under foot at all. Goldie still isn't eating on her own. I think its time to break out the meat baby food. She weighs over a pound.. its about time she starts. I'm also having a harder and harder time telling little miss from her sister. They are now both about the same size. I will have to find a way to mark them.. a nice pretty ribbon collar would probably be best.

Check up

well I brought everyone in to the shelter today.. (the elder four) they were looking really good this morning.. and poof, the stress of bringing them in made their uri known... so they came back home with me... and scooter proceeded to fall asleep on my lap, and purr and be all cute and stuff. evil kitty.

The little boy kit is too precious. he crawled up into my chest and fell asleep.

When will this kitten ever eat on her own??

Goldie is STILL not eating on her own. I'm trying to shove food in her mouth and see what happens, but 75% of the time she just spits it out. sigh. Her striped sister is quite ill, her nose clogs up regularly, and this morning some blood dripped out of it. Little Miss (the smallest black kitty) is breathing quite hard. She seems fine, just sounds congested. I took real pictures of them today. that was a treat. I did the two black ones first. that was kinda easy as they were half asleep. they just sat there and looked cute. The three striped ones were a bit more difficult. I used a toy to get their attention, and Goldie grabbed on to it and wouldn't let go.. I got some GREAT shots of Scooter, and some good shots of Bugsy, and some okay shots of Melvin, but Izzy would not pose for me.. so hopefully I've got something that looks decent.

I finished scrap booking the kitten photos that I do have. Reliving the memories was a lot of fun. Seeing jack so small was a treat too.

I need to call the shelter tomorrow and see if they can take everyone back. and see if they need to do anything to the little ones.

Still sick, still clueless

well my little sickie is still clueless. I put her down among her litter mates as they were all eating nicely (well okay.. not so nicely.. they usually end up covered in the stuff) and she just looked around completely confused, and screaming like an idiot. She so reminds me of someone.. :) I medicated her first, I think she thought I was feeding her, cause after the medicine hit her tongue she gave me the nastiest look. But hey.. its for her own good. Then when I tried to feed her she wasn't all that interested... till a few drops hit her lips.. then it was all yes yes.. give me that.. give me that.

Not much new to report on her siblings. The little black one that had a sty type thing on her eye.. that has cleared up. A couple of them have eye issues relating to the URI.. but I keep them medicated and hopefully this will clear up. They HATE the warm packs I put on their faces to help clear up their sinuses. I so wish there was something.. a kitty decongestant if you would. But hey..its only a little snot. At least they are all eating well, and playing well, and climbing up on my lap when I'm in there (and that's a good thing why? lol.. do you know how hard it is to dish out food when you have six kittens in your lap?)

Bugsy, Izzy and Melvin have to be of size to go back now. They so have to have their noses clear up first *crosses fingers that happens by Tuesday* I don't know when Scooter will be. but then she's always been on the small size, I think she was a week younger than the others and they just put them all together to get mom to nurse.

Speaking of mom.. she's become a quite friendly cat. She still doesn't like Jack, but that's understandable. She's also loaded with milk. I'm surprised she doesn't willingly let the kittens nurse to get rid of it all.. but nope.. she doesn't. They get a few suckles in when she's trying to eat. I feel bad for them, but they are growing and doing really well, so I'm not going to push it on her. She didn't give birth to 9 kittens. I can understand her reluctance.

I was cuddling with the little black one last night. She looked up at me with her big eyes, and I got a mental image of the black kit that died. It felt like little one missed her. I started crying all over again. I have to say, I really have to applaud the people who work at the shelter. They must go through a lot.

Not the momma

One of the set of five kittens I'm rescuing, has a major case of URI.. so she has NO sense of smell..  and at this point I think she has no sense at all. Since she can't smell, she isn't eating on her own, actually, I just think she doesn't want to take what is offered to her.. so I have to force feed her. I bring her outside the kitten room and let her run while I prepare her food, and she starts routing around looking for something from the resident kitties.. which is pointless not only cause they aren't her mother, but because they aren't even girls.. :)

she just doesn't have a clue that she's routing around in the totally wrong place, and they just couldn't care less about her. :)

btw.. I have some new medicine for her.. so hopefully it will shed some light on her cluelessness..

Still sick

two weeks with URI.. Bugsy is blowing nose bubbles.. :(  He's so cute though.. Goldie decided she was NOT going to eat solid food this morning.. no sir-ree bob.. :) she's cute when she's obstinate.. the room was a mess again, but I suppose when you have 10 cats living in one room you kinda have to expect that. I'm going through so much litter and food.. and clavamox.. ugh.

Today was shelter day, and I didn't go cause I wasn't feeling all that well. I most definitely have to go on Thursday though as there is no way the food that I have will last me that long.

Pretty uneventful day so far as I have been a little under the weather, and they have all been pretty quiet.

Hungry hungry kittens

oh my freakin goodness.. those kittens of mine are a handful and a half and do NOT listen!! I got home tonight and brought in some mush (KMR, pumpkin, and kitten food) to supplement the kittens. They are supposed to be weaning on to solid foods.. they are currently all eating solid foods, but when I walked in there with a cup full of mush, they would have tackled me and held me down if a) they could and b) they thought it would do any good. They were HUNGRY and wanted their mush!! they got all up in my face No idea why.. my face has NEVER fed them.. but.. whatever. they were pushing each other out of the way, licking off the syringe as it was in someone else's mouth, and when I moved them to the ground so I could deal, they would scale up my leg and be right back in the fray. Goldie was the worst.. the give-mes didn't stop.. her belly was about to explode and she still wanted more. I so just want to chain that mom cat down so they can nurse..

bunny girl is also starting to annoy me. I still feel the need to put ointment in her eye, but she fights me at every move. I had to wash her foot cause she stepped in something and she fought me on that one too. I don't mind a little good-natured "I don't like this" but when they start saying to me "I don't think so" its annoying.

Kittens are feeling better

well this morning bugsy looked a LOT better, in fact he looks almost fully recovered.. my little goldie locks though.. that's another story. I've named one of the kits.. she's a sandy colored (golden) tiger.. has a very tiger look about her too. She's the sick one.. wheezing and watery eyes.. and totally unresponsive to food in a bowl. has been since before she was sick. Even becoming a little clueless what to do when given to the lactating mom cat... so she's 100% hand fed at the moment. Last night I was out of KMR so I tried to make do with a powdered supplement I bought a while back.. but nooooooooooooooooooooo that wasn't good enough.. I tried to hold her and comfort her, but noooooooooooooooooo that wasn't good enough either.. I put her down on the floor.. noooooooooooooooooo that's not what I want either. I have to cut her a little slack as I know she's small and confused and sick.. so I've nicknamed her after the pickiest literary character I could think of. The little black kit is also not doing very well. almost looks like a sty on her eye. sigh.. I'm sick of sick kitties!!! the only one who's not obviously sick in even the littlest way is Izzy.. well and the bigger black kit..

I went to the shelter this morning to get some KMR.. and fed it to goldie.. and she's mellowed out quite a bit. Still quite independent though.. doesn't want to be where you put her, wants to be where she wants to be, even if that is one step over from where you put her. She jumped off my shoulder this morning.. (when you pick her up she clings to your shirt, climbs to your shoulder, once even tried to get up on my head) that was scary for me.. but she.. was fine.. :)

this evening I realized I left the clavamox out.. so they are all going to miss their evening doses.. I'll have to run back down to the shelter to get some more.. You know there were a few houses for sale next to the shelter.. I was seriously considered looking in to moving down there.. (its an hour ride) today I'm kinda sad I didn't.. (they have since sold)

Sick kittens

sigh.. seems everyone now is sick with URI except my own.. this is not good. Bugsy has a split lip, and now it looks like hes bleeding from the nose too.. I think he also has swollen glands.. Im seriously considering bringing him into the shelter to see if they can do anything for him..

Scooter's eye update

well scooter's eye look WAY better (in fact she's right here really wanting to type too) still not 100%..probably 80% man she is SUCH a sweetheart.. and I had absolutely nothing to do with it.. *smile* totally up in my face though.. *wipes nose*

Last night, one of the kits - the boy, had an eye problem that really worried me. His right eye had quite a bit of blood in it - below the ... the.. frick.. I can't remember the parts of the eye.. the black spot.. what ever that is called. It was in the iris.. which is still quite blue :) I checked this morning though and he's fine. The sandy girl tiger kitten is quite congested though.. :( she's also the one that doesn't eat on her own.. maybe its cause she can't smell it.. maybe its cause she's not ready.. who knows. Someone is going outside the box.. in fact they are going to the bathroom BEHIND the box... *rolls eyes* I just cleaned the kitten room.. and I actually smell like kitten pee.. I NEEED a shower..

currently bugsy and four of the kittens are on the couch sleeping all cuddled up.. its very very cute.. I was feeding the kits this morning and 'lost' one.. she had made it up to the second level of the 'kitten' cage (ok.. so its a ferret cage, but it works REALLY well with kittens with out a mom) and couldn't get out.

oooh.. scooter is back.. purring up a storm. She wants to cuddle.. g2g