updates

The fosters are all off medication at THIS point. Who knows if I'll have to start up again in a couple of days. They now have horrid ear mites.. so I'll be treating those tonight. They weren't thrilled with the ear cleaning last night.

I set up a webcam so I can watch them while I am at work. Unfortunately, they spend most of the workday sleeping. it's cesg.ww.com if you want to peek.

Eli's eye bugged me so much that I brought him back to the vet. The vet said he noticed his eye was like that during the vet visit. I thought he meant the scar on his eyes that caused the staining. *hangs head* I am such a bad mommy sometimes.. but hey.. Eli is so paranoid, I only get to pat him most days when I am half asleep. He said that Eli got it from another cat, and there is no need to medicate. thank goodness.

Em is still starving. I think being on the medication to fix it is making it worse. They say it can take up to a month to settle, so we'll keep going. I hope it settles out soon, cause I feel horrid not giving her food 24-7.

Jack seems to be filling out and getting bigger. He looks a lot like a lion now. He still has his screak of a meow.. very un-lion like. But that is ok. Jack has taken up Em's job of sleeping on me at night. I am so in love with that cat.

Will have to try to get some more pictures tonight. Will probably move them down to the official kitten room this weekend.. after I scrub it with lots and lots of bleach. *sigh*

I wonder how Kenny is doing. They went in a week ago Monday for adoption. Bug was adopted right away, Shirley went home on Saturday. When I stopped in Kenny and Willie were left. I know Willie will go, but because of Kenny's poop issues, I fear he will never be adopted. Please pray that the right home will come for him. (or already has)

WE HAVE AN EYEBALL!!!

The vet took one look at Teddy, and prescribed Gentocin for it. He suggested drops, but the shelter only had ointment, so I took that. Put some in both eyes, and in the morning it was obvious it was working. Tuesday night I could start to see his right eye, but this morning I can actually say that his eyeball is obvious and it is there!! WHOO HOO!! His left eye is almost back to normal.

I tried to take pictures, but these kittens are so into getting attention that they do not sit still.

I am thrilled! Teddy had to be miserable because he didn't purr the entire week I was medicating him with tri-optic or terramycin, but after I put in the gentocin, he acted as if it stung for a few minutes, but then he started seeking out attention and wanted to be picked up. I picked him up, he started purring, and wrapped his paws around my neck.

Cruiser is still very very small. Both my hubby and I are falling hard for him. someone help us!

and I thought transporting six cats and rabbit was fun

Saturday I stopped in the shelter to show them Teddy's eye. It is getting worse and worse. I was told, "I've seen worse" and was sent home to continue the current medication that is not helping.

I was so furious, that I didn't get more food, which the grey kitties needed.

So Sunday I had some errands to run, so I stopped by the shelter again and picked up some food. There was no one in the lobby when I first walked through. I went straight to the back room where the food is kept. I collected a box, went out the back door, and on my way to the car I noticed that one of the cans was open and smelled bad.

I was so furious with the shelter, I almost threw the can on the lawn and drove off, but I couldn't do that. So I brought the can inside to throw away. On my way in, I met up with the foster coordinator, and she asked how the kittens were doing. I said "Bad" and kept walking towards the trash can. She asked a few more questions, and I explained what I meant, and my trip on Thursday, and Saturday, and she was concerned and ask that I bring them in to be looked at on Monday (today).

I reminded her for the third time that the grey kittens were ready to be neutered, and she said to bring them in as well.

So I ran down first thing this morning, gave the grey kitties food. I noticed a strong poop smell but just assumed that mom had just used the litter box. I went up, did my morning routine, and went back to pack them up. Well, I noticed poop dribbles all over the room. I checked the kittens as I packed them up, and found Kenny COVERED in poop. Poor thing. So I threw three kittens in one carrier, then got one of my carriers and put mom and Kenny in that one... cause I was pretty sure they wouldn't all fit in one. Brought them up, put them in the car, then went and got the babies, and put them in the car, and drove over to the shelter.

I weighed the greys, and believe it or not, Willie was the biggest of the bunch. a full pound more than he should have been for going up for adoption.. but that is okay. They are cute enough they'll work their charms.

I don't know what is up with Kenny though. I feel so bad for him. I still fear that he will be PTS because no one will want to deal with his issues (not being able to fully evacuate his stool, so it follows him around for a while till it falls off) I don't know why he had the runs last night. it was pretty bad. I just don't know.

The babies are the same. I weighed Cruiser last night, and he hadn't gained any more weight. I don't know why he eats very well. Bruiser put on some. Naomi has always been fine. Poor Teddy's eyes were a freakin mess. I know they can't fix them overnight, but I hope they can give me SOMETHING. I went to the store to get some lysine, but all they had were pills. I need to stop at the health food store and see if they have capsules.

*sigh*

I'm still mad at the shelter, but not so much the shelter as a whole.. just a few staff that didn't take me seriously the first four times I brought kittens in there to them.

Huge news, funny info, and then kittens

First, for the funny info, I am sitting here at my computer. My printer is right to the left of me, and there is usually room for one cat behind it. At the moment it is Ollie, he blends in so well and he likes it there. Eli LOVES it there too, because he LOVES the printer. Honestly, I think it is his best friend. Every time it goes off, he comes running. Well since Ollie is in the "hang out with the printer" spot, Eli is trying to make room for himself in front of the monitor.. but there really isn't enough room - it is freakin adorable, and I wish I had my camera.

For the huge news.. Emerald now weighs over 12 pounds!!!!!!!!!!! Still don't know why this works, and I hate that I am treating symptoms, but if it is working, then I am going to keep doing it. She gets two or three handfuls of dry food, and half a pepcid AC once per day (in her cosequin capsule) I was doing the happy dance, and Em was just sitting on the scale looking at me waiting for dinner. It was cute.

The grey kittens are ready for adoption. Once again I am worried about Kenny. When he has a BM, the stool doesn't fully fall off him till later. Who is going to want to adopt that? *prays that someone does* Maybe someone with a dog who loves kitty poop..

The black kittens are in the trouble zone. Cruiser is still totally congested, and the others are starting to sneeze more. Cruiser weighs 11 oz to Bruiser's 1lb. I went to the shelter yesterday to get him some help. They only gave him more fluids and told me to force feed him, which is what I have been doing. He is so congested, that he acts as if he is drowning when I feed him. I can't stand torturing him. All I wanted was a feeding tube, but they refused. I was also treated as if this was my first sick kitten ever. It was very disturbing to me personally.

I am down to feeding him one drop at a time. it takes forever to get even 1 cc in him, when he should be eating... well his brother is eating 10 or more two or three times a day.

I'm discouraged.

kittens and more kittens

I think Gertrude and her kittens are coming to the realization that they won't be around at my house for much longer. Say what you will, but I think cats KNOW things. I will be sad to see them go. Little Willie is growing up into such an elegant little boy. Bug is such a love. They still love to run, so it will be good for them to get into homes.

The babies are... well Bruiser and Teddy are doing well. Eating like horses.. but in front of me ONLY KMR. I put some canned food in Bruiser's mouth, and he loved it, only if I were hand feeding him If it was on a plate it wasn't food. I know he knows how to eat off a plate, I have previously seen him do it, but not now. Naomi and Cruiser don't really want to eat. They also seem much more sedate. Someone is throwing liquid stool, so I have started them all on Albon. The second dose was this morning, so hopefully they'll perk up. They are eating canned food when I am not in the room, as last night and then again this morning the food was mostly gone, and there was quite a bit pushed on the floor. I believe someone, if not all of them are nursing on Bruiser, as his tummy is ALWAYS soaking wet. I am thinking of getting some baby socks, cutting out the toe and covering his little tummy. I have to run to the store tonight anyway, I'll peek on them after work and if it is still all wet I might just do that.

Em.. well Em is still a mystery. There are days where she looks all raggedy and horrible, and days when she looks amazing. I tried cutting her meds for her upset tummy in half, but she vomited that day. *sigh* she looked down this morning, so I tested her sugars, and they weren't bad considering what she is eating. Her weight was up to 11 lbs, 11oz the other day.. up from the lowest of 11 lbs 3 oz. I'm still hoping for 12. She has another vet appointment next week. I'm going to try to get a urine sample... I think I could handle any diagnosis.. it is the not knowing that hurts.

Too much to do, too little morning

Ok, so this is my first morning to work with my new resolve to exercise every morning (again), and TWO sets of kittens.

Did I not tell you of my second set? shame on me. I took pictures, they are at home (I am currently at work) I'll share later.

I went to the shelter on Friday to pick up supplies, and was suckered in to taking four little black and black and white kittens. I was told they were eating on their own. They so aren't! They are so cute. they probably weigh 3/4 ths of a pound, and they were hissing and spitting at all the upheaval. just too cute. Once they settled down in the back bathroom they were fine. I introduced them to food, which they did actually eat, but they won't eat on their own, and they need to be 'primed' with formula first. I tried using a bottle. I have never had luck with that. I don't know why. Other people do. So I use a syringe. Fortunately they are using the litter box on their own.

So anyway. I have four kittens that need to be fed. Four kittens and a mom that need food put down for them, a rabbit who needs food, and my exercise, and to get out of the house with my breakfast and lunch. doable? somehow I got it all in.

I got dressed before going to feed the babies. Silly? yes, totally. but with little kitten claws totally necessary. Somehow I got through the feeding of four kittens, one of which who HATES to eat with out getting any formula on myself. I put out more food for them, and reintroduced them to it. *crosses fingers they'll eat*

Went out, fed the rabbit, who gets testy when she runs out of pellets, and lunges at them when I refill. I'd use my hopper to feed her, but then she'd have access to too many pellets and would get fat.

Went down to feed the older set. Now they sit at the door and try to escape when I enter, so when I was in the room, and put food down, and only saw three kittens instead of four, I got concerned that one escaped. None of my own cats came down with me, so I started calling them, cause nothing can find a kitten faster than a cat who doesn't want it loose in the house. Eli came down first, followed by Jack. No concern from either of them, so I went back into the room to look again. It was Bug that was missing. There aren't that many places for her to hide. I went back out, again, no concern from the cats, back in, and realize that she is behind me, but she wasn't. although she was, in the rafters. silly kitten. I was just trying to figure out how to reach her, when she finally jumped down on to the scratching pole, and got down on her own.

So that was my fun morning.

I'm so clever

Sometimes I am so clever I scare myself. Now this is probably not the newest idea on the planet, but it came to me, it works, and works amazingly well, and I'm thrilled.

Emerald should be on 3 medications. 1) for her upset stomach 1/4 to 1/2 a pepcid 2) cosequin and 3) a capsule of herbs for her diabetes. Well, she hasn't gotten them in a while because her stomach has been so upset. I feel I really should be giving her the cosequin, since that is obvious that it works, and so is the pepcid. Well, the tiny tablet occasionally gets knocked out of my hand when I am giving it to her, lands on her tongue, so she spits out the wet icky pill that now sticks to anything and is impossible to give. I watched "How it is made" on the discovery channel a couple of days ago, I saw them making capsules (which the cosequin is in). A light bulb went off today, that I could stick the pepcid IN the cosequin, and now I'm down to one pill instead of two. BINGO! it works. I'm thrilled. A bit of advice, though, if you are going to be opening a capsule, pay attention, and don't open it sidewards. I was so thrilled with my new discovery, I was explaining it to my hubby in the other room, and opened the second one the wrong way. D'OH!

The kittens are so freakingly adorable. Every other thought is oh I want to keep this one, oh I want to keep that one.. *rolls eyes* Kenny made a good solid poop and it didn't seem that hard for him to pass *YEA!* Someone has very liquid stools, though. I KNOW mom does, but someone else does too. I got some more albon the other day, so it SHOULD be clearing up soon *crosses fingers*

escaping kittens

The kittens are so ready to explore the rest of the house. Every time I go down there they have their little faces pressed against the door, so when I open it, there is NO corralling kittens. I have taken to using a piece of cardboard, making a crack in the door, slipping it in, and pushing them back. Sometimes I am successful, sometimes I'm not.

The little girl without a tail "Bug" is an absolute love bug. However, she has one very odd quirk. She insists on pushing her little head in your armpit. It is very bizarre.

Willie (boy with a tail; the runt; the one with white) got stuck again. Hubby was upstairs right above their room and could hear a kitten meowing very clearly. Willie climbed up the post, and got into the unfinished ceiling.

I'm still concerned about Kenny. He spends a lot of his time looking at me with a very intense look. Maybe that is just his face. His belly is huge. I haven't seen him have a BM in a while... not a huge shock since I don't spend all day in the room.

A couple of the cats also have very loose stools, so back on albon they all go.

Update on Emerald too. Since she was doing so well and gaining weight, I thought I'd see if she could come off the pepcid. Nope. She quickly started losing and vomiting. So back on it she went, and she's gained some of the loss back. Why on earth is her stomach upset all the time???

One of my kitties got a fright this morning. I had a couple of plastic bags I threw down the stairs (I have an open staircase to the basement) to bring to the kitten room to clean out litter boxes with. Well someone investigated them, then couldn't get themselves out. There is no helping a freaked out cat in a plastic bag, cause you can't get near them. I just had to hold still and not make any noise so that whoever it was could calm themselves down enough to get out. Well eventually after running through the house, the bag caught on something and the kitty was freed. I THINK it was Muffin. But I have no proof. They were all completely freaked by the noise.

Foster update

Just a reminder, this is where they started at the end of July,

and this is them yesterday :)

Their bellies are big and round, they RUN, oh man do they run like the wind.. two pounds two ounces, so maybe two more weeks? Little Kenny still strains when he passes stool. Ends up on his two front feet.. but it is getting out, and he doesn't seem in pain. Discomfort, yes, but pain, no.

Mom, Gertrude, she is ready for them to be gone!

Willie getting "stuck" on the climbing pole

Kenny. I am starting to be able to tell them apart. It isn't easy!!

Shirley

DINNER!!

Trip to the vet

So I finally broke down and told the foster coordinator my concerns about the kittens...

*eating, but not eating as well as previous fosters at this age
*extremely small anuses and almost no kitten poop in litter box.
*sleeping a LOT. Not lethargic, just sleeping way more than I am used to with kittens at this age.

So she thought they should be seen. Having previously worked at the vet clinic that they were being seen, I knew without some obvious symptom, they weren't going to find anything, and they didn't. But the one good thing about the trip to the vet was that they didn't use the litter box all day, so they had to when they got home.

There are the two with tails, a boy and a girl, and the two without tails, a boy and a girl, names are still very fluid at this point, except Willie, the runt boy with a tail.

Willy has shown me he can produce very normal poop, so I wasn't worried about him.
The girl with a tail went pee, but didn't poop.
The girl without a tail pooped just fine!! YEA!!
and the boy without a tail produced a very thin, VERY yellow and mucus filled poop which is going back to the clinic to be looked at.

Mom also ate up a storm... which is encouraging. It may be that she didn't get breakfast at home, and didn't eat that much in such a strange place, but I'll take my victories where I can get them.

So at this point, it is a wait and see kind of deal. Hopefully, everything will enlarge as they do and things will flow well.

Just call me paranoid

So, I went in to feed mom today (these cats soo need names) and there were no kittens in site. I called, but nothing. They were in the carrier sleeping, but paranoid me starts thinking something went very wrong and they didn't make it through the night.

No reason to think this.. everyone was happy and healthy last night.

But I didn't have the strength to reach in the carrier and possibly find dead kittens, so I asked my hubby to check in on them later (as I am trying to find a way to leave to get some errands done this morning)

well a few minutes later I opened the door to where the kittens are, and see the little boy with leg issues. I grab him for a hug, and walk in to see my hubby and say look, this kitten isn't dead.. and my husband knowing how silly I feel over all this says "Yeah, we like not dead kittens"

This is all too true.

When I put him back, I saw the other "not dead kittens" wrestling..

Everyone is fine, and apparently, I need to chill just a little.

While typing this, Emerald JUMPED from the floor to my lap. Something she has not done in a long time. She put on a little weight the other day. Since I don't know if it is the thyroid meds or the zantac doing it, I stopped giving her zantac. We'll know by tonight tomorrow at the latest, if she's still nauseous. She is still EXTREMELY hungry all the time.

Dr. B is opening his doors Sept 25th.. Thank goodness!!

Well this is odd.

I just added a new map thingie to the bottom of the page to show where people are visiting my website from. While doing that I visited my current statistics. I like to see what people are searching for. Someone did a search on kitten enema and my site came up (from the time I had to do one ages ago). Sometimes I view the searches that others have done to see where I land, and to see what others have to say on the subject - I have learned some very interesting things that way.

So I viewed the search on kitten enemas, and came across the story of little bit, who had a rectum that was too small to pass stool, and how his owner took extensive measures to save him (and was successful.. with two surgeries to expand the rectum)

I was just starting to think that one of my tailless kittens has a VERY small rectum. I am hoping I am wrong, but this kinda freaks me out. Well not freak as in bad.. just weird.. you know what I mean?

Maybe I'll take him in this weekend for a second opinion.. Or maybe I'll wait till we have an official problem.

A victory and a defeat

Well, I was so worried about the little gray kittens, and today when I went to see them, one of them actually made it into the litter box and left a deposit!! It is so fun to watch them run around.. they are still getting used to their feet, so their front feet and back feet don't always match up.

The littlest boy with the bad legs is still behind, but he was walking so much better yesterday. I am hopeful.

The defeat? Emerald. She vomited this afternoon. She won't eat her dinner. Her bg was almost 400.. she vomited again this evening. I had stopped giving her zantac thinking the thyroid meds were working. Apparently, the zantac was helping. Why on earth is that?!?!?!

I just noticed I didn't give you an update on the vet visit. $300 later, and there is 'nothing' wrong with her. Blood work is fine, fructosamine is fine, xrays were fine. Dr thought maybe just possibly her thyroid needed help, so she's been on thyroid meds for a week now, and she seemed to be holding her own.. but I think it was the zantac I was giving with it that was doing the most good.

The older set was neutered on Thursday, came home Friday morning. Friday night they were into cuddling. Sat morning a little, and tonight they had so much energy they had NO idea what to do with it. There was wrestling, and surprise attacks, and running full tilt around the room. They are going to be soo lonely if they are separated tomorrow. I was thinking I could convince people to take pairs, but that still leaves an odd kitten out since I have five. I KNOW I can't keep them, but I do NOT want to let them go.

update on the babies

Well, last night when I went in the bathroom where the little gray kittens are, I noticed they were feeling thin and 'scrawny'.. not that they were, but I could tell they were losing something.

Mom is eating, but not all that well. She would go 12 hours without producing anything in the litterbox.

I had to wonder if she was losing her milk. So I broke out the KMR. They ate 5 ccs before giving up. They all had to pee pretty badly too. Not sure if mom is taking care of that at all.

This morning they only took 4ccs before giving up. I left them outside of the box they were in so they could get to mom even if she was across the room..

I came home to a huge pile of poop.. So mom isn't taking care of that. I cleaned it up and gave them some lunch.. only 2 ccs this time.. so they aren't starving...

Tonight when I checked on them, one of them walked off the nest area, and started pooping.. walking and crying and pooping, So I helped it along.. very watery. Someone else had pooped on another one, this one was like toothpaste..

I am very concerned.. I stopped by the shelter after lunch time, and picked up some new food.. stinky stuff.. and some clavamox. Hopefully, this will help.

Two of them are missing tails and a third has swimmers legs.. that he MIGHT be able to control in a few weeks.. once he gets control over his claws.. they all have very odd looking feet too.

Please don't let me loose any of them!!

The older set is going to be altered on Thursday.. I am going to miss them horribly.

I am officially a "super hero"

Why? you ask? What is my super power? The ability to hear distressed kittens from across the house.

Te first time it happened was when my last foster mom gave birth. Out of a sound sleep, I awoke and immediately went downstairs.

Today, the smallest mew emanated from the bathroom.. One of the kittens had left the carrier and was stuck behind it.

Now.. to design my costume..

*giggle*

MORE kittens

Yes, I'm a sap. The shelter is overwhelmed, and I saw these guys and couldn't resist.
Turns out they are even more special since two of them don't have tails!! One boy and one girl have tails, and one boy and one girl don't. This will make identification easy :)

On a side note, this morning we looked out on the deck and saw Tweedle. Somehow she had gotten out. We have no idea. The only thing we can think of is that she squeezed out of the cat room we have set up for them outside and was outside all night. Scares me to think that as she isn't the brightest cat on the face of the planet. If she hadn't thought to sit on the deck, we might not have noticed she was missing till later tonight, when all kinds of nasty could have happened to her!! Her picked up paranoia (from Eli) made it hard to get her inside, but she finally made it. She ran around the house for a while like she didn't recognize it. But she is home and she's safe..

Em is still losing weight and is going to the vet tomorrow for xrays. I'll keep you updated.