to a kitten

ANYTHING is a toy..

fly by update

Skippy is doing much better.  He came out for treats the day after the trip to the vet and we noticed him eating the day after (not that he didn't eat before that, but sometimes he is sly and waits for the other cats to finish) I have to be very careful when pilling him.  He is very much a beta kitty and if any other cat is interested in treats he is given he gives up and lets them have it.  I prefer he eat something after I pill him to make sure the pills don't get stuck in his throat.  Also, after I man handle him to get the pill down his throat he doesn't really trust me when I give him a treat.. so he sniffs and sniffs and contemplates and by the time he has decided this isn't a trick someone else has come to see what he has and that's that.  So now I give him a treat first, THEN pill him, THEN give him a second treat.  Seems to work well enough.

Brianna's got 1.5 eyeballs now.. it is very encouraging.  The good eye still has some inflammation, but I can only see it when I look for it.  The eyeball that was hidden is now  halfway visible.  I'm sure she is going to make a full recovery right quick. 

The kittens are so full of "go" now, it is hard to get photos of them.  They didn't stop once during the half hour visit last night.  They had a blast playing kitten soccer last night with a ping pong ball and belled ball.  They also really love the crinkle tube I brought home for them.  Duncan LOVES it..

That Time of Year

It is once again that most wonderful time of the year when we decorate the house with the joy of the season.

Are you kitties ready to decorate the tree?

this one?

No you silly kitties.. not that one.

Don't mess too much with this one, we like this one

No no, not that one.. this one..

Hey, we remember that thing.

Yup.  Time to decorate the tree.  I had to take a few minutes to remember Ollie.  He LOVED the tree so much.  He loved the real trees we used to have, and he didn't seem to mind when we got the artificial one a few years ago.  Each kitty has their "thing" and Ollie's was the Christmas tree.  I think the kitties took some time to remember him too, because each one spent some time sitting under the tree like he used to both pre and post decoration... but maybe he just wouldn't really let them before and now they could?  *shrug* 

Um, Mom, what are you doing with our toys?

OMC... Dad is so cool!!

TOYS!!!

I want this one. No I want this one..

MINE!

OK Muffin, you sit on those and we'll just take this time to put our silly reindeer hat on ALL the kitties.. You included..

Kit is used to clothing..

She knows just how to pose

Jack however was just so excited he wouldn't sit still

 

After a little distraction with the hat, Muff vacated the toys and we were able to decorate. Jack was so excited, he cooed and squeaked and rolled around on the cat tree the entire time. When I was growing up, I have fond memories of decorating the tree with home made ornaments and ornaments that resembled toys.  I loved playing with them, but I remember not really being allowed to.  Once I got out on my own, I bought ornaments I liked, but they are a lot of work to unpack and pack, and then I have to worry about the cats wanting to play with them and possibly damaging them.  Since the  cats are in the house 24/7 it only seemed fair to bring their wants and needs into our holiday decorating.  and along that line, that giant pile of toys turned into this..

And the tree turned into this

the blue toy was Twee's first toy - a gift from someone who met her, the cheezburger should be self explainatory

I enjoy sitting in that chair and reading

Looks like Fleurp is about to cause the first casualty

Why yes, yes she is

Whatcha going after Fleurp?

Jack's Fishie is the first to hit the floor

and so it begins (and that is OK)

this photo makes me laugh

And to make the night extra special the kitties got some canned food.  DH picked up something because he wasn't listening to me and it was not something I would approve of, but I figured one meal of "junk" food wouldn't kill them and they would love it, and they so did.  We feed off two communal plates and the "alphas" eat out in the kitchen and the "betas" eat in the laundry area.  (that's because the kitchen plate goes down first)  Apparently the lure of the food was stronger then the hierarchy in the household

Except for Twee and Skippy

The next morning.. notice there are toys above the height of a standing cat

It makes me smile because it is so unique, and it makes me laugh, because they enjoy it so.  After I took these last photos I tried to put the ornaments back on the tree.  Fleurp was right there having fun knocking them off again..   Now, to find their stockings and hang them on the railing with care (cause there are just too many to fit on the fake fireplace mantel we have)

Skippy

We interupt our regular scheduled post to document a bit of news.

My boy Skippy from time to time would cough and sneeze up a great slew of snot.  He feels miserable for a short bit of time and then feels better.  I have always thought he has a remitting case of bordetella. The cough he coughs is almost a reverse cough to me that sounds like bordetella, and with the death of Bri so quickly by what looked like bordetella... well I don't think it was crazy of me to think it.

The past few days Skippy has been a little more adamant in his snuggliness.  I was late a few days to work because he had come up and snuggled on my chest and I couldn't bring it upon myself to kick him off.  Then yesterday when I came home from work he was looking miserable.  He coughed a few times, sneezed a few times, and then crawled up on my chest, put his head on my shoulder and he stayed there for hours.  I had to get up and take care of "personal business" but I just couldn't bring it upon myself to make my bladder happy at the expense of Skippy's happiness.  I had a Christmas party to go to, so I did eventually have to get up.  Fortunately my husband came home and helped.  He fed the kitties but unfortunately that didn't garner all that much interest from him.  That broke my heart.  He was wheezing, and when I picked him up it caused a coughing fit. I brought him some turkey and he ate that, so I left him and went to the party.

When we got home he was still wheezing and looking miserable.  I had a slew of things I had to do (that I should have done that afternoon but I was busy being a cat bed) and I couldn't go to bed right away.  Poor Skippy just wanted to cuddle with me, and he followed me around waiting.  Finally I brought him back to the bedroom while I got ready to go to bed, and Skip started sneezing and clearing the mucus quite dramatically.  All over the bed, over some clothes and all over Fleurp.  :(    I told him he needed to feel better in the morning or he was going to see "Uncle Brion" (aka the vet) well the morning came he was still wheezing and didn't eat breakfast... so phone call made (yes, even though I'm in my jammies and it takes me 30 minutes to get there I can get there in 35 minutes - HON!! Get Skippy in the carrier please - scramble scramble scramble)

He didn't make a peep the whole way down.  Once we got there he started purring and rubbing up against everything and he looked and sounded just fine!!  Not a smidge of temperature. but harsh sounds were heard in his lungs, and a spot was found on the x-ray.  so we are on meds for 14 days and we are doing a recheck on Christmas eve eve. 

Brion thinks it might be the start of pneumonia.  I asked about bordetella, and he said this could present like this. The meds he is on would take care of both.

So he looked and acted just fine for the vet.  was good the whole ride down and the whole right back.  Get home and medicate him, and poof he starts coughing and bringing up more mucus!  fortunately the pill stayed down.  He wouldn't take a treat from me (to help wash the pill down with) but did from my husband.  He's still not really eating, but he is enjoying the bits of turkey he's getting.

We have eyes

While Brianna's eyes aren't perfect, they are much improved.  The "good" eye has some areas of the conjunctiva that aren't red and the "bad" eye is now easily visible.  The conjunctiva is still quite swollen, but definitely much better.

The boys are all doing so well, they are now "full of it"  I don't know how on earth every set of kittens keeps finding "it" I swear I don't store it in there, but yet some how, "it" keeps finding them.  I had lots of chaos and mayhem in the room, and once I got in there I had kittens hanging from my legs (I'm always happy when that phase ends)

Still eating well, and doing very well.  and they do make me laugh.. oh how they make me laugh..