Eli update

Well the dental was pretty straight forward. He did have a broken tooth they had to remove, so that means antibiotics.. *hangs head* NOT a fun thing in my house for Eli.

Eli spent the first six months of his life being medicated for one URI after another. It got to the point where we had to isolate him to even catch him to pill him because every time we walked towards him (pilling time or not) he ran. He's now 7, and he's still running, albeit we have to be walking right at him and with a purpose. Let's just say he's still quite wary.

I opted for pills and went out and got some pill pockets.

The first morning I found him in the bathroom and locked him in and then went in and pilled him. I hadn't tested out the pill pockets will a pill in them (he liked the plain ol PP) and since this was an easy thing, I just did it. Freaked him right out, but we got through it pretty quickly. After wards I gave Jack his supplement for his urinary issues, and was amazed at how different the pilling experiences are. Eli is skittish, nervous and I need to be very careful putting my fingers anywhere near his mouth. Jack just sat there. I opened his mouth very easily, dropped the pill in, it went a little askew, so I stuck my finger in his mouth to pop it down his throat. Almost night and day.

So last night I split the pill in two to make them a little easier to hide in the PP. got out a hand full of dry food "treats" and threw it down for the cats. I got in the mix, and carefully gave each of the two PP'd pills to Eli. He was a little suspicious as to why I was keeping the other cats away, but he ate them no problem. This morning same deal, but I didn't split the pill. Stupid because if it hadn't worked, then finding him to get the pill in him wasn't going to be easy, but he gulped it right down and didn't ask questions (other then why can't Fleurp steal this from me?) So, this might actually work.

Skippy's exam was very "boring" (vet's words) and straight forward. He isn't worried about the rare congestion he's showing. The vet thinks it might be an allergy to something. I think it is his tricky way of saying he hasn't gotten enough attention lately. When I started fostering, I had a litter of kittens that would sound all congested if they didn't get to run around the house the evening before. I would let them out and the congestion would go away. (this was pre-fiasco and I almost never let fostered kittens run around the house any more especially if they are showing signs of illness) The vet commented several times that he looks a lot like an unfolded fold. He was found half dead in a driveway apparently, so I have no way of knowing, but if an unreputable breeder was breeding folds and only wanted folded folds, then I could see them ignoring him and not caring what happens. He does seem to have the physical traits and the personality traits of a fold.. *shrug* not that I care in the least, I just think it is interesting

On a side note, we think Kit isn't feeling well. She is eating, and seeking out attention, but she's reserved, and hasn't been coming to 'treat time' as enthusiastically as she used to. I tried to check her out this morning, but she was a little paranoid about the exam. Her eyes seemed a little sunken in, or maybe the conjunctiva was a little swollen (hard to tell it was slight) and she might have been a little dehydrated, so I gave her some fluids, opened up a can of cat food, and left her in the bedroom to be alone for the day with the food. Hopefully I am over reacting and this is nothing more than a down couple of days for her. Examining her, I realized once again what a very petite little cat she is. A five pound kitty doesn't leave much leeway when it comes to illness.

Six cat wake up call

Well this morning was fun... NOT!

Eli is at the vet having a dental - It's been over due for a while. And to get him there I had to get up two hours early. Well this sparked great fascination with my crew. First it was Ollie Jack and Muffin. Then Eli showed up. I had the "old crew" sitting on and around me staring at me, wanting attention. Then Twee showed up followed shortly by Skippy (who is going in this afternoon for his "meet the vet" check up)

I finally convinced all the cats that the world was not coming to an end and got up out of bed and started my day. Got in some exercise, fed the fosters, got breakfast and my lunch ready and went off in search of Eli to capture and crate up.

Fortunately at one point he was alone in the bedroom, so I had shut the door. At least I knew what ROOM he was in, but catching that boy is NEVER easy. I went and got a carrier to have close by, and of course Skippy and Fleurp both wanted to know what was going on and tried to investigate. Got them out of the carrier, got the towel IN the carrier, now to catch the boy.

Sent DH in first, since Eli knows I am up to no good. No go. I think he heard us talking and probably the noises of the carrier, so he's hiding.

Finally find him, far corner of the bed. I'm of course on the wrong side. Send DH to the other side to try to roust him out of there, and he moves to an ungrabbable spot. We finally roust him out from under the bed, and now he's freaked, hunched over and squeaking like his nickname implies. Oh so upset, I snuggle him but he's not buying it. I stick him in the carrier - which he does not want to go into but Skippy does - and shut the door.

Well he has not stopped squeaking. Instead of meowing, he squeaks. High pitched 1/4 of a meow, it is how he has always communicated with us. Just once have I heard him actually meow, and it was an odd little noise.

Squeaks while walking down the hall, squeaks while hanging out in the kitchen while I get my jacket on. Squeaks while I carry him out to the car, squeaks louder due to the echo of being in the car. I try covering the carrier up, but it doesn't help. The squeaks become swear words. How I'm a horrible mom, and how life is just not worth living, etc. 40 minute drive down to the vet listening to him squeak the whole way down. Get there, carry him into the vet squeaking the whole way, get in the vet and check him in, yup.. he was squeaking.

I wonder if he has stopped yet.

I feel bad, but sometimes you just have to make them unhappy for their own good..

Dory & Rory

It has been a while since I updated you with a photo of my newest foster kitten.  She is a little spit fire, that is for certain.

Dory the mom is another Tweedle.  She's very slow on the uptake but as sweet as can be.  She's overly picky with food too... and is yet another cat who does NOT like Iam's cat food.

Update on First and Third

I got a phone call on Sunday that they were back at the shelter and up for adoption.  By the time I got there Second had already been adopted, but First and Third were there.  They had been renamed by their current foster parents to Spot and ... well something else beginning with S but sadly I don't remember.  I am sorry I didn't get to see Second.  I bet she was quite lovely.

This is what they looked like then.  Second is in the front, First is in the middle and Third is in the background...

This is what they look like now..   That is First with his nose down.  You can't see the spot on his nose (he was the one called Spot) it had gained a few friends.  That is Third with his foot up behind his head.  I couldn't believe how dark he had gotten.  He seemed like he was going to be a tan kitten.  They were both quite frightened, and I could not get any better photos than this.  I feel a little better that I wasn't the cause of their not adjusting while they were with me.  It must have just been their nature.  It was odd because their mom was so friendly.  But the couple who took them in spent a lot of time with them, and did what they could to help them socialize.  I know I let them go early enough that if it had been the lack of time I had they would have adjusted out of it..

a few photos

I interrupted Fleurp when she was grooming. She looks like this a lot, as she spends a lot of time grooming, and is easily interrupted.



Skippy carving out a little sun bathing time. Looks so relaxed doesn't he?



Quality time with the kitties. Fleurp in the far background. Eli to the left, Twee to the right and the Skipster lounged over my thighs. I had the worst time taking this photo since he is on my upper thighs, angling the camera and seeing through it was impossible, so I kept taking shots and trying to reposition the camera to make sure they were all in the shot.  Eli got annoyed the flash going off so much that he left shortly after this photo was taken.


This is the whole crew.  I can't hand feed them treats as doing so often ends up with me shedding blood (claws in the thighs, teeth in the fingers) so I toss them on to the ground.  This is the ONLY way Twee eats treats.  If I ever catch her alone and try to offer her something individually she completely ignores it.  If I am bold and try to hand feed treats and toss one in front of her, it usually bounces off her nose and she completely ignores it.