Tuesday, August 30, 2016

The reason my chairs are on my table


The other day the chairs on the dining room table were put on top of the table to facilitate the cleaning of the floor. We didn't put the chairs down right away when the floors were dry and this happened.


It has been over a week, and she is still loving hanging out and sleeping on the bottom of the chairs. By the time she picks a new favorite place to sleep the underside of my chairs are going to be furry!!

Monday, August 29, 2016

These kittens seem to have motorboats for purrs



I am enjoying watching the kittens eating these days, but considering, can you blame me?  Emma still doesn't eat as much as I would like. She tends to have a few nibbles then walks away and then goes back a few minutes later and the cycle starts all over again.  As you can see in the above photo, she isn't much more than fur and bones. I'm still able to feel most of her little bones pretty easily.


Emma is now 1lb 12 oz. She was 1lb 9oz when she arrived, so she is putting on weight which is a good thing. Hopefully, this is just the start and soon she will be putting on even more.


Elsie is a bit of a wild child. It is kinda cute, but I think her exuberant energy is overwhelming to Emma. Emma will occasionally start a play session with Elsie, but on the whole, she just watches Elsie be a crazy kitten, like when she took on a dog hair toy and lost. Once Elsie's energy is drained she is a little cuddle bug who has a purr that reminds me of a motorboat. Emma loves cuddly and will purr as soon as you look at her and invite her up.

Last week I was asked what a butterfly infusion set was so I took a photo


The infusion set is what is attached to the bottom of the syringe. The tubing is soft and it makes it a lot easier to get the needle into the kitten and hold it there while you push the plunger and get the fluid in the kitten. Prior to these, I would have a long needle at the end of the syringe which gave no flexibility at all. If a kitten started to buck I was afraid the needle would do some serious damage. With this, the needle bucks with the kitten and the brunt of the energy is taken by the line.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Friday, August 26, 2016

#chewyinfluencer Boxiecat Cat Litter - a review



Fleurp absolutely adores the fact that we are a part of the Chewy.com Influencer program. She knows that when that box shows up she is bound to get treats, because that how it has gone for her in the past. Unfortunately for her, this month we decided to go with the Boxiecat litter that was offered.


As part of the influencer program, we receive free product in exchange for an honest review of that product on our blog. All content of this post is our own.


Fleurp is disappointed this is not cat treats.

Fleurp was exceedingly disappointed that the box contained sixteen pounds of litter and not cat treats, but she got over it when I gave her some treats later.

Boxiecat claims that it is an all natural, unscented clumping clay litter that is 99.9% dust free that clumps instantly, scoops easily, resists tracking and it stays ultra-clean even after weeks of scooping. Pretty impressive claims, but how would it hold up? Our house uses wading pools for cat boxes, so this little bag wasn't going to go far in our main litter box area, but because of Muffin's recent issues we have put a litter box upstairs for her.


I dumped out the litter that was in there and emptied the bag into the box. I was pleased how little dust there was. So often litters claim to be dust free and then throw up a huge cloud when you dump them out. I won't say there wasn't any dust, but it was pretty minimal.


Muffin thought this litter was well worth using, immediately, as in 'get out I'm busy' immediately. Actually, she really doesn't care if I watch her pee.

My cats are lazy and if they don't have to walk downstairs they don't. Having a box upstairs is a bit of a battle to keep it clean enough to keep Muffin happy and not have the box flooded with seven cats trying to use it. We often lose. After one day of use this is what the box looks like. Don't forget, a lot of it was covered up too.


I was pretty impressed how well this litter cleans up. When scooping, the 'clumps' my cats produce might not all stay together, because my cats tend to spread their pee around so we end up with strips instead of clumps, but when it breaks it doesn't break into a number of small pieces which means it cleans up easily. This is what the box looked like after I scooped it.


We did have some tracking of the litter, and most of it was contained right near the box, but some of it was across the bathroom floor causing us to sweep on a regular basis. It was better than some other litters, so I think it lives up to the 'resists tracking' claim.  The bag didn't last us very long, but that is because we have seven cats using it, but it did last right to the very last. Because it cleaned up so well, each time I scooped I had a very clean new looking box, even when there wasn't a lot of litter left. It was 'good to the very last drop' if you will.

The cons? The price. at $17 for 16 pounds, it is one of the more expensive litters out there. other than that this would be high up on my list of litters to use. I absolutely would not turn them down of Boxiecat wanted to offer me a lifetime supply of this.

Thank you again to Chewy for this opportunity. Fleurp is looking forward to next month and is hoping that we go back to getting things she can eat.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Emma's very long day


Elsie looking in a mirror
Hello, Narnia, is my sister in there?

So Emma spent the day at the shelter yesterday because she wasn't eating. There was a bit of miss communication a couple of times, but in the end, once they had her they gave her some fluids and she started eating pretty quickly. The foster coordinator even sent me a photo of her eating which totally made my day.

My husband works near the shelter, so he brought her home when he got out of work and the reunion between Emma and Elsie was adorable. When I got home I saw the supplies they sent home with Emma.


They sent home a variety of foods to make sure she would continue to eat as well as three doses of fluid for her to keep things going. I adore that they gave me the butterfly infusion sets. It made giving fluids a LOT easier.  I opened up a jar of baby food and this happened.


Then I opened up a cup of chicken food and she dove into that as well. With all of that input, the next step was output and it was good. Feeling better, she then chased her sister around a little and then settled down to clean up and rest a bit. I am hopeful that this is the beginning of ... wait, no, I'm not silly enough to say this is going to go well.. but I can hope.


Wednesday, August 24, 2016

My new foster kitten, Emma, needs some good thoughts.



Emma hasn't started eating on her own, so she is going to spend today at the shelter and get some fluids and see the shelter vet. Hopefully, it is just a case of worms, or something else really easy - or maybe she'll just go there and eat because she likes their food better than mine.  Either way, I don't care... just so long as she eats and comes back quickly.


As you can see, she is painfully thin, so the fact that she lost an ounce that first day was a little frightening. I went and got some goat milk and hoped that she would like that enough to take it, but she wasn't interested. I started force feeding her, and she was not a fan. It looks like she even vomited up a little.

She is active but she isn't playing. Her activity is getting you to pay attention to her. She will climb right up on you and purr, and rub all over your face. She likes to lick my nose. A lot.

I am very hopeful that this is just a blip. I should know more at the end of the day.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

So, I received this email...


and then this happened..


Well, that isn't exactly how it went, and this isn't exactly what happened (I couldn't find my photo of the toy in front of the kitten room door this afternoon when I was putting together this post) but basically that's what happened..

and you know where I'm going, don't you?


Elsie and Emma are transfers up from down south, and are just over a pound and a half, so they only need a few weeks here to bulk up and make weight.  They actually have a scheduled day to be neutered, so as long as they stay healthy, we know exactly when they are going to leave.

They are flipping adorable.  Elsie, the kitten that is white with black, had so much energy she could barely contain it all. She wanted to be everywhere at once. I'm sure she has spent so much time in cages and carriers lately that to have an entire room must have blown her little mind. Emma, the black kitten with white, is very needy of attention. She spent some time buffing my face and licking my face.  Having two cat people to spend time with, who wanted to cuddle and love her, must have blown her little mind.

Emma is very, nearly painfully, thin.  I had not seen her eat anything, and she spent some time rooting on me, so I am going to get her some milk to see if that won't help bulk her up a little. I've seen Elsie eat so I am not worried about her.  Unfortunately, someone went pee on the couch, despite being told where the litter box was... but I am hoping this is a one-time 'I'm new to living in a house' type of thing.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Skippy



Skippy is the baby of the family. The fact that he is with us at all is pretty amazing because when he was a foster kitten he was fairly healthy and went back to the shelter and was adopted. I even spoke to the people who adopted him because he had a bit of history and I wanted them to know about it.

See, Skippy was an abandonment case. If I remember correctly they were even considering going after animal neglect with him because he was found starving and with a pretty bad urinary infection. Any kitty who has urinary issues can be prone to them in their life, so I let them know that. They didn't care, they wanted him, they adopted him and took him home.  A few days later they returned him because he came down with a cold and needed some medication.  I was furious but I was happy to bring him back here and treat him. It took him a little while to get over it and I kept him a little longer to make sure and sent him back to the shelter to be adopted, where he promptly came down with another cold. Another round of treatment and more love and back to the shelter he went. etc.

By the time I adopted him, he was a long lanky teenage kitty that everyone was overlooking.  He was high energy and people were either adopting little kittens or adult cats. I was going to the shelter every single day to spend time with him (hoping to prevent him from getting another cold by sheer force of will) and finally I had enough and adopted him. It was totally the wrong thing to do because it put me at eight cats and my husband and I were both thinking we'd be overwhelmed since the first seven of our cats were needy enough, but he has fit in seamlessly.

He is very much an omega kitty.  He sits and waits and bides his time, and then slowly creeps in for love and attention when we are both occupied.  We call it "Skippy Time" because there really is no denying him when he sets his mind to it. You can push him aside and he just comes back - a bit like a guided missile. He is also a drooler. The other day it was Skippy Time and instead of letting him find a place I invited him in, and he was SOOOO happy that drool immediately started falling out of his mouth.


I really don't remember why I put a bow tie on Skippy the first time, but it was so darn cute and he didn't seem to care so I left it on  him, and now he wears one full time.  He actually has quite a collection of ties and I change them out from time to time.

He and Fleurp have a routine where they spar right before a meal. It is a bit more than whappy paw, but not by much.  Occasionally, they'll get into full body wrestling, but it seems to all be in good spirits.


Speaking of Skippy, here he is, and apparently it is Skippy Time.

Friday, August 19, 2016

Fleurp


Fleurp

Fleurp, oh what to say about my sweet, demanding, expecting, hopeful, joyful kitty. Fleurp is the embodiment of hope... every time I get even remotely close to anything she wants, she chirps like a little bird, asking, almost begging, for it. She opens her eyes in that round hopeful "Puss in Boots" look that I have the worst time ignoring.


Fleurp becomes anemic every spring. We have yet to figure out the reason, but I have my suspicions. This past year she started becoming anemic in February/March which was very early but it was a very warm year and she had already started shedding. So I "furminated" her almost weekly until mid-summer, and she didn't have another issue. Was it because of the fur? I have no idea. I don't know why if that is the case why her anemia responds to prednisolone so quickly. I will try grooming her again next year and if it happens again I'll say we have our reason. There were years in the past when her anemia wasn't as bad as other years, so I'm not discounting that this was just an easy year.

Fleurp with the big round eyes
Muffin and Fleurp

Fleurp and Muffin have similar interests in life, and they have seemed to have formed a friendship. They often gang up on me to beg for food.  Fleurp has the most endearing way of asking when her chirps don't seem to be working, she reaches out with her paw and with her claws sheathed she attempts to pull my hand to her.. I have such a hard time resisting that - which I'm sure she has figured it out.

Fleurp with her tongue out

Thursday, August 18, 2016

There will eventually be kittens on this kitten blog, right?



It just felt so wrong to have a kitten room without kittens in it.. so.. I did something about that. Granted, they don't take a whole heck of a lot of work, and are already well socialized, but it is something.

Okay, fine, this is just about the silliest thing I've ever done.. but the kitten fever, it burns.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Kit loves her dad


Kit

I've mentioned this before, but Kit is very much my husband's cat. The two of them are usually hanging out together. She absolutely adores sitting on his chest and having her face up near his.

Kit and her dad

She is our smallest cat. Her weight hangs out around 7 lbs, which is half the size that Muffin and Jack have been recently (they both have lost a little weight recently). It is a bit deceiving about just how small she is though because she has a great deal of fur.

Kit

Kit has had some health issues lately. She had a pretty bad cold that we were finally able to get her over, but she came down with another one recently which is bothersome. Things are currently looking better and we will be keeping a good eye on her.

Kit

Kit rarely has use for me, strongly preferring to hang out with her dad, but will ask me for a snuggle if I'm under a blanket or if I have something that is relevant to her interest, like some bit of meat or a piece of broccoli.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Eli


Aren't my whiskers impressive?

Eli is one half of my only pair of siblings, being the brother of Muffin. He had some pretty horrid bouts of URI, including a raging case of cacli that left blisters all over his tongue,  when he was a kitten.  The URI scarred both of his tear ducts and because of that he always has black debris all over his face and in his ears. Fortunately, it is not nearly as bad now as it has been in the past due to in part to some laser treatments to his eyes.

Eli looking bashful

He is a very independant kitty. He hasn't picked a human but will show up whenever he is in the mood for some attention and demand it.  When he gets in a particular mood he will ask for belly rubs, which always makes me happy.

Eli

Eli is my other kitty with urinary issues. Fortunately, he has been pretty stable since he was first diagnosed all of those years ago, only having a few issues during times of stress.  Overall he is pretty healthy. He has a couple of lumps on his legs but the vet assures me they are just fatty deposits and there is no need to remove them.

Eli also has the most endearing habit of squeaking instead of meowing.  This has earned him the nickname of Squeaky,  When we see him, we call out "Squeaky!!" (much like the Norm cheer from Cheers) and he squeaks back at us.

Monday, August 15, 2016

If you clean it, they will come.. right?


A clean room waiting for foster kittens

I spent part of the weekend cleaning the kitten room.  I thought I'd change the location of where the couch had been to try something different. Well, it is not all that different as I've had a couch in that location before, but it has been a long time.

Since I wasn't in any rush to clean, I took some time and cleaned the walls, vacuumed under the vinyl, and washed the windows.  In the next couple of days, I'll probably work on getting Raffe's neck to stand up straight again.

It seems so weird to not have kittens in the heart of summer. When I first started fostering this was the time of year when I would often have two litters here. The culture of pet ownership around these parts has evolved to the point where there just isn't the overpopulation here, so I wait for the shelter to import kittens from other areas that are small enough to need fostering. It is weird, but it is also wonderful.

Friday, August 12, 2016

Happy Middle Child Day Twee!


Tweedle

Since we have seven cats, Twee is officially our "Middle Child" now, although I am sure if you ask her, she is still the baby.


Twee is, and always has been, rather slow in the mental department.  Before she was named we often said she was a few kibble shy of a bowl.  Lots of names were thrown around, and many of them weren't so nice. We ended up settling on Tweedle of the Alice in Wonderland twins. I have had a couple of animal communicators 'talk' to Twee, and each one says she talks like a kitten despite the fact at the time of the session she was well past kittenhood.

She is as sweet as honey, and sometimes can be as annoying as honey too. She has no concept of personal space. She doesn't understand why the other cats don't really want to hang out with her, so when they get up and leave she follows them thinking maybe they know a better spot to snuggle. When Em was still with us, she would always snuggle up with Twee but in the years since Em's passing, poor Twee still hasn't caught on that not everyone loves her. Sometimes she makes such a pest of herself I have to put a stop to it, which bothers me a bit because I know she has no idea why I am doing it.


Funny thing about Twee, is she turns into a terror at the vet. She used to be just fine and almost seem to enjoy the adventure of it all, but when she was three or four she started hissing and spitting (or  as I like to call it, swearing like a sailor) I can't help but wonder if something happened to her to cause the shift, and that thought saddens me to no end.

She also hates to have her photo taken. I have to basically trick her into it. How she sat still for these, I have no idea.


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