Afternoon Siestas

This is likely the last photo I'll post of all five kittens together. Cindy, Scruffy, and Sydney are moving on to their next stop on life's train this afternoon. They're weaned, and they've outgrown the only safe place I have to keep them at the moment with large portions of my home still being remodeled. They've become too adept at escaping, and are getting major cabin fever being cooped up in the bathtub. So, with lots of people chomping at the bit to foster kittens, I've decided to send them on their way to another home where they'll hopefully be more comfortable.

Tiny and Sam are probably staying for now, at least until they are weaned.

The Tank is Full But the Gauge is Broken

I am convinced that these kittens have broken gas gauges! At the moment, three are consistently taking food from the muffin pan. Tiny watches the others closely and looks like she's ready to give it a try at any time, but so far she hasn't. Sam has decided after trying it yesterday that he'd rather stick with the bottle a bit longer. However, on the outside chance they change their minds, I've been putting down enough food for all five. No problem - Cindy, Sydney, and Scruffy are happy to eat their share and the other two's as well! All three had tummy aches today, thanks to over-stuffing themselves. I may have to start separating them for their feedings -- enough for three in one pan, and enough for two in the other!

Sam made up for staying clear of the camera yesterday by giving me a darling little pose this morning. I think that's his "May I have a bottle, please" look. (Yes, you may, as soon as I finish taking your picture!).

Tonight, I finally managed to catch all five of them together and looking at the camera. Unfortunately, it seems the only time they can sit still long enough for this is right after they've just eaten themselves into oblivion and are too full to move I guess! The three that are eating on their own are easy to spot in this picture - they would be the ones with wet faces, milk mustaches, and caked on food!

Little Paws, Big Steps

Some major milestones for the kittens today. The first happened this morning - every single one of them pooped on their own, most at least in the general vicinity of the litterbox, though only a couple actually hit it. Still, it was clear they all had the right idea, just insufficient equipment to work with (more on that later).

The second happened at the first feeding. After a week of futilely placing gruel in their dishes only to dump it out virtually untouched later, I got the idea to just put down some plain canned food on a saucer without mixing in the KMR. Cindy immediately started eating it. I repeated the process for their afternoon meal, and this time, everybody but Tiny dove in. Four out of five ain't bad! They'll still need some bottle-feeding for at least a couple more weeks, but this was definitely a major step. They even ate some gruel from the dish tonight.

Tiny had a little milestone of her own. She's been somewhat withdrawn compared to the other four, often just sitting in the corner with her back turned kind of hunched over. She hasn't seemed sick, just sad like she knows she's the runt and feels a little left out. Today she had a lot more energy, and was even jumping up and down in the tub trying to get attention. She also ended up with the cutest picture of the day.

I am happy to report that the kittens are now kid-tested. They spent much of the afternoon with my 10-year-old nephew. He kind of spoiled them a little, apparently! When I got home tonight, they clearly expected to be taken out of their tub and played with some more. When I didn't oblidge right away, a couple of them took matters into their own paws! First Cindy, and then later Sam, finally figured out how to scramble out of the tub. So, now, I'm putting that large box one of my new kitchen appliances came in to use as a soft, inescapable landing spot in case anyone else decides to go "overboard" tonight!

In celebration of their new-found ability to eat and go to the bathroom on their own, I got the kittens a couple of presents tonight. One is a muffin pan, which will be their food dish for the foreseeable future. It's an easy way to give each kitten a separate dish, with some spare ones for water and dry kibble, while leaving room in the tub for other items--such as their new "litterbox". The little salad dish I was using just wasn't big enough for five kittens. So, I got them a bigger pan. It still won't hold all five of them at once, but at least maybe two or three can get in at the same time. I wish I could take credit for the muffin pan idea, by the way, but I can't. I saw a picture on a message board a while back of someone feeding a litter of puppies this way. Great idea. Of course, the kittens didn't line up quite as nicely for a picture like those puppies did!

The kittens had their first weigh-in today. Yes, unfortunately, I'm just now getting around to doing this. My house is undergoing major remodeling, and I was only now able to find where I'd packed away the food scales! As expected, Cindy was the biggest at 13 7/8 ounces, followed by Sydney at 12 7/8, Sam at 12 3/4, Scruffy at 10 5/8 and Tiny at 9 3/8. Unfortunately, I forgot to weigh them until after they'd pigged out on their new canned food diet!

Meet the Quints

It's been a while, but as they say, when it rains, it pours kittens. Or something like that.

My latest pint-size house guests are somewhere between three and four weeks old. I brought them home a week ago to foster. I originally intended to only keep them for a day or two until another foster home could be found, since I wasn't sure I could handle bottle feeding five kittens all by myself while also having major remodeling work done in my home. But these little ones turned out to be no trouble at all. They eat very quickly, and are far enough along in their development that they don't "ask" for food in the middle of the night. :) So, as long as they don't outgrow the tub in my one working bathroom before my regular kitten room is painted, they'll be sticking around until they're weaned, and maybe all the way until their ready for adoption.

For now, their names are Cindy, Sydney, Sam, Scruffy, and Tiny. Cindy and Tiny look like girls, Scruffy and Sam look like boys, and Sydney has an irritated bottom, so I can't tell for sure (I'm guessing boy, but I used a name that could go either way just in case). They're learning to use the litterbox, occasionally sampling gruel, and starting to play. They seem like they're going to be really sociable.

Home for the Holidays

I am happy to report that Luke and Leia have found a home just in time for Christmas! Their foster mom has decided to keep them. They're also getting new names (yes, again!). Their mom once had a dog named Luke, and to her that name will always belong to him. So, she has decided to rename them Liam & Leila.

Here are their pictures as of eight weeks old - a little out of date because I was saving them for this announcement once it became official!







This blog is going back on hiatus for a few days for Christmas. Check back in a couple of weeks for new pictures of Liam and Leila after I visit them when I'm back in town!

Luke and Leia: Almost Six Week Old

Luke and Leia turn six weeks old on Wednesday. Their new foster mom (can I still call her "new" now that she's had them almost twice as long as I did?) sent some updated pictures this morning. Both the pictures and the kittens look great!

I love this picture of Leia. Look at those wide eyes!


Luke is turning into quite a handsome fellow.


Playing together. Looks like they're still the best of pals.

Luke and Leia at Four Weeks

Luke and Leia turned four weeks last Wednesday. Their new foster mom sent me some pictures which I'm just now getting around to posting. They sure are growing up fast!

Leia with her new buddy.


Luke in a rare quiet moment.


Awwww.....

New Beginnings

On Thursday, Luke and Leia moved in with their new foster mom. Leia gave me a nice going away present. Her eyes fully opened that day, so I was able to get some pictures of her beautiful new baby blues before she left.

The kittens saw the vet prior to meeting their new mom. Turns out those marks on their faces, paws, and bottoms were just their natural colors growing in, not ringworms, burns, or anything else wrong. Nice to hear, although it does make me feel a bit silly! Plus, I missed out on getting to keep them a little longer because of it. Still, it worked out well, and I was able to meet their new mom that evening. She's a really nice lady who will take very good care of them. I am confident they're in good hands.

Before the kittens left, I thought it would be fun to repeat some of the photos I took of them when they first arrived to see how much they've grown. It is absolutely amazing how much bigger they are than they were just 11 days earlier. Luke fit easily into the palm of my hand with plenty of room to spare when he first arrived. Now, he spills over so much I had trouble even getting the shot!

Leia, who could once have curled up onto a one-dollar bill is now both much longer, and much chubbier than the greenback.

They both weighed over 11 ounces before their last feeding at my house Thursday. They were barely more than four when they arrived.

Luke and Leia aren't the only two of my foster kittens who have moved on to new beginnings. Tiny little Dwayne, whose photo graces the top banner of this blog, is now a beautiful, 3-pounder who has tons of energy and looks amazing! His coat is nice and shiny now, and he's healthy and playful. He goes by the name Chewie (short for Chewbacca), and has two adults, three kids, and a big brother cat to play with. It's really remarkable how great he looks now. Here he is posing for the camera, and playing with his big brother Shadow.

Shadow is a gorgeous Egyptian Mau. He has a nice, shiny coat too. Obviously, the felines in this family are eating well!

I am now on my annual vacation to Arizona and Nevada. This blog will be on hiatus until I return. For now, as Leia appears to be saying in this picture below, see ya!

Eye Watch II

Leia's eyes have made a lot of progress during the last 24 hours. Just like Luke, she has one that's opening faster than the other. Unfortunately, I will probably not be able to see them fully open.

My time with Luke and Leia is coming to an end. Today, I found out that the little marks that have been showing up on their mouths, feet, and buttocks could be ringworm, which means they have to see the vet that visits the shelter on Thursdays. This means the kittens will be going back tomorrow instead of Saturday. Their new foster mom is taking them in early so they don't have to make another trip. The good news is, it sounds like they are going to be in great hands. I spoke to their new mom on the phone tonight, and she seems like a really nice lady. Hopefully, she'll send over the occasional picture even!

Leia's First Steps

After Leia's latest feeding this evening, she surprised me by sitting straight up in my lap, then standing and taking two very wobbly steps before she resorted back to crawling. I immediately took her over and sat her on a towel to see if she would do it again for the camera. She couldn't quite get all four legs straight this time, but she's getting there. That meowing in the background is Luke protesting the five-minute delay in getting his dinner!



...speaking of Luke, here's the latest photo of his peepers, which are pretty much all the way open now. I made it black and white (translation: bad lighting stunk up an otherwise nice photo, and the easiest way to save it was to lose the color).

Eye-Opening Experience

Today's photo is brought to you by Luke and his new eyeballs. After so many feedings in the past nine days, it's so strange to now see two little eyes looking back up at me. Leia's eyes are coming along too, but still not opened enough to get a good picture. Hers seem to be running maybe a day and a half behind Luke's.

Lazy Afternoon

The Eye Watch continues. Luke's eyes are now about 2/3 open, and he acts like he can see a bit. Leia's eyes are about where Luke's were this time yesterday--that is, her eyes are visible through a pinhole-size opening in corner of her eyelids.

The kittens woke up this morning with huge appetites, likely because their foster mom accidentally set the alarm for PM instead of AM (ack!). Apparently, they were afraid it might be another six hours before they got to ate again, so they wolfed down KMR every two hours until noon. Then, they went to sleep and didn't wake up until nearly 5:00, and that's only because I checked on them which woke them. They promptly drained far more formula than the foster care book the shelter gave me says they should have in a single feeding--and less than three hours later, wanted to eat again. Apparently, they haven't read the book! If I try to cut them off at what they're "supposed" to have, they protest loudly and pitifully, so after double-checking with the vet techs, I guess I'll just keep letting them pig out.

One of the reasons I'm not concerned that they're over-feeding is because they don't have the symptoms. They're not aspirating through their nose when they're eating. They're not throwing up. Most importantly, unless I'm feeding them the pre-mixed KMR, they don't have diarrhea. In fact, they have the opposite problem, which is what Leia is dealing with at the moment. She's working on her second straight day without a poop in sight. I have to say, as much as I am going to miss the kittens, and regret that I won't be able to finish raising them after this week, one thing I will not miss is the potty stimulation. I haven't been this preoccupied with poop before in my life. Hopefully, their next foster mom will have the magic cure for their finicky little bowels.

Luke took a little stroll this evening after dinner. He was restless, crying, and pawing the sides of the nest box. Since he was still so stuffed from his last feeding only an hour earlier, I decided maybe he just needed to stretch his legs a bit. I put him on the floor on a big towel so he could crawl around and try out his freshly-opened eyeballs on some new turf. He seemed to enjoy having a break from the nest. He started purring, and played "find mommy" with my finger an inch or two in front of his face. Afterwards, he curled up on my lap and finally went to sleep.

Eye Witnessing

There's something of a vigil going on at my house this weekend. Luke and Leia are now 10 days old, which means their eyes should be opening any time now. It's very likely they'll be getting their first glimpse of the world (and me!) before the weekend is over. In fact, it looks like Luke's eyes are beginning to open already. The lids have unsealed a little on the inner corners, revealing a tiny bit of the eyeball underneath. It wouldn't surprise me if his eyes are all the way open by morning.

The kittens are really growing fast! Leia is now 8 3/8 ounces, and Luke is hovering around 8 ounces. He's caught up to his sister in a hurry! They have both nearly doubled their weight since their arrival here a week ago. Their growth is most noticeable in their heads and paws, but really they're just filled out more all over. They've certainly come a long way from those scrawny little things they were a week ago, and they are eating like little pigs!

Pooping continues to be a challenge, though. In fact, I am convinced that they both have IBS! OK, probably not really, but in the last couple of days, they've gone from constipation to "pudding poo", as one of the vet techs so accurately described it. At least it appears they're finally going regularly now.

One thing that has really helped make "potty" time a lot less stressful on them is to do it on my lap (with a thick washcloth under them, of course) as part of their post-meal grooming, instead of holding them over the sink. They don't seem to like being picked up in the first place, so being picked up and having someone rub a wet rag over their delicate little tushies was enough to evoke loud screaming from them. It was getting to where they'd even hiss when I tried to pick them up for any reason, because they seemed to associate my smell with this unpleasantness instead of the fun stuff like eating and cuddling. So instead of holding them over the sink to potty, I've started giving them little "spit baths" with a warm paper towel or cotton ball after they eat, kind of like a momma cat would with her tongue. I start with their faces, then work my way down. By the time I get to their bottoms, they're nice and relaxed and purring instead of screeching at the top of their lungs. Now, the only time they have to endure being held over the sink is when I'm cleaning them up after they poop. Aside from occasionally having to change my clothes afterwards, this seems to be much easier on them and me. So, I'm sticking with it for as long as it keeps working!

Photo of the Day

I meant to write a much longer post tonight, but I ended up working late, so I'm going to save it for tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a photo that got preempted yesterday by the smooch.

Smoochin'

Here are Luke and Leia living up to their Star Wars namesakes, although, in the movie, it was Leia planting the smooch on her brother not the other way around!

One-Week Birthday

Seven days ago, two tiny kittens were introduced to the big wide world. Almost immediately, they learned how cruel and unfair that world can sometimes be. Today, they celebrated their one-week “birthday” with... Umbilical cord-free tummies Five warm bottles of KMR (so far) Lots of cuddling Being “pooped” by a professional Being "pooped" by an amateur who's learning New names

Last things first – When I picked the names Callie and Cole for the kittens, I forgot to check the Operation Kindness website to make sure those names weren’t already in use. Turns out, the name “Callie” is taken by this little gal. So, since I was already regretting having missed a golden opportunity to make my nephew’s day, I am now renaming these little ones after a pair of fraternal twins from the Star Wars genre:

Re-introducing Luke and Leia. The names kind of fit. Kitten Leia is a little spitfire who isn't afraid to speak her mind, much like the movie Princess Leia. Kitten Luke is a lot stronger than he appears, just like the young Jedi. And like their Star Wars namesakes, they lost their mom shortly after birth.

Luke and Leia started their day by losing their last physical connection to their long lost mother. That might sound sad, but somehow, I don’t think they’re going to miss having to drag around those dried umbilical cords. I know I won’t miss having to move them out of the way during every feeding and cleaning!

Next on the list was making Luke poop! He hadn’t gone in nearly 48 hours, despite my efforts to stimulate him after every feeding. Part of this is probably my fault. The kittens squeal so much during this unpleasant routine that I was afraid I was irritating their little bottoms. I was giving up if I didn’t see poop within about 30 seconds or so, and assuming that they just didn’t need to go. I called the shelter’s vet tech line about the problem yesterday. They told me to bring him in Thursday afternoon if he still hadn’t gone. However, the worry-wart in me just couldn’t let it be. This is my first time to foster bottle babies, and I didn’t want to lose one over something silly like poop. When he still hadn’t gone this morning, I took him across the street to my regular vet to make certain he wasn’t in any immediate danger. Well, it’s probably no surprise that someone who’s been working with animals for years is a much better poop-stimulator than I am! It took a while (I heard crying for over five minutes), but Luke finally pooped. He went again this afternoon, this time with me doing the deed. I’d like to think that maybe I’ve finally gotten the hang of it, but that's what I thought on Monday. So, this time I’ll just do my best and be a little more persistent with it than I have been. Regardless, many thanks to the Valley Ranch Pet Clinic for making me sleep better tonight (not to mention doing it for free!).

One other good thing came out of the vet visit today – I now know that Luke is definitely male.

Sleepyheads

Snapped this earlier today. Aren't they sweet?

Hopefully, they're dreaming about Nice Mommy who feeds them and not Mean Mommy who tortures them with warm wet washcloths (futilely for the most part today) to make them poop!

The First 48 Hours

Sorry for the lack of update yesterday. Callie and Cole Luke and Leia kept me busy all day! For the first 48 hours, they wanted to be fed every two to two and a half hours, day and night. I suddenly have a much better understanding of what my friends and family who have kids went through when their little ones were newborns!

The first couple of days has been all about learning something new, both for the kittens and for myself. The bottle feeding was very awkward at first. The kittens weren't happy because the bottle doesn't feel like "mom", and I wasn't comfortable with it either. It took several feedings, and lots of adjusting the nipple before I was confident I could feed them without (a) worrying they'd get too much and choke themselves or (b) not get enough and go hungry. Good thing the kittens helped out by giving me lots of opportunity to practice I guess! There's nothing like trying to perform an awkward, uncomfortable task at 4am, knowing you hold two tiny, fragile lives in your hands.

A second important task when taking care of kittens this young is helping them "go potty". The mother cat normally handles this job by licking their bottoms until they poop or urinate. With mom gone, that responsibility now falls to me. It goes something like this...



...without the singing in my case.

This is probably a good time to mention to the non-family members reading this that I am one of those people who has a very low tolerance for visual "ickiness". It makes me nearly throw up just looking at poop, let alone having to rub a warm wet washcloth over a kitten's behind and risking the poop actually falling into my hand! The kittens don't seem too fond of this routine either, nevertheless, it is needed after every meal. Like the bottle feeding, this was a bit awkward the first few times I tried it, even aside from the ick factor. Apparently, I've gotten the hang of it. They seem to be pooping and urinating regularly now, which was not the case yesterday.

Today, I have noticed two things. First, their last two feedings have blessedly been nearly four hours apart. This is much more in line with what the shelter's foster care manual said to expect, and hopefully means a bit more sleep is in my foreseeable future. Second, I've noticed their personalities starting to emerge.

It looks like Cole Luke may become a typical lap cat. He's not as active as Callie Leia. After his feedings, he seems to really enjoy a little cuddling, and will role over on his back so you can rub his tummy.

Callie Leia is the stereotypical spitfire. She really lets you have it when she wants fed or is unhappy about something (such as the aforementioned poop stimulation routine!). When she's awake, she's always in motion. She's kind of her own worst enemy sometimes when it comes to feeding. She's so eager to get started that she tries a little too hard to find the bottle, making it harder to actually get it into her mouth! She also seems to enjoy a little cuddling after her feedings, but she tends to wander around on your lap and rub her head on your hands, rather than just lying down and relaxing.

Both kittens purred for me after their feedings today. That may have been the exact moment I realized I'm so very glad I got to foster them, regardless of the work involved, the lack of sleep, or their uncertain future. Whatever else happens, it gives me a warm feeling knowing I could bring a little bit of joy into their lives after they got off to such a rough start.

The kittens have now set a new "record" for time between feedings, so I should be hearing from them any minute! Based on the first 48 hours, I can't promise I'll be able to update this site every day, but I'll post as often as I can. In the meantime, here's a quick look at how small they are. This is Callie Leia (the larger one) lying next to a dollar bill. I shot it this afternoon, so this is after the half ounce she's gained in the last two days!

Two Uncertain Beginnings

Meet Callie and Cole Luke and Leia. These poor things are orphans just three days after birth. Apparently their mom went away one morning and never came back. They haven't even lost their umbilical cords yet!Callie and Cole Luke and Leia obviously have a rough road ahead of them. Fortunately, so far, they seem to be up for the fight. I've had them since about 4:00 this afternoon, and they appear to be eating and "pottying" well. They seem to have plenty of energy too. Callie Leia, especially, has a lot of spunk for such a tiny little thing. I've been warned not to expect too much, but maybe they'll defy the odds and grow up to be healthy and beautiful cats. At the moment, they're barely half a cup size: 4 3/8 ounces for Callie Leia and 4 1/4 ounces for Cole Luke.

Two Happy Endings

I am happy to report that both Benny and Dwayne have found homes. Benny was adopted by a nice lady I may have had the privilege of meeting a day earlier when I was at the shelter. It was nice to see him one last time before he moved on to his permanent home.

Dwayne has found a home with my sister's family. Officially, he is my oldest nephew Duncan's first pet, although he seems to be making friends with all three of the kids, even four-year-old Dave! Dwayne has been re-christened Chewie, short for Chewbacca. Duncan is a huge Star Wars fan.

Chewie is now about 11 weeks old. He has grown a lot, most noticeably his legs and ears, both of which have lengthened. His eyes have also changed color from gray to green. Here is an updated picture taken four days ago.