Baby Picts

Girl, Boy, Boy, Girl, Girl

We LOVE people!!!!!!!!!!! (and a few more)!!!

Girl - aren't I cute?

Girl - I know I'm cute

The boys, we aren't cute, we are rough and tumbly!

I'm a girl, and I'm cute too (and a total Princess)

Weee!

Love the butt spots.. they look a bit like hearts in this shot

someone peed.

So I brought them home, set them up, Minerva was more interested in exploring the bathroom then dealing with them.  I went back to work and figured with me gone The Crew would stop nosing at the bathroom door and would give Minerva some peace and she'd get to the business of taking care of babies.

When I got home they were all STARVING!!!!!!! (and a few more !!) (but yet they were much more substantial then when I had left for work, so I was pretty sure they were fed that afternoon) and so I made up some kitten milk and got busy feeding and stimulating them to pee.  They ate well, they screamed that they weren't being fed all at once (Minerva can do it!!) and they all had a boatload of urine in them.  Two of them pooped, the little tiger girl  had very soft stool and ended up with a butt washing (nice thing about being in the bathroom, constantly clean kittens)  I put them down and they were still screaming.  Minerva could not have cared any less and almost looked at me as if to say "Would you shut them up!" She was intereted in the kitten milk through, so when she came by for an investigation I grabbed her and put her in the cage with the kittens.  I assumed that once they latched on she'd feel better about the whole thing (from what I'm told the Oxycontin release is pretty powerful)  Well she just stood there looking depressed.  I let the kittens nurse for just a few more minutes and then let her out, praising her and patting her and giving her a good portion of the milk.  I "topped off" the kittens and they were still rooting around looking for something, but I knew they were full (because they refused any more milk) and so I left them in the carrier and went to bed.

I was so happy that I slept through the night.  I woke up and went to visit them saw Minerva nursing.  I ran and got the camera and was greeted with that first pict when I returned.  They were all in the carrier when I left, so either they wandered over to find Minerva or she brought them out (I'm going for the former) She still is not making them pee... I guess I can understand that.  Unfortunately that means they are peeing on the brand new bath mat I JUST took the tag off and put down after I cleaned the room.  I mean literally two days before it was spankin new.. *sigh*  *shrug*  kittens are cuter then rugs anyway.. and it will wash.  and if they really mess it up, I can get an even better one :)

I can tell they pretty much all have VERY strong personalities.  They remind me a bit of the Peanuts Girls (Lucy, Patty, Sally and Violet) in how much they want human interaction and how they seem to dominate a room.

(and yes, that No Piggyback post was scheduled from before Minerva went to be spayed.  Her own kittens miss her a bit, but they are adjusting well)

No Piggybacks!!

No piggybacks today son..

He's still back there isn't he?

Please mom!!!

See, it's fun!!

Fawkes LOVES his mother.. I wish I could suggest they could go together, but I'm not sure that would do him any good as I am not sure what is going to happen to Minerva..

I love my mommy!!

Kittens!

Ok, it is a cruddy pict. 

If you look close, you'll see one black and white spotted kitten in the front, then behind him is a tri-colored tiger.  Behind her are three spotted white kittens.  Two boys and three girls.  When I checked one of them started peeing on me - which is not a good thing.  Minerva should have been taking care of that.  I grabbed some toilet paper and started stimulating her and she started pooping immediately.  Unfortunately I wasn't ready for it, and it was very soft - needless to say that kitten ended up with a bath.    So I stimulated them all to pee, and another kitten started to poop so I stopped because I didn't really have the time to give them all baths..   They are weak.. they seem to be a few days behind where they should be.. Hopefully Minerva will step up to the plate and make them fat and happy right quick.  Even if she isn't interested in helping them go pee.  I can do that..

While I was at the shelter I was surprised how many kittens they had.  Four different sets of kittens were sitting in cages because they were still too small to be up for adoption (I'm not even going to mention the number of kittens up for adoption)

Again, the photos aren't the best..

This was a cute pair of kittens.  One was grey and white, the other a dilute tortie.

Another pair..  Love me little kittens with "flame" stripes on their head..

Four adorable kittens (with a mom - who was a calico) taking a nap.  Didn't even wake up when I opened the cage door to take a better picture.

Then there was this set of five kittens:

Not impressed yet?

Still not?

How about now?? lol.  I just LOVE the white eyeliner on the kitten in the background.  I wanted to scoop them up too, but A) I have no where to put them, B) I already have two sets of kittens and my own crew that take up a lot of time and C) I would so end up adopting this kitten.. I just know it.  So best I leave them there

not impressed.

No seriously.. I would.  I mean white eyeliner AND tipped toes..

I'm that cute?

Darn tootin you are! 

Lastly there was this poor soul. I'm assuming male, but I didn't officially check..

He has a warning on his cage letting people know to be careful when they pick him up as he has neurological issues.  Probably CH by the way he was moving about the cage.  If so, it seems pretty mild.  Not sure if he reacts badly to being picked up or why the warning was there..

*sigh*

I hate this time of year.  Donations slow down but the kitties don't.  The shelter only had Iams kitten food for the fosters (I dug around and found something else - I would have bought something if need be - I do not feed Iams as no fosters I have EVER had have EVER eaten it) that someone bought out from the local discount store.  Great that there is food, because any food is better then no food but sad that it was Iams.  It was amusing as I was looking around a staff member came in just as I found a bag and said "YES!" and we laughed.  She said she wasn't a fan of Iams either (same reason I'm not)   It was so nice to hear someone else feel the same way.

Just a little PSA to remind you that shelters feed pets year round, and in the fall the donations usually slow down but the intakes don't until the snow flies (no snow where you are? then I would imagine that the intakes don't slow down)

Minerva plus eight..

Ok that is just funny.  I didn't think about it until I titled the post.. Minerva is a little Kate like..

ANYWAY... last night I brought Minerva in to be spayed.  I'm hoping that once she loses her raging hormones she'll be easier to settle down and it will help her socialize better and understand that biting and swatting at humans isn't nearly as acceptable as it is to other cats.  I had to wait around for the staff to finish up an adoption and as soon as they saw me they asked if I was interested in "bottle babies".

I love bottle babies, but my job just really doesn't make it feasible for me to take them when they are really young.  Too many late nights and too frequent feedings.  I can do it for a few days to wean them on to food, but these guys are two weeks old.  Their mom was hit by a car :(  Five little two week old kittens.  One of the staff took them home that night, but she really wasn't in a position to take on that responsibility either.  I mentioned how much Minerva loved being a mom and how much milk she had left.  She doesn't much like other cats at this point, but kittens are usually different.  I walked out of the shelter last night in limbo.  They were going to introduce the kittens in the morning and see how it went and if she she took to them I'd have five more kittens, and if not I'd have a spayed Minerva.

Well I just got the call.  She took to them just fine.  Part of me is happy about this, and part is a little frustrated as I just got my bathroom cleaned from the last set of kittens in there.  I'm not a fan of keeping kittens in my bathroom for a few reasons (and some of them are selfish) but apparently I am a more not a fan (oh that was a horrible wording) of saying no.

Why the bathroom you might ask?  well I have had a previous bad experience and I swore I'd never mix litters.  It is also why my fosters don't mingle with my resident cats as a general rule (occasionally they escape but I do my best to keep them separated)  There is a risk to Minerva as the kittens are too young to be tested for FIV/FELV but right now her status as adoptable is not secured.  She has shown great improvement in learning proper social skills but there are still times I can see her wanting to lash out (and once when she did) Fortunately I know her cues well enough to stop what I'm doing and attend to her so she calms down, but that is not adoptable.. (sad, I know.. )  So the Potter Pets will remain in the kitten room, and in a few weeks (Fawkes is already 1lb 13 oz.. Hedwig is 1lb 8oz) they will go up for adoption and Minerva and the new class will be getting stir crazy in the bathroom at that point and will be able to move downstairs.

So I'm about to take advantage of my wonderful boss and run out and get them.  Picts to come

Wordless Wednesday