adoption day

Well, I went. Hubby had projects to do around the house, so off I went. It was hard. Ginny wanted me to hold her. Caroline was hanging out in the back of the cage looking a little freaked, and Freya was very nervous. Ginny was the first to go. I wasn't thrilled with the look of the family. I tried to tell them she was a biter, but they didn't care. Went to a house with two boys, I wanted her to go with boys.. I hope she's happy.

Caroline went next to a nice couple who live right behind where I work. They were trying to decide between Freya and her. Freya had a couple who were interested in her but had to run home to get paperwork. I told them Freya possibly had a home, so they took caroline. Honestly, I think it was the right choice for everyone involved anyway. Caroline took to the man. I was happy with that one.

Freya.. poor Freya. The couple who went home decided not to come back. She almost went home with me at that point, but with the adoption fee up to $125 (for kittens under 6 months of age, $85 for older) But I kept my eye out. There was a young couple who seemed to have the right attitude - researched cats online, was happy when ones they came to look at were adopted - but she didn't seem to want to make a connection with her. So I hugged her some more and convinced myself NOT to run out the door with her. Finally, an older couple came in. They looked around the cat rooms trying to make a connection. Then they came out to the lobby where the kittens were and were looking. I brought Freya over and gave her to the lady. Freya is a shoulder sitter - which is fun, but she can't work her charm if the couple couldn't see her. But somehow the magic happened. The couple had just lost an older cat, and weren't sure they were ready for a new one, but came to look anyway. They have a dog at home - a papillon. They go to a vet I would much prefer they didn't, but I can't tell them why. - well okay, I can tell you.. cause he is too quick to jump to an FIP diagnosis when there is no proof of it. You can't diagnose FIP. You can only assume it is when everything else is ruled out. He gives up way WAY too easily. I don't like him. He runs an emergency clinic in the area, and from the stories I have heard, and my experiences with it, I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole.

Anyway.. back to the nice lady. She made the decision that Freya had taken to her, and we went to the counter to do the paperwork. She snuggled with me as they filled out the paperwork, then after she wrote out the check, Freya got up from me, walked across the counter, and snuggled in with her new mom. It was PERFECT. Still made me want to cry cause I wanted her, but I don't think I could have made a better adoption... well ok, maybe with a different vet, and my own feelings on dogs color that situation, but I was happy with it.

And yes, I do miss her.

But I got to take home MORE kittens. I have a mom - who sadly to say is pretty unremarkable. Tan tiger. short haired, sweet but pretty homely. but her kittens.. woh. I could be in some trouble.

the girls are gone

I brought them back to the shelter today. They go up for adoption tomorrow. I am a little choked up about it. Caroline was ready for the new adventure, Freya even was to an extent, but Ginny didn't want me to go.

I'm trying to decide if I have the backbone to go tomorrow to be there for it.

I changed the set up in the cage for the black kittens, now they have two levels. Not sure they know how to get up to where the food and bedding is, but I know they know how to climb the bars, so I'm not too worried.

The shelter is still packed with cats. It's so disheartening. That and the fact that they just raised their adoption fee to $125! It is still a deal, but it was so much easier to convince people when it was only $75. Seriously, though, when you add up all that they do, adopting a pet from a shelter is still a very good deal, and you are supporting a worthwhile cause. Without them, these poor kittens would be out on the streets living in dumpsters getting into goodness knows what, and coming down with all kinds of health issues.

sigh.

I miss Freya already

The big snip

Well Freya, Ginny and Caroline went in to be neutered today. They came out of it very well, although are still a little unsteady on their feet. I gave them some food, which they nibbled at. They were wanting to jump up on things, but were having a hard time with that. I should go cuddle them for a while. Not sure if they really want it though.

I am SO going to miss them!! (um.. I'm pretty sure I say that just about every time)

The amazing Freya

Last night I brought Freya into the house to continue to snuggle with her for a while.. BIG MISTAKE. Now all she wants to do is be in the ho use. She's helping me type this.. so forgive the typos. She sitting on my lap licking my fingers and wondering why on earth I'm making clicky noises. Just purring away.. all happy and content.

I was trying to post a comment on a friend's blog about her ca78t 56
\t=-------------- cat
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

cat suffering with FELV. I wanted to be positive and supportive, not amusing and typo ridden. it took me 10 minutes. As much as I love this kitten, I can't keep her. I already have 3 overly clingy cats, and there is only so much of me to go around.opl bnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

But I have got to tell you, there is little I find as precious as a kitten (or cat) that wants attention - although it does loose a little of its shine when you are sound asleep and comfy and little paws come and find your bladder, and your liver, and all of your tender bits.
nd


LOL.. she found the delete key. I was saying she was back, and how she needs to find a home that will appreciate her persistence - cause honestly, not everyone will. I should so microchip her with my name and address.. ;)

one thing she loves to do is paw at your face.. almost as if patting.. and occasionally she uses both as if to bring your face closer.

Yes.. I'm in love... and no... seriously.. I can't keep her. Muffin wouldn't let me.

If you think a group of three kitties make a mess...

You should see what two groups of three kitties do. I'm trying to keep them separated because of the unknown status of the youngsters.. being so young, they couldn't felv/fiv test them... that and they were so hissy that they scared the staff.. but that is a different story. The youngsters are doing well. They did come down with a bit of a Calicivirus infection. It causes the eyes to inflame and blisters on the tongue. Sam, the long haired girl, got it worse.. I only noticed it cause it was starting to form blisters on her lips. I did notice the eyes, but I had tri-opt ointment for it... although it wasn't helping. I went and got some terramycin and they gave me some oral meds as well. The terramycin is amazing, their eyes are SO much better that you can barely tell by looking at them that they have a problem. Yoda (short haired girl) showed no signs at all. They boy only some eye issues. Problem is, though, Sam HATES the medication. I so wish I could convey the look she gives me every time I give it to her. Somewhere between disgust, horror, and surprise. She also reacts pretty violently... I'm lucky she hasn't actually scratched me yet.. but not for lack of trying. This, of course, sets back the progress I have made with her to not be frightened so much. I'm working with her and them, but I think they are going to have to go for another car ride soon and get some more people to help. *yes.. here I am to thrust kittens upon you.. here.. take this one*

To help her overcome the shyness, I have taken to hand feeding her.. Really the only way to do it is to scoop it out with my fingers and offer it to her. This poses many problems.. first of all being now I'm covered in cat food... and it is all stuck in my nails.. and she's not a delicate eater, so it's all over my pants too (cause I'm sitting cross-legged on the floor with her in my lap) and also because she isn't a delicate eater, more often than not she ends up trying to eat one of my fingers. Not a huge deal, but those little teeth are SHARP! not enough to penetrate the skin, but enough that I so totally know it.


The elders are doing well. Ginny is still sneezing snot (or puss?? I'm still concerned she might have a nasal polyp) Caroline is obsessed .. no.. I mean OBSESSED with covering up everything.. food (while her sisters are eating it) and poop (while her sisters are producing it) mostly. Tonight she tried to use me to cover up her food. Freya is an absolutely WONDERFUL cat (Taz, you sure you don't want five??) she is friendly and outgoing and loves to sit on your lap and purr and be where you are. My hubby hung a clock in the kitten room tonight, and she jumped up on his feet as if to ask if she could help.

Freya, Unknowingly named after the goddess of love and war.. how fitting

More kittens for the not crazy person.

I went to the shelter this past weekend to get more food, and "thrust upon me' were more kittens..


They were loaded with fleas and obviously had no human contact in their short four week lives, as they were major hissers and spitters. It was so funny to watch veteran foster parents shy away from such things, as they were too small to even wrap their mouths around your little finger. But we are trained to be wary of hissing and unhappy cats. In just a few days, I have all but one turned completely around and purring and loving attention. I have two girls - one with shorter hair - and one boy. The longer haired girl, the one not purring yet, seems to have something going on with her urinary tract. The other girl had it too, but it is gone.. so I'm thinking of putting her on clavamox.

Caroline Freya and Ginny are doing well. I put them on doxy for the sneezing, and it was causing Freya to vomit. Except for eye issues with Caroline, I think they are ready to go back (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO) I don't have a weekend off in a while, so I won't be able to be there for their adoptions, so I'm going to have to write up little bios on them.. like Ginny is wicked cuddly, as long as she gets to chew on you, and Freya loves to cuddle but easily gets jealous.(you should see her growl at the kittens) and the mess poor caroline has been through and how she still trusts me. I go in their room, and they all jump up on me, get comfy and start purring... How on earth am I supposed to give that up?

Updates

Twee is doing very well on the clavamox. The ping pong to golf ball size swelling is now down to about a grape. She is back to cuddling and what not. I think she is starting to see the benefits of getting pills over liquid, but I have liquid now and no more pills... Hum.. what to do. I suppose I could exchange them... but that would mean she wouldn't get a dose tonight. so I guess liquid it is.

Caroline is doing a lot better ear wise. Her inner eyelid (the horners syndrome thingie) has all but returned to where it should be. However, she has so much phlegm coming out of her nose that she is only eating a few bites. I forced her all day yesterday and this morning to eat.. but I was getting vomit.  She didn't vomit today, though, and she was looking like she was going to eat, but just ate a few bites. I have put her back on antibiotics and did a bunch of net research till I found the information I needed. I know there are antihistamines and decongestants you can use on cats. I knew the histamine one, but that really isn't her problem, it is the congestion.. so I found the dose, and I brought her some down and was with her for 45 minutes.. seems that it is working.... as she was breathing easier... Ok, maybe it was my imagination / wishful thinking.. but she still didn't eat much.

They are all skin and bones for the most part. I'm pretty lost as to what to do. I dewormed them last Thursday, and I'll do it again tomorrow probably.. I should have their stool tested, but it had been so pale that I was afraid they would tell me something major was wrong with them and that they would have to be put down. So I hid it.. but they were eating then. Now, not so much, but the stool is darker and better formed. but then again, they are all wheezing I so hate URI. Just when you think you have it beat, it comes back with a vengeance. However, I have to admit she doesn't smell as foul as she used to. She likes to head but me, and she used to smell of sickness and phlegm.

On a mostly completely unrelated topic - sorta - I so have to get me one of these..

vet results

Ok, so not what I was told (ruptured ear drum), and more what I would have thought had I considered it. Apparently, she had a rather large ear polyp. They removed it. this would explain the blood coming out of her ear. Jack woke me up at midnight in the sweetest way possible. He walked up to me, nosed me on the cheek, then laid down with his head on my arm and purred. Uber sweet despite the hour. so of course, obsessive me has to go check on Caroline. She is much better, but still wobbly and having coordination control. I tried to peek in her ear - which freaked her out. There is still blood in it. I pulled some of the bigger clots off the edge, to see what happens in the AM... what am I talking about, it is the AM. well, you know what I mean. She has no control of her bowels. the spots on the towel that I was afraid was blood was actual stuff from the other end. So I changed towels and left her in there after a hardy meal and a few sips of water. Was very good to see her so interested in food.

But I couldn't help but wonder if my little Ginny has a polyp in her nose.... we'll see.

trip to the vet

um.. yup. I broke down and brought the little gray one to the vet. We called her Caroline (from Sweet Caroline) cause she is SO freaking sweet and loving. It always scares me when a kitten gives me too much affection, it usually means they aren't feeling well at all.

Well last night I went down to clean her ear, and found blood in it. So off she went this morning. I have NO idea what they did to her cause I didn't get to pick her up. I know they sedated her, cause she's coming out of it, and tripping pretty badly. The eye on that side seems angry and the third eyelid is showing. Hubby who picked her up was told that was normal, and would happen for several months. I also have otomax to put in it. No idea how often... I'm assuming BID, cause that is what we did when ever we gave out otomax when I worked there. (bid - twice a day) I have a call in to a friend who works there to find out the skinny - also cause her ear is bleeding still. Hope she doesn't have to go back.

I'm a little grumpy. I think I have a fever.. at least I feel like I do -- all warm and my eyes hurt. Id go cuddle with Caroline, but I think she sees me as a big ogre at the moment, so I think I'll let her come down for a while.

Just the girls now

Well, he is gone. Harry passed away today. I'm not really sure of the time, as I refused to talk to them. While I knew there was little chance of his recovery, I'm pretty darn sure they didn't even really try. I can only hope the girls at the clinic were kind to him or that he was completely unaware of his final hours. He seemed very unaware the last time I saw him.

The worst part of this is I keep calling him Kodi. (after the one I lost for those of you new to this blog) Thinking in my mind of all the things I could have done, or should have done (and surprisingly one was that it was a good thing I didn't go down earlier cause he was probably fine then, and he would have sat there in misery all night) but thinking the things that I think, for a long time it's been ko-harry.. I also realized I haven't lost a kitten since him. Okay yes, there were two litters that were aborted, and one of a set that I took overnight - but those were both expected to die, and I got one through the night.

This one is hard.

Fortunately, the girls have been up to the task. they have been making me laugh left and right. The little black smoke kitten I've named Ginny (for Ginny and harry from Harry Potter) has had very white stools, so I'm quite concerned, but she is a little devil at heart.. sneaking up to me in the cute "I want attention and to cuddle with you" kind of way, and then she licks you all lovingly and then starts to try to consume you. seriously. she thinks noses ears and lips were made for eating.

The gray one is just as awesome as you can hope a cat to be. She hates having her ear cleaned, but the most she'll do is put her paw gently in front of it. I feel bad, but I know she's happier with a clean ear, so I keep doing it. The shelter switched her from baytril to clavamox for the infection, but I think it has gotten worse. She's going to need a trip to the vet. If it is still worse on Wednesday - my day off - I think I'll try to take her.

The gray tiger with the blue eye is the smarmiest kitten ever.. and this is including Muffin. her new thing is to play with a ball that is in one of those round tracks. She is DETERMINED.. although to do what I'm not sure. she jumps and pounces and is having a ball. I want to call her sweet pea, but I'm not sure that is a suitable name for her. She and the gray one were in a boxing match this morning.. standing up on their back legs flailing at one another.. I wish I had a picture.

I just wish I had a better picture of ko-harry.


In Memory

late night trip to the emergency room

I got home from work rather early, so I attempted to be productive. Afterwards, I wanted to relax, so we watched a movie. By the time I got down to the kittens it was 9:30. Now around 5:30 I thought I should go see the kittens, but because of their illness I wanted to put it off until the end of the day when I could take my clothes off and toss them in the wash. I should have gone at 5:30

at 9:30 I went down, and three of the four greeted me at the door. Harry was nowhere to be seen. I looked around, then looked in his new favorite hiding space behind the TV. There he was with his front arms through the bars of the cage (which is next to the TV) and was unresponsive. I called out for my husband to come help. He moved the TV, and found Harry in a very contorted way. He cried out but was pretty immobile. After a few futile attempts to get permission, I rushed him to the emergency Clinic. While getting him into the car, he seemed to rally, fighting me, but I decided to go anyway. Good thing, cause it was just a rally. The dr said it was neurological, and thinks he fell off the TV. I'm not so sure. But he is there at the EC now, getting steroids to help shrink any swelling that might be going on. I'm scared it might be panleukopenia. although if it is, then there was NOTHING I could have done to prevent it... but I still don't want it to be. Fortunately, my guys are vaccinated against it (kitty parvo) and one of Jack's former foster mates had it and Jack is just fine, so I'm sure his sisters will be fine.. but I want it to be curable, and I want him to come home.

Ear puss is no fun

Well, the puss seems to wax and wane, sometimes being horrid, others not so bad, but this morning and this evening, it was on the good side, so maybe we are on the mend? We still have a lot of sneezing, and wheezing, but we are eating and being good little kittens. I must say I'm much impressed with their manners they are very good little kittens... except the little silver tabby.. she's a spitfire. Much like my muffin was at that age.. fully of spirit and knows exactly what she does and does NOT want to happen.. food yes.. pills absolutely not. for the most part, I'm keeping them in the cage to try to restrict their activity so they can use their energy to get better... but I'm thinking I'm going to have to let them have free run sooner or later. I'd rather it be later, once they aren't sneezing, cause even with a door AND a baby gate, my cats still play paw tag with them

I still have yet to name them. No worries. Names will come.

wet is me

I went down this morning and the kittens are being pretty good. They tossed some of their litter - to be expected, and tossed a toy into their water, again, nothing out of the ordinary. I open up the cage and sit in front of it to do good cleanings on their ears and what not. Well, the kittens had some pent-up energy and started tearing around the room. Uber cute, until one of them chases another into the old water bowl that is behind me, splashing it all down my lower back and my behind. I didn't feel quite so guilty doing ear cleanings after that.

The little grey one with the pussy ear looked better. I can only imagine that it previously had not been cleaned for a day or more. I pulled some more puss out, and cleaned her nose. She seemed more outgoing than she had previously. I fear she's going to need a few road trips.

The dark DLH tiger IS a boy. I'm SO very much in trouble. He's a snuggle bug.

Wait.. someone tell me why I can't have seven cats?

big adoption day - sorta

The kittens went in today to be adopted. It was way harder on me than it was on them. I don't know why it was so hard for me to give them up this time. Eliza took the move very badly, growling and hissing a good deal of the morning. I did what I could to keep her calm, but it didn't take much to set her off.

Gizzy got adopted first. I'm glad I didn't have to leave her there tonight or she probably would have come home with me. Adopted by a nice husband and wife who live out of town - but yet near where I work. They were actually in last year around this time adopting before. I thought I remembered them. They took a kitten named spike - which was a girl - and named her Nala. I'm pleased with this adoption. They plan on keeping her in.

There was another woman with a daughter who was looking at kittens other than mine. I was glad, cause when they settled on one, she stated to the staff that she was morally opposed to keeping cats inside, despite almost loosing one to a fisher cat. The circle of life she stated.. yea well lady, circle this *rolls eyes*

Then a woman who recognized me from a job I had over 10 years ago came in with her husband. I didn't much recognize her, but she came in very well prepared. They came in with the application from the website, a signed note from their landlord, and they knew they wanted a pair. They were looking at Kau. They looked at a gray one from another litter, and that was that. One of the fastest adoptions I've seen in a long time. I think they will give him a really good home.

Two different families looked at Cloud and Scarlet. I decided they needed to go together since Scarlet was so reserved and had bonded so deeply with her brother. One woman came with her two daughters, and the daughters did everything they could to convince her... didn't work. An older gentleman talked to me twice about them, but nothing materialized.. so they are still there.

Eliza didn't show well at all. Probably won't for a week or two till she calms down. I hope someone gives her a chance before then.

I ended up with four very adorable kittens. I'd show you pictures but I'm not allowed to per Taz :) One has a ruptured ear drum and is in major need of some help. She's on Baytril, but there is a ton of puss coming out of it. Other than that she is doing well, eating and acting fine, so I'm hoping to avoid a weekend jaunt to the vet... although when I might have time to get her to one is a good question.. curse having a RL job. Hopefully, I can't just consult with one and don't need to actually bring her in, but I doubt it. But you know me.. run to the vet at the drop of the hat.. why do you think I want to work in the field again..