Good Morning Skippy

day five, no ring worm.. *fingers crossed*

SKIPPY!!

I have yet to introduce you to my newest foster..

yes. Go ahead and say it. I'm a sucker.

So I stopped by the shelter earlier in the week to get supplies (because OMG the nuts eat a lot of food) and the foster coordinator asked me if I wanted to take a hard luck case they had. He was found in an abusive situation, half to 3/4 dead, and then ended up with a raging urinary infection. They wanted to watch him for a couple of days to see how he was doing, but could I take him home on Sunday??

yes, I'm a sucker. I said sure. I asked if they could come up with a friend for him, since only kittens tend to not learn the manners they need.

Well on Saturday night two long haired kittens came in. So they offered those to me as well. They had just come in and hadn't been tested, so I waited while they went to test them, but when the tech went to get them, they found they had a raging case of ringworm. Since ringworm is fungal and airbone, Skippy was exposed. He was on the other side of the room, and the kittens were only in there for a short time, etc, but still.

Well after having heard Skippy's story, I could not risk him not being put in foster care (not many foster homes want to risk ringworm) so I brought him home and set him up in my bath tub:

click to enlarge


Because of his urinary infection he was previously sent to the vet and sedated for a catheter, so they neutered him already. Just need to get him healthy and up he'll go for adoption. Also because of the UI he's on antibiotics and Albon for intestinal issues he's had. so he gets ABs twice a day and Albon once.

So this poor little boy, who's probably 10 weeks old and should be causing major havoc, is just as good as can possibly be. I would be a lot more concerned about how easy going he is if A) he hadn't shoved his toy mouse in his water bowl and B) he wasn't as good as he is on laying on a HUGE guilt trip. He lays it on so thick that he must have been an actor in a previous life.

right now all he wants is to be held. If I'm not holding him, he'll make attempts to get out of the tub, but once I have picked him up he starts purring like a motor boat and just revels in being held.

His fur is quite soft, like a bunny. His markings on his chin, chest and legs are in cream not white. He's got a short little nose, and almost has a tough boy kind of look, but he is a completely push over. He is very very special. I won't be able to get better pictures for about a week as I don't want him running around the bathroom while he's possibly brewing an infection, and if the door to the tub is open he's right there wanting attention.

and I don't regret taking him for one second, but talk to me again if I or any of my cats get ringworm..

Mixed Nuts at work

I love calling this crew of kittens mixed nuts (Macadamia, Cashew, Pistachio, Hazelnut and Almond)

I brought them in to work to help expose them to different things. it helps make them more confident kitties and better equips them to go to new homes. They are quite confused by having so much space that they quite often got off by themselves and couldn't see the rest of their clan, and would cry out in loneliness.

They also had a bit of a scare. One of my co-workers brings his boston in to work, but rarely on Mondays because his wife is home, but for some reason he came in today. No one heard them come in until the dog was already chasing the kittens. The co-worker insisted that the dog only wanted to play, but it was NOT play behavior. Poor kitten that got cornered ended up smelling like dog, but fortunately nothing major happened. After the excitement of the encounter we got them calmed down, and they decided that a kitten pile nap was in order...

The Crew

So I got a coupon for some free digital prints, and I have some cute photo frames I want to fill up with photos of the crew, so this morning I took my camera (yes, the stupid Kodak one who will NOT focus on the cats no matter how hard I try) and took about 100 photographs of the kids. These were the only ones who came out half decent (and one that isn't half decent but is too cute anyway)
Click on any photo to view the larger format:

So first I took photos of Ollie. Sitting on the fridge I figured I had a half decent chance of getting a good photo


Then Fleurp decided she wanted in on the action


Then I took a few of Jack that did not come out at all (the rug he was on was clearer than he - the item in the CENTER OF THE PHOTO) and Fleurp was not amused she wasn't the center of attention


So then Muffin came around, and I got one of her on the chair. Unfortunately that was all blurry too, and the first one of Muf and Kit was bad, but this one was cute.


seriously, you would think this kitten never gets any attention!!



Tweedle walked by, and the first few of her were all blurry, but I got this one


Eli's first photo was horrid, the second was good, and he was out of there, because he knew I was going to want to clean his face


More Fleurp.. I swear...


So then Muffin jumped up on the cat tree and proceeded to pose for me in the MOST DIFFICULT POSITION POSSIBLE. I love her.. really I do, and she totally makes me work for it


so I got her to turn around with a few well placed complements and some begging



but then she decided she needed to wash up.


and because that picture was just so priceless, a few close ups



Then I thought I'd go get a photo of Brianna, the Bunny. and guess who showed up


Tried to get one with out Fleup. Tried...

*hangs head*

I am a bad kitty mommy today. I think I've been forgiven, but I'm still kind of ashamed.

Jack needs to get some medication every day. I can either force him to take it, or sneak it in a little meat snack. He prefers the meat snack - and frankly I do as well because he takes it willingly. I've never been a fan of forcing my cats to do anything. I can, and easily, but if there is another way I'll take it.

So Fleurp, never one to practice self restraint, needs to be distracted so Jack can eat his "treat". She will steal anything from anyone and not show a second of fear or remorse or anything. She wants, she gets, period. So she gets a little to distract her, then I give to anyone else standing around, then Jack gets his. Usually by the time Jack has his, Fleurp is done with hers, and is in everyone else's face, but I have time to grab her and hold her.

Today though, she wasn't cooperating with the distraction, and clawed me when I tried to offer her a second piece. i'm trying to teach her that she will get food if she is calmer about it, but she's just not into that. I try to show her that other kitties get food for being calm, but she just goes and steals theirs. I'm making some headway, but it is much like moving a beach with a teaspoon.

So today Jack took his treat and ran off with it. Fleurp ran right after him, so I pushed her gently away and guarded him while he tried to get the deli meat up off the floor. I need to remember they don't do well with bigger pieces of deli meat, because it takes them longer and pieces fall to the floor and getting flat meat up off the floor is harder. So I pushed Fleurp away and she immediately ran right back, and because my hands smell like meat, I got nipped.

Now it wasn't that hard, but it did shock me, and with out even thinking I cuffed her. Now she's been tapped before, and told "NO" but she's always gotten lots of warning before it happened. This time she just got hit. I could see the shock in her face, and she was immediately fearful of me, hiding behind a chair.

i felt horrible. I did it out of reaction, not out of malicious thought. It wasn't that hard of a smack, no damage was possible, but it was enough to shock her, and all I accomplished was to make her fear getting hit again. I am pretty sure at this age she just can't make the mental connection of why she got hit.

So I went and got another slice of turkey, and gave small pieces out until she could not resist, and I offered her piece after piece. I *think* she's either forgiven me or forgotten about it, but I won't know for certain till I get home tonight.

This is the second time I've lashed out at my kitties with out thinking. I did it years ago to Ollie when he smacked me on the face leaving marks. I felt absolutely horrible about that one too.

And people wonder why I don't have kids..