Chimera Kitten

a while back I read a blog that called their kitten a Chimera Kitten because it had a patch of different coloring on it.  I found it fascinating even if I didn't fully believe it.  Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.. genetics - when it comes to coloring - is a very interesting thing, but regardless of the truth of the matter I've got one.

Little violet has a patch of orange tabby on her chest/upper belly.  It is the cutest thing.

Food for thought (warning, I'm on my soap box)

Still very little poop in the boxes for Kate, Pippa and Bug.  BUT what was there was well formed tootsie shaped and colored.. so I believe I am justified in saying this is most definitely a food issue.

Some cats have IBD and can not deal with certain ingredients.  Plant based ingredients tend to be right up there in the major allergens in cats.  Humans have peanuts, milk, seafood etc; cats have wheat and corn (among others for both).

As I mentioned a while back, I've been diagnosed with adrenal fatigue.  As a result I've had some really annoying weight gain.  As a result of that I've been trying to follow a "whole food" diet and not eating anything processed (aka out of a box) and trying to eat organic and avoiding GMO foods.  What I learned is that most corn and soy in this country is GMO.  (wait, stay with me, I get back to the kitties pretty quick here)   Unless it says it is not GMO, then it probably is.

As I was reading one of blogs I follow I saw this:

Did you know that animals, when given the choice, will choose non-genetically modified food?!  Watch this powerful video with Jeffrey Smith, author of Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies About the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You’re Eating

the link goes to the book, not the video. which is here.  Just a short bit about how cows pick non GMO corn over GMO corn, then goes on to promote a website that helps you buy non GMO foods..

But I got to thinking,  that most likely the plant based ingredients in the cat food you buy out there is probably GMO.. and the plants the animals were fed prior to being cat food were probably GMO..

it's just sad.

Which is just yet another reason I feed raw. 
http://www.catinfo.org
http://feline-nutrition.org
http://maxshouse.com
http://www.felinenutrition.net

talking to kittens

I'm starting to believe that cats understand a LOT more then we give them credit for.  There have been incidents with my own crew, but I've chalked that up to the whole spending so much time together thing.

The other day I was down with the four girls and I was watching TV.  I looked around and saw Lucy sitting in front of the water bowl. I don't spend a lot of time worrying about water for the kittens since they eat so much canned food and it is rare that I get a set of kittens that actually drinks water.. well she was sitting there patiently and I had to wonder if the bowl was empty so I asked her.  She looked at me, stood up, and then walked over to the bowl and stepped in it as if to say "YES! it is very much empty!!"   I couldn't help but laugh and I went over and filled it up. she took a lick and walked away.  I don't think she was thirsty, I think she just wanted it filled up - which is so like her.

Then today while I was down playing with them Sally was hanging back.  I get the distinct impression that she is much like a 4-5 yr old kid hanging out with 8 yr olds.  She wants to play but they overwhelm her.  So she sat on the side lines.  After a few minutes she started backing away then turned around but she was doing it a bit oddly.  The best way to describe it would be if another kitten jumped on her, but there was no one around her.  I called her name and she perked right up, turned on a dime and RAN towards me.  We snuggled for a bit and then climbed up on the couch.  I gave her a mouse to play with to build up her confidence, but after a few minutes she did want to play with the bigger kittens.  she didn't want to jump down from the couch, so she ran over to the window seat (which is higher up) and tried to jump down,  so I called to her again and told her to come back and she squeaked and ran right over to me.  It was just the cutest thing.

Kate and Pip have made HUGE strides.  Kate has adjusted to Bug just fine.  Pip is a little upset by the whole thing.  She's growling pretty easily at things.. but she's not hiding.  DH came in and sat with them for a bit and was able to pat Kate's belly.    I had to trim their claws because they were drawing blood.  I thought Kate would hate that more, but it was Pippa who ended up in the burrito.  There was also no poop in their litter boxes today.. I know raw causes things to be dramatically less and is very healing to the colon, so hopefully things are back on the right track.  They ate like fiends this evening so I don't think that they are having issues.. but I will be keeping a close eye on things.


Edited because I just remembered the Jack incident.  I was sitting on the couch and he was on the arm trying to be cool (it was leather, so it was a little hard for him to perch like he wanted) Jack is a jealous boy, and likes it when I give him attention in front of the other kitties.  I was talking to him and told him I wanted him to give me a kiss.  Well this isn't something he normally does, leaning in for me to kiss him, and again he was perched on leather and he was having a hard enough time keeping his footing, but I kept asking him, and he turned and leaned in and let me kiss him.  It was so sweet.

and Happy World Cat Day!

poop patrol

Yes, this is a poop post, you were warned



so with Bug having issues, and Kate and Pippa having issues, scooping the box is going to be interesting.  I just fed them breakfast and scooped and saw a rather large and normal looking dark stool, which I assumed was Bugs because it was a different color and larger then Kate and Pippa have been leaving me.

I was quite excited by this, since the shelter told me she was leaving pudding piles.  I sat and cuddled with Bug while Pippa ate a little (she won't join in the communial plate, but once she gets in there she gets all growly)

Bug was very cuddly and looking for snuggles, so I decided to sit on the far end of the room with her and the toy and snuggle with her.  When I sat down, I saw a drop of something on the floor.  Turned out Bug was leaking again!!    Fortunately I had a towel right near by so I didn't get it all over me, but she didn't much like having her butt wiped.

After a few passes, I realized she wasn't going to stop so I put her in the box hoping that she'd pass most of the liquid, and fortunately she did.  Some pudding like stool came out, then something a little firmer, and just when I had hope this was nothing the rest of the liquid came pouring out of her.  *shakes head*  poor thing.

Which is when I remembered that I saw her evening medication when I went to pick her up.  They mix PanaKare with food, and instead of the A/D they said to give her on the cage it was chunked - which is full of glutens and other fillers, so *fingers crossed* this is going to be the last of it since I'm back to giving them raw.  They really like it and are eating a TON of it.

and just to make me smile, while I was tending to Bug, Pippa came over and used the box.  Kate ran around sniffing me, all on her own... both are new which is nice.  Kate didn't run and hide when I walked in the room - but she did walk away from me.  Kate also walked toward me because the food was in between us, and she sat down to eat near me and I was able to pat her without much reaction..   I think Bug is good for her.

Intros

It's always tricky when introducing kittens.  You can't help but wonder if they'll get along or have a raging fight and you need to stick your hand in the middle of flying claws and teeth.  So I put Bug down in her carrier to see what happened....

Kate & Pippa are very interested.

I was a little surprised how interested they were.  They were ignoring their fear of me over the interest in the kitty.

My opening the door was a bit too much

The hinge squeaked and my stepping forward was a bit too much, so they ran behind the toilet again..

SHE'S OUT!!

It didn't take long at all for them to try to get to her.  If you see in that photo above, Bug's poor back "knees" are missing all the fur.  So then I cleaned up the dry food that Kate and Pippa spilled and threw all around the room and went and got some more raw food.

FOOD!

Bug took to it like a fish to water.  Unfortunately she was a little food aggressive, so I had to keep intervening.  Eventually she got the fact that if she growled she wasn't going to eat.

My food!! ~Bug

Sharing is a good thing

 I was a little surprised that Kate was less concerned with Bug's growling then Pippa was.  Pippa backed off and went and sat in the carrier for a bit, but Kate kept eating.  By this time my husband was in the room helping me out and Bug wanted to investigate him and Kate wanted to be near him.   He brought in two clean litter boxes so we could change out the one they had been using and was getting a little gross.  Not sure what was more interesting there for a while, clean boxes or Bug.

Yours has litter and mine doesn't.

Then the cutest thing happened.

Kate sitting quietly on DH.

I think she was staking her claim.

so Kate and Pippa like DH and cats, but not me.  (but then again I give them medication all the time so I can't blame them there)