Kitten Carpathia

A New Word For Precious Paws - Polydactyl

2009-05-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

Kitten Season 2009 is here and I've been getting a heartbreaking record number of emails from the shelter. It's rainin g kittens!! This is the worst I've seen it and the shelter says they've had seven volunteers ask to be removed from the list. I still have six from last year and really shouldn't take more. It is so hard to see the faces in the photos. I did get one on Saturday from a lady who came to our adoption event. Now yesterday I picked up 4 week old brother and sister polydactyl kittens.

Polydactyl just means extra digits. They are also called thumb cats or Hemingway cats because Earnest Hemingway had several (cats not thumbs). A wonderful woman witnessed a terrible man throwing these two into a dumpster. The woman (who's name is Celeste and I will call her Mamma Celeste because she was their first human foster mamma) had to wait for a neighbor to get home to climb into the dumpster to get the kittens so she stayed vigil making sure nobody dumped any garbage on top of the babies.Sadly this lady is battling cancer and is on Chemothrapy ten hours a day so she couldn't care for them. So I picked them up yesterday. As you can see, the boy has an eye infection. They are on antibiotics and eye ointment and are doing well. They understand their litter box and are showing interest in solid food.

Polydactyls have an extra pad under that "thumb" and one or several digits
I wonder if polydactyls inspired the three little kittens nursery rhyme as these cats look like they have mittens.
So they are upstairs in the nursery now, toddling around like little drunkards. Already purring when held. Now think of the irony:
The wonderful woman who rescued these babies has cancer and the horrible man who dumped them is probably in good health.

Kitten Season Has Begun!

2008-03-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

I have my first litter! I also wrote gobs of stuff and posted photos only to have the whole entry go "POOF"
VANISHED, Arrrgh! I just fed the kittens and started falling asleep with them so it's time to go to bed. I'll be up in a few hours to feed them again anyway. OK here it is in brief:

I have five kittens from three litters. Two tabbies, silver and gold who are brothers; Two torties who are sisters (one of their papers says male but my pal reminded me that Torties are like calicos, 99% female) I checked her hiney, yep she's a girl. They seem to be three weeks old. Last we have a tiny boy, he is under two weeks old. Must be the sole survivor of his litter. What happened to his Mom? What happened to any of their Moms? We'll never know these things.

I feel most comfortable with the orange tabby because he's the biggest and he laughs at all my jokes.

The tiny guy will get better looking! I'm sure of it! He will probably be a classic siamese with the long nose and slim body. He is definitely the most affectionate and that's pretty cool for being so young.
Down side: They have eye infections so they are on antibiotics and eye ointment. Also I can't get any poop out of them. I've been stimulating their anuses (Laymen stop cringing, cat people know what I'm talking about. At least I don't have to do it with my tongue like a real Mama cat!) to no avail. My friend suggested a tiny enema, using an eyedropper.... hmmm never done that before...

I'm Bipostal

2008-03-08T23:13:00.000-08:00

I have a twin Kitten Carpathia site on Myspace.
http://www.myspace.com/kittencarpathia
Since Myspace is so popular and I have a regular blog there, I've chosen to post things there as well. The two sites are not identical twins. I don't always double post. And the Myspace site is done under a different identity. I'm not so inclined to want people to know who I am there. So I am posing as my first hero: a character from a Disney movie.

Titanicat

2008-02-19T12:46:00.000-08:00

I was spared. The teeny tiny babies were taken in by somebody who was likely more capable than me. I hope they fare well. WHY are two day old kittens all alone in the world in the first place? There are a million reasons most involving cruel humans.
Anyway, I found something really neat today. It's a new book that isn't out yet and it's called "Titanicat". It's by Marty Crisp who has written a lot of books for children including one about a dog on the Titanic. This one is about a cat on the Titanic and is supposed to be a true story.

I am unsure of whether this is an urban legend or true story. It is claimed to be true and I like it so I'll believe it. Here is what I've gleaned:

Anne Hales of the Irish News, in Belfast interviewed a 92 year old retired journalist named Paddy Scott, who once interviewed a man named Mulholland who claimed to have been a stoker aboard the Titanic during her trials and the run to Southampton.

The stoker's name was Jim Mulholland. The Titanic was built in a yard in Belfast
and even though the ship was new, it was estimated that over 6,000 rats roamed its decks and sub-structures. Most ships employed cats to help the problem of mice. Mulholland worked on Deck F, scouring and scrubbing the deck galley. Mulholland was also given the duty of taking care of the Titanic's kitty who was appropriately (if unimaginatively) named "Mouser". Mouser was a tabby, she was also pregnant. As her condition progressed she probably became less adept at killing her meals so Jim carefully saved scraps here and there for her while they sailed on the trial voyage from the Shipyard in Belfast to Southampton. In Southampton, this ocean liner would make her maiden voyage. Before they arrived, Mouser had four kittens.

Apon arriving in Southhampton, the ship was loaded with lobster and steak and many sumptouous foodstuffs for the passenger list included some very wealthy people. Even with this great bounty, Mouser seemed troubled and one day Mullholland sat and watched while she took each of her kittens down the gang plank one by one getting them off the ship. This fascinated Jim but also concerned him. While the rich and famous went up the gang planks to board the great vessel, Mouser went the other way with each of her children. Jim said to a reporter, "That cat knows something" and signed off the ship himself. I don't have to tell you that this ship never made it to New York.

I found a poem but no author's name:

When men go down to the sea in ships,
As they do to this very day,
They carry along a good ship's cat,
To keep the rats at bay.
One such cat at the Belfast yard,
Had kittens while on board.
The date was April 1912, anno domini, year of our lord.
Now the ship was new, and the crew was,too,
So a trial run was deemed fair.
And the scullion lad, whose name was Jim,
Wound up with the tabby's care.
In the F deck galley Jim scoured and scrubbed,
His job was to bow and bend,
But he saved the scraps from every meal
For the cat he now called a friend.
They circled the coast 'till their anchor dropped
At the port of the White Star Line,
Where the ship was loaded with lobster and steak,
And silver and crystal and wine.
The cat seemed troubled when the trials were done,
Thought she loved her life on the ship.
With kittens in tow, she disembarked,
Refusing to make this trip.
She carried her babies, one by one,
Down the gangplank to the quay,
Two thousand passengers clambered aboard,
But the cat went the other way.
Jim followed his friend and he left that ship,
About to sail the Atlantic.
He bid farewell to the maiden voyage Of RMS Titanic.
When Jim tells the tale of that wise old cat,
He gets naught but a sneer and a scoff.
Over one thousand drowned when that ship went down.
But Jim and the cat got off.
Down with the ship that fateful night,
Went fathers and sons and wives,
But the cat saved Jim by lending him,
One of her own nine lives.

I'm Ascared

2008-02-13T18:44:00.000-08:00

Be careful what you pray for. I've been jonesing for kitten season. I saw my next door neighbor at the market tonight; my neighbor is a former veterinary assistant who is now a professional pet sitter. Am I lucky or what? She asked if I have any kittens yet. I told her "No, not yet and I just can’t wait!" My son echoed me by saying "It's been so long since we had little tiny kittens!" (It's only been since the middle of December but we are both addicted). I got home and by the time I checked email, it was evening. I had a message from Larry at the shelter. (I sometimes refer to as "my dope dealer" as kittens are my drug of choice). He has two grey and white kittens in need of fostering.
Oh boy!
They are two days old.
Oh no!!!!
Yikes! I'm all rusty, It would be ideal after this Winter break to start slowly... get my feet wet so to speak with some easy kittens. This is like jumping into icy water...
Uh oh
I'm about to attack myself with my own analogy!* Yes, icy water like what surrounded the Titanic. That's what these babies are in! They need a life boat! Come on Susan, don't be a pussy! Go get those kittens!
I called Larry, He wasn't in. Phew! I'm off the hook...
No I'm not...
I'm thinking about them.
Truly these kittens would be better off with somebody who has more experience than me. I'm still kind of new at this. I pray that the kittens are in a nice warm house tonight. But I emailed Larry letting him know that if they're still there in the morning, I will take them.
I hope they are not there. I SOOOO hope that they are in somebody's warm hands. Mostly because spending the night in the shelter will expose them to illness. The likelihood of bringing home sick kittens grows with each hour. There's not much I can do until morning. Actually, this is a bit of a wake up call. AM I prepared for little ones? Actually I'm not. I need to get some itty bitty kitty safe litter. Most people use the wheat litter (Swheat Scoop)There is also "The Worlds Best Litter" It's made of corn. Both are actually edible. This is important as the scoopable clay litters can kill a tiny kitten if they ingest even a small amount. It's also something to consider if you have a dog who likes to raid the litter box for a chewy snack now and then.
Eeeeeew!

" It is actually NOT my analogy. "Kitten Carpathia" and the whole Titanic theme are just a bit of the creative madness that comes from my good friend Mike (AKA Broccoli Man). He gets the credit for the idea (but I did the artwork. All the kittens in the lifeboat are fosters of mine) Thank you Mike.

Why Foster Parent?

2008-02-10T19:29:00.000-08:00

The key to a healthy heart is to have many things to love. OK diet and exercise help too but I'm not as good at those things. If you love baby animals, surrounding yourself with them can be like heaven on Earth. It can also be a huge burden of responsibility and the smell is not too heavenly. I started this blog to encourage people to call their local shelters and volunteer for the foster program. While I applaud anyone who becomes a foster parent, I also applaud anyone with the presence of mind to take a good look at what is involved and decide that it's not for them. You are still welcome to come here!
The way I see it is that I get to have these adorable little bundles in my home and it's just a treat. They leave before they're big enough to destroy the furniture; we get them at their cutest! We can also get them at their scariest! Be sure to let the shelter know what age you are comfortable with. I have a friend who took in a litter that was only three days old. They still had the stumps of their umbilical chords on their tummies! These teeny tiny babies don't even have their eyes open and it will be a while before they respond to "love". They are just a collection of neurons snapping and they are feeling traumatized at the loss of their mother. This is like a human baby in that they need care around the clock. You will be setting alarms so you can feed them in the night and unlike a human baby, this is a litter. You may have six mouths to feed every two hours! You will be trained by your shelter before being placed on the foster parent list. If you feel overwhelmed at the end of the training session, BE HONEST! Let them know your limitations! Some times they have litters that are completely weaned but just a bit too young and not socialized. I had a litter like that. They just needed to learn how to get along with people. These kids were even litter trained! What fun, I only had to provide kitten chow and love. Be honest with yourself and the shelter about how young you can handle and how many. I won't take more than five bottle feeders and I've been very lucky in getting litters of only three. Really, three is about all I can handle with bottle feeders. "Lap" becomes a magical word! When you can put a saucer of formula on the ground and have them feed themselves, it's time to break open a bottle of champagne (although by then you may need a good strong jug of moonshine)
The biggest pitfall is saying "good bye" and this is what has most people saying "I could never do it. I'd adopt them all." One thing that helps me is to take a spiritual approach to being able to love without owning. Something does not have to be mine for me to love it. But the biggest help is to have more than one litter so that there are still babies to come home to after you drop off a litter. During kitten season, I rarely come home from the shelter with an empty carrier. The end of kitten season is sad when you come home to an "empty nest" but mine is never empty as I have my pets. My pets who have so generously shared me now have me back to themselves and THEY are very happy. I try to focus on their happiness instead of my loss.
YOU WILL FALL IN LOVE!
You are supposed to. You are teaching them how to love you, that's a two way street. It can be heart breaking. The worst is when you lose one. Don't kid yourself, it will happen. No matter how well you do things, sometimes they arrive in this world with something wrong with them that doesn't show up until they are in your arms, dying and all your love won‘t make them well. Sometimes they catch something and it may be partially your fault. Sometimes the shelter vet will tell you that a sick kitten is a lost cause and that you must euthanize this one to save the rest of the litter. The lofty dream of being able to save that one sickly little thing is the stuff that Disney movies are made of. In reality you may kill a whole household. Miracles can happen but don't subject other lives to wishful thinking.
All that being said, the joys FAR outweigh the sadness. I can only speak for my own experience but it’s one of the funnest things I’ve ever done and I’ve done a lot of fun stuff. The winter months seem extra cold without the pitter patter of tiny feet; little pads as soft as babies' lips and the chorus of purrs that engulfs me when I lay down on the floor. I am eagerly awaiting kitten season. It should be just around the corner...
Hi my name is Susan, I'm a kitten addict.

Product Review: Ssscat

2008-01-29T18:06:00.000-08:00

I just bought Sssscat which is a spray can attached to a motion sensor. The idea is that when the cat goes near it, they get sprayed. So you put it in a place that you want to be off limits to your cats.

There are few places where I don't allow my cats but my Tabitha insists on getting herself up in a high window to sit on the sill. The problem is that in order to get to this window she has to climb the dining room drapes and not only is she clawing them up but she's bending the bracket holding the curtain rod. She has also introduced my two "kitteens" to the joys of this place and the curtains are suffering from their use as a stair case.

Tabitha, being the only female pet in the house is extra cunning and clever. While she knows I don't approve of this, when Mom's away, Tabitha will play. While she makes sure that I rarely catch her, the bent curtain rod holder gives her away. So I bought Sssscat, placed it on the window sill and crossed my fingers.

It speaks well of my cat to say that she completely "got it". OK Mom put that hissy thing up there, I guess she really doesn't want me climbing up the drapes." I also made available another window for her to gaze out of so she's fine with the new situation. As evidenced by an un bent curton brace, none of the cats have been up the drapes!

It works! It's a bit pricey, over 30 dollars for a can of air and a motion sensor. I began to think of other uses for my investment. Maybe if you put it on some bug spray and put it outside... put it on foot spray and place it near my son's shoes... Actually I think the company should consider remarketing this product for use by Parapsychologists. The unit could be efective for detecting ghosts or at least it seems that way. It's rather unnerving to have it just go off when you're all alone and nobody is near it. What triggered it?

Gram, is that you???

The Search for the Perfect Food

2008-01-09T05:11:00.000-08:00

I'm as clueless as the next guy; so much to consider! There are so many special labels out there that you can only get in pet stores. There is also my friend who has always always given all her cats Purina Cat Chow. One would think that would be like the McDonald's of cat food but her cats live forever!

Being that my household is 90% neutered males (my son not included in census), there are special health concerns. Neutered male cats get crystals in their urinary tracts. (neutered dogs get FAT) The vet bills for these crystals far outweigh the cost of premium food. Even "Doctor No Nonsense" is pretty emphatic about this one and has a special diet that maybe I ought to try. But the hard part is getting something they LIKE!

Money is definitely a concern here but so is flavor and the convenience of getting the stuff factors in too. I'm not a well organized person and being able to buy the food at the grocery store sure is appealing and often necessary. HOWEVER the grocery store is more expensive than the fancy pet stores when it comes to the price of the brands that you can get at both places. Maybe I'm just stupid but that surprised me as I always figured that a place that charges six dollars for a little squeaky toy was marking up their food as well. Not at all, Fancy Feast Elegant medleys is ten to fifteen cents a can cheaper than at Ralph's (Kroger's). Walmart is lower still but shopping there is not something I'll ever endorse (unless they pay me a lot) but something I do because at this point in my life I'm not wealthy enough to have ethics. (I'd love to spew my political feelings about what corporations are doing to this country and its CITIZENS but I'll do that elsewhere and try to keep my focus here on kittens.)

If I'm going to spend a minimum of 75 cents on a thimble sized can of food, I'd like to think that it has some nutritional benefits. The Elegant Medleys taste great. Yes, I have sampled them and they don't have that awful crude fat by product taste that most have. (Yes indeed, I have tasted cat food. Get over it, this is the kind of stuff I'm willing to do as research) In the case of Captain, just getting him to eat regularly was the goal but normally I would prefer to say "Here's your food, like it or starve."

I would prefer to say that but more often I say, "Oh itty bitty baby no likey da poo poo foody! Baby try bury like doody in widder box! Mommy make good num num! Mommy do now!" then I cook a chicken and rice and pathetically await my kitties' approval of my cooking. If they don't like it, my self esteem plumets.

I may have found the solution: Newman's Organics. It is a premium food and they now stock it at Kroeger's (Ralphs). I wanted to try it because ... well, I like Nell Newman, her Dad's cool too and some of their profits go to good causes. I don't know what good causes but I'm sure they're good because I trust Cool Hand Luke. Also, when I was a kid, I really liked Nell's performance in "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds"*. Now I know that it is just that kind of blonde logic that won't have you coming back to this blog for more of my sage advice, but hey, why not try it? It comes in larger cans so it's not as expensive as the Shebas of this world and Nell says it's good for them. (I trust Cool Hand Luke's daughter)

It must taste healthy. They didn't like it too much but I finally realized that this isn't all that important. Canned food is a treat. It is not what they live on. Fortunately, I have been lucky with the kibble. I buy Iams kitten and Iams adult. Why Iams? Because it makes their poop smaller. With five litter boxes this is a good thing. Upstairs I have Purina One. This two kibble routine is a habit from foster parenting. You don't want them to be too brand specific. This way they also have a choice. And if I find that one has been recalled there's a good chance that half my cats will survive.

I'd love to know what others are swearing by or swearing at. When it comes to the really small babies I'm very clear, Royal Canin makes a very tiny kibble for really young kittens. It seems to score well on all levels but I still ALWAYS have a problem with runny stool. (Not ME, the kittens!) Is this just the way? Is there any way to keep these tiny tummies from having such a hard (and stinky) time with handling solid food? I'm open to all suggestions.

*That has to be the best movie name ever.

Hypoglycemia in Kittens

2007-12-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

"Captain" kneaded my heart into silly putty. Now I miss him and foolishly regret not keeping him. Funny how attached you get when an animal has siezures in your hands. OK, it's not funny at all, it was a very scary and costly experience.

I found him one evening lying on the floor (as if he'd fallen) when I picked him up I knew something was wrong. He was lifeless and cold. Were it not for the tiny mew he let out I would have thought him dead. I felt he needed treatment immediately and rather than take him for a half hour drive to the shelter vet, I chose to take him to a nearby emergency clinic. he siezed a couple of times on the way. He had so little life in him that even his siezures seemed half hearted.

I got him in, they looked very worried. They rushed him back to the doctor and once he was stabilized, I was told that his blood sugar had become fatally low and he would have died had treatment been delayed. We discussed how this could have happened and the vet was implying that maybe with all the kittens in the house, this one didn't get enough to eat. Once they had brought him around, he ate very hungrily. I'm sure the vet thought that he had missed a few meals but I knew better, I had seen him at breakfast. They believed he needed to be hospitalized for the night. The bill was already 350.00 and the hospital stay would have brought it to over 700.00. "This isn't even my cat! He's a foster kitten, I can't spend that kind of money on him!" They had brought him out during his revival and while he was sleepy, he seemed OK. He meowed and purred, bless his heart. They suggested they keep him until closing and in the meantime I went out to buy a heating pad and baby food.

Against their advice, I took him home. I put him in my bed and stayed up most of the night with him. He got too hot for the heating pad and eventually ended up under my neck. His brother and sister joined us in the morning and all assumed their positions under my neck to knead and suckle my blanket (I have learned to get them on the blanket and off my skin, kitten hickies are only cute for a little while). He showed no signs of brain damage but was the "wussiest" of all the kittens, crying immediately when tackled. Maybe he was always like that, he had only become affectionate a few days before this incident so I didn't know him very well. I did a little research and bought a bottle of Karo syrup to rub on his gums should this ever happen again. I also made certain that he ate at every meal and even started buying the rediculously expensive Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys because he liked them.

When we did a follow up another vet said that the whole thing was just a fluke and would probably never happen again. This would not mean he is at risk for feline diabetes or anything. I explained this to the shelter when I surrendered him and his brother and sister. Anybody adopting him would certainly have enquired as to why his arm and neck had been shaved. It must not have been of much concern to whover adopted him because he was gone before the weekend was over.

Thursday, I took my teenagers (Sacha and Smokey) in for their final round of shots. I took them to the low cost vaccination clinic (just under 50 bucks each... I shudder at the thought of "high cost") I like the vet there. I refer to him as "Dr. No Nonsense". I asked him about Captain's incident. What I found out was that while it may have been a fluke, there are non diabetic animals that have delicate blood sugar levels. He said that certain small dog breeds are notorious for it. and that they usually have a strong taste for human food and maybe even a sweet tooth. (These guys were eating muffins in their dressing room) Captain definitely had more of an interest in what I was eating than any of the other kittens ever showed.

He said that there was no need for concern or high vet bills because all that's needed is the Karo syrup. If it's caught right away, the animal will come right around and you can give it some food and it will be fine. BUT if not caught or a person doesn't know what to do, the siezures start and brain damage or death can result.

So it's been a week since I said "Goodbye" to Captain and I'll admit I've regretted it ever since. No, I shouldn't have adopted him but I do miss him even more than I thought I would. But hey, that's what happens! You fall in love! Get over it, the job is to take care of them not to adopt them all and become the crazy cat lady of the neighborhood!

BUT what if this happens to Captain again? If I was his owner I would certainly want to know that a simple bottle of Karo syrup could save money, brain cells and even his life. I know all adoptions are confidential. Animal services is a law enforcement agency and can't give any information on adoptors but I wrote to my two contacts to see if they had any way of contacting his owners if they could please pass on the information. It's no big deal, no reason to not keep the cat, it may never happen again but just buy a bottle of Karo syrup and keep it around.

I'm sure I looked like an idiot for writing the letter but I couldn't rest until I did.

Teenage Boyz

2007-12-19T07:27:00.000-08:00

My sister and I and Michael went to see our cousin in Palm Springs right after I took my little ones to the shelter. I was kind of glad to have a distraction so I might not notice the lack of kitten mews or feel the full sting of missing Captain. Now I will get some time with my newest real members of the family, Sacha and Smokey.
We arrived home last night. Now with Michael at school, I am experiencing my kitteens. They don't have any little kittens to play with. Normally at this hour they would be upstairs in the cat play room impressing the little ones with how big and manly they are. Now they seem a bit bored. They are in my face constantly. I feel like the wife of a striking writer; I'm always saying, "Don't you have anything else to do?"

Smokey: Hiya Mom! Watcha doin'?"
Sacha: "She's doing the dishes, Stupid! Hey Mom, can I help you?"
Me: "Boys, please get off the counter."
Sacha: "Awe Mom, you look like you could use a hand, Here's my paw. See I put it in the water, see?" (splash)
Me: "Sacha!"
Smokey: "Here, I wash cup." (thunk)
Me: "Smokey!"
Sacha: "This bottle cap looks like it could use a good scrub". (splash)
Smokey: "You wanna wash this dish again?"(SPLASH)
Me: "No!"
Sacha: "There's that word again. "No". She says it a lot. I think it's your name."
Smokey: "No it your name! She yell at you! See her eyebrows look mad!"
Sacha: "No way, my name's 'Num num' YOUR name is 'No'"
Smokey: "My name is 'Iloveyou'. I know cuz she smiles when she says it."
Sacha: "You're name is 'No!'"
Smokey: "YOU'RE name is 'No!'"

Sacha: "Hey she's going in that room again, let's get in before she closes the door!
(SLAM)
Sacha: "Damn! Foiled again."
Smokey: "She always forget to wait for us."
Sacha: "That's cuz she's getting old. It's hard for her to remember stuff. That's why she needs our help. Remember last night when we were helping her type?"
Smokey: "Ya. I make lot of letters."
Sacha: "Well I'm the one who turned the computer off for her!"
Smokey: "Ya, you is real smart."
Sacha: "Damn right I am. I even had to unplug stuff. She really needs us!"
Smokey: "How can we help her? We out here."
Sacha: "We'll just knock on the door and she'll let us in. It works for Ryan and that's how she lets the dog out."(Bang bang bang)Smokey: "She not coming."
Sacha: "That's weird."
(Bang bang bang bang)
Smokey: "Oh no! Maybe Mommy unconscious! We have to rescue her! I scratch the door down!"
(Scratch scratch scratch!)
Sacha: "That's no good you big pussy! You gotta put some muscle in it! Like this!"
(BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG)
Smokey: "Oh no! Mommy dead! Mommy dead! Waaaa! I miss Mommy!"
Sacha: "There's just one thing left to do; we've got to dig a trench under this door. It's the only way we can save her."
Smokey: "Don't worry Mommy! We coming!"
Sacha: "Hey this carpet comes up real easy!"
Smokey: "And taste good too. Nom nom nom nom."
Me: (Approaching the door) "God $@!*&!!!"

In the distance, my grown cats, Tabitha and Ryan, observe:

Tabitha: "What are you doing?"
Ryan: "I'm watching all their cuteness wear off."
Tabitha: "Awesome! Hey while they're busy, let's go eat all the kibble."
Ryan: "Ah, you're beautiful AND smart."

Last Litter Syndrome

2007-12-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

Ain't he sweet? Look at those itty bitty hands. I wonder what kind of chip the aliens implanted and why didn't they choose the kitten named "Chip" for this procedure.

While first litter syndrome resulted in me adopting, the urge is on me again now that I'm facing last litter syndrome. I'm pretty sure this is the end of feline babies until the weather warms and I'm getting way attached to my last three. These kittens never purred the first week I had them, now they are so loving. They have such great little "hands" they are always kneading and it looks really cute because they are all wearing little white gloves. Captain sort of kneads the air and touches my face when I pick him up, it's very endearing. This is the kitten who started dying for no reason and I took him to the emergency clinic (to the tune of $350.00)His name was Cookie but he did that magic sex change like Lucy did and my son said the name "Cookie" was just too queer so we changed it.
I noticed that some stitches were poking out of him Tuesday while waiting for our time to go on camera. I knew he'd been shaved on his neck but this was the first time I'd seen or felt the stitches. I figured there must have been some life saving device plunged into his corotid artery or something but thought it strange that nobody mentioned bringing him back to get them removed. I guess they don't use the dissolving CAT GUT stitches any more. This will have to come out before he goes up for adoption. Bad enough he has the obvious shaving which will make people think twice about him...
So I called the office and asked about coming in and they put a vet on the phone. "There's no reason for that kitten to have stitches, there is nothing in his record to indicate that sutchers were ever used." "Dang, maybe it's just something stuck on him but it looks like stitches , er, um, sutchers to me."
I remember years ago getting a call from the veteinary office where I used to get my Dog, Cortez, groomed. I got that grave phone call saying "We've found a tumor, the doctor will need to speak with you when you pick up your dog." My heart as pouding on the drive over. When I got there, the tumor had turned out to be a piece of candy cane with a couple of Thomas the Tan Engine stickers that the fur had grown around. I hadn't noticed it before since it was near his dick and I always figured he could clean that part himself. I thought maybe I'd take Captain in and they'd say "Look, it's your dental floss mixed with jam" or something.
The vet said to bring Captain in so he could take a look. I took him into the place and Danielle Spencer was on duty. She's an old friend, you might remember her as "Dee" from the 1970s show "What's Happening". The kids from that show were guests on the Variety Hour so we got to know each other then. (Geri Reischl and Earnest Thomas are still friends and working on a project together) I saw her years later when she was just starting veterinary school. It's so cool that she is practicing near where I live. She's really nice and still looks like she's fourteen (She must have gotten Florence's secret map to the fountain of youth).
We hugged and went bla bla bla for a while and then the vet I had spoken to on the phone came out. He looks at Captain and says "Hey those ARE stitches. Why does he have stitches?" "Don't look at me, I have my sewing machine out but I haven't used it on the kitties, REALLY, I haven't." He removed the sutchers still shaking his head. I talked to him about Captain's little near death experience and he assured me that there is no indication that he will have any more blood sugar issues again. Basically, it was a fluke. (Lucky me). Maybe we can explain his shaved arm and neck as being some kitten fashion statement now that the stitches are out... but why were they there?
We arrived at the only LOGICAL conclusion: Captain must have been abducted by aliens.

I told Danielle that I'm really tempted to adopt Captain. I was hoping she'd say something smart and practical like.. "No, Susan don't." Instead she said "It's always good to have another cat, it's nice the way they interact with each other.""I already have four!"She just smiled a great big smile.I was tempted to do my best Shirley Hemphill impression and say, "Thank you, Dee." but I refrained.

Kitten and Crow

2007-12-12T06:44:00.000-08:00

As much as I love kittens I'm going to give the crow credit here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JiJzqXxgxo&mode=related&search

Going Postal

2007-12-10T11:58:00.000-08:00

From This

To This

I foolishly ignored a friend's advice and got a scratching post covered in carpet rather than rope. I ended up with a post that was shredded to bits in no time.

Scratching on carpeting teaches cats that it's OK to... scratch on carpeting. Who knew? Yeah it's pretty obvious but you see so many posts covered in carpet that I just assumed that it was a good thing. It's not! I have carpeting in my house that looks like the carpeting on the post. Those long fibers from scratched up carpet can be swallowed and choked on and they just look bad. (If your little darlings have transferred their scratching to the carpeting on your floor you know what fun that is to vacuum) So if you have one of these or find somebody who's throwing one away, you can restore it into a better post that won't teach your cats to trash your house.

Get some rope and a glue gun. Take off the old carpet, leaving some on the top as a cushion and wrap the rope around it. It takes a while as you must wait for the glue to cool and harden with each row. Note: hot glue on fingers - not good. That is one nasty burn because it seals the pain in. Weee. Take care and soon you'll have a GOOD AS NEW post that your friends will oooh and ahhh over and wish they were as clever as you.

Bye Bye Lucy and Fred

2007-12-09T06:46:00.000-08:00

If you know anybody who's looking for a couple of really SWEET cats... They said they would try to adopt them out on the "Best Buddy System" which is where you can adopt two for the price of one because they are best buddies (Truthfully, Louie played more with Chip from the other litter)

Lucy (Louie) A906944 Freddie A906945

West Valley Animal Shelter

Lucy's Nice Surprise

2007-12-01T22:43:00.000-08:00

No Voucher for ME?

2007-11-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

My first litter came from the EAST Valley Animal shelter. I ended up adopting two of them, the other two I surrendered for adoption. I heard that I didn't need to have the shelter ship the cats off to be spayed / neutered. I could get a voucher so I could choose a vet near my home. Both of the shelters I foster for are at least a 30 minute drive and that's without traffic which is NEVER the case in Los Angeles. Long story short, the shelter had been busy that day and when they took my kittens back to be micro chipped for adoption, they didn't actually install the microchips. They assigned two but didn't implant them. I found this out in a phone message once I got home. I was in no hurry to drive back out there, and since all subsequent litters have come from the WEST Valley shelter, I've never had the need to even be in the area. As luck, or rather, my stupid brain, would have it, I lost the adoption papers AND my vouchers which were worth $70.00 each towards my kittens' neutering.

I finally got fed up with myself and decided I needed to get my kitteens fixed before leaving for Colorado later in the week so I put them in the carrier and drove them out. Long story short, they got chipped BUT they wouldn't give me new vouchers because surprise, I don't qualify as I don't live in the city! Funny I was perfectly qualified to take care of these kittens but I'm not entitled to free spaying and neutering if I adopt? That is the policy for foster parents. That is the ONE perk we get.

This felt like such a slap in the face. I explained that I had already been given vouchers and the guy said "That must have been a mistake". I got angry and said "With all that we foster parents spend on these kittens you can't pony up a voucher?"
"I don't make the rules Ma'am."

The lady at the other counter was surprised and said "Oh TRY to find those vouchers in your house!" I said "That's not the point. The point is that if I don't qualify for the benefits of other foster parents in the city, this shelter should never have contacted me to ask me to foster, OR I should have been told by somebody." When I got my training and they did a background check, they saw that I didn't live in L.A. nobody told me that I needed to go sign up with the county shelters!

I spent 380.00 on emergency vet care for Cookie when he had his hypoglycemic event and almost died. Without that care he would have died. I know this was not required I know I won't be reimbursed. I CHOSE to do it. I CHOOSE to feed them decent food which I pay for, I CHOOSE to sometimes cook for them. I've chosen to go on TV to promote the foster care program. I don't ask for recognition for any of this but to be denied the smallest form of gratitude the program has to offer really knocked the wind out of me. I'd be thinking of throwing in the towel were it not for returning home and having my five little foster babies purring and mewing at me.

It's for THEM that I'm doing this. F bureaucracy!

A week or so later, I contacted the head of the foster program who told me that this had indeed been a mistake. That really was my main concern but I got my vouchers too which is great! She was super nice and it was great just talking with her on the phone. My cats weren't quite as enthusiastic.

Good Outcomes

2007-11-25T12:36:00.000-08:00

I think my little Brian has a new home. I put his bow on him and made him smell good. No sooner had we parked at the shelter when a lady who had parked next to us asked to see what I had in the carrier. We got inside, she held him, he purred. I told her about him and before I could say "I think he'd like to be an only child". she said "I have no other pets or children." She wanted to see the other cats available but asked the people at the desk to not put Brian away. They told me that even if she didn't take him, he'd go very fast. Instead of leaving the shelter upset, I was very happy. I have since looked his ID up and it's not appearing. That tells me he's been adopted. I hope he's adjusting well and is very happy. My passenger seat is covered in little white hairs; kittens shed a lot when they're nervous. I hate to clean them up, they're like little momentos. So weird to think I'll never see my little emo kitty again but I'm very glad I got to know him.

I Like Boys!

2007-11-23T14:08:00.000-08:00

First off, Brian is still with me. Life got in the way of me taking him to the shelter on Saturday. I decided to wait until this weekend to take him in so that he can have a full Saturday and Sunday when the most pet shoppers come to the shelter. Getting him in late on Sunday and having him possibly wait all week for the right new parent to come on the weekend, seems pointless although I realize he could be there for weeks. I'm hoping he gets picked within 24 hours like 3 out of 4 of mine have.

I got some ribbon that's about the color of his "points" so I can sew him a bow to make him all the more appealing. It's packaging! I want my kittens to get out of the shelters ASAP!

This will be the first time I've surrendered a kitten that I got very attached to. I will miss my grumpy, crybaby, Brian, terribly. The girls that have been adopted seemed quite confident and ready to go get a new home and a new life. Brian is still very much my baby. But he's a boy; they seem much more like babies than the girls do. My neighbor summed it up in a way that completely makes sense to me. She said, "Females are designed to become mothers, but the males are free to remain babies forever." This seems true of other species as well. It might explain why I'm definitely more partial towards the male kittens. It's human nature, we want to be needed and the boys just seem to need us more. I've been saying that I always seem to like the male kittens best until my third litter where the girl, Lucy, is my little darling.

After taking Cookie to the ER for a near death experience with hypoglycemia and finding out tht she was a he, I've learned not to take the shelter's paperwork too seriously. I usually match the collar with the papers to see which kittens are male and female and then I take the markings or some other physical feature as my means for identifying them by the names I or my son give them. I don't generally greet them by looking at their butts, so I never did my own examinations. With this new discovery about Captain I decided to take another look at my other charges starting with my darling little girl, Lucy.

The tiniest of the litter, so dainty...

Look at that sweet little mouth,

with her tiny squeak of a meow,

So lady like,

those darling little paws,

pretty little eyes...

those adorable little testicles...

WHAT?

Yes indeed! Lucy has nuts! Rather appropriate for the holidays don't you think?

Well let's take a look at Fred, Oh dear, he's a girl. Their brother Ricky, who passed away, I know was a boy because I had to clean his bottom so many times as he was always sickly.

Now we need some name changes and here's where my psyche just can't cut it. My brain functions much like that of a ninety year old. Like a squeaky, slow tricycle on a circular train track, it slowly goes round and round and it's very difficult to get it to change course. I can accept that Lucy is a boy I just can't stop calling him Lucy. Fred will become Frederique, and I can still call her Freddy. But Lucy? My sister suggested "Lucifer" but black cats have enough trouble getting adopted, let's not really put the evil on Lucy. I've decided to call him Louie, after my friend, Louie who passed away in March. I MAY be able to get this to stick in my head. There again, my favorite is a boy.

So there you have it; even though I'm surrounded by rumours of Brady lesbianism and I'm knee deep in pussy; I still prefer boys.

Kittens Ate My Blog

2007-11-18T10:35:00.000-08:00

Hello. I'm having a less than rewarding experience with blogger templates and such so bear with me as the type and images may go funky from time to time. I did something perfectly wonderful in Pimp my Profile (really, it's great!) but it won't translate to HTML here.

Enough whining. This is my attempt to get that litterbox smell out of my MYSPACE. I am a foster mother for kittens, I volunteer for the shelters. I found my regular blog was being consumed by stories about my foster kittens. Knowing that not everybody is a crazy cat lady like me, I decided to separate the kitten talk from my regular blog where I scrawl the ramblings of a mildly insane person.
I would hope that this may become a place where information can be shared. I am not a cat expert. I don't even play one on TV (but I'd like to). I'm just a person who is gaining a lot of experience in raising kittens and would like to share what I've learned. Most of all I'd like to learn from others.

So Hello, I must go now and get a kitten back to the pound. He is ready to go, I've taken care of hium since he was four weeks old, both of his sisters were bigger and have already been adopted. I will miss this little guy probably more than I realize right now. But that's how it goes. I knew this job was dangerous when I took it.

-Fluff