Titanicat

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

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?

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

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

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

"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

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."