The Feline Thread

[jacqui]

They are just sooo cute, keep uo the good work and look forward to seeing more pics ;D

[aeromanda]

Thanks for all of the kind and encouraging words everybody!
jmsquared, have I converted you into a cat person? OK, maybe not that far but I'm glad to hear you have taken more of a liking towards them. And thank you for your compliment about Valmont. I think he is incredibly handsome but I am somewhat biased. He is my baby!

Today has gone well so far on the kitty front. I took Peter, Micky, and Davy to the clinic for their first set of shots. Luckily, only one of them didn't like the car ride. That was Micky and he was a bit vocal when we first started moving but then he quieted down. They took the shots well. They are just a little bit lethargic right now but that is pretty normal.

Also good news on the Momma and babies front (I haven't given them any names yet.) It was obvious that Momma was enjoying the food I put out for her. She ate quite a lot of it which is good because for a nursing mom she is a bit skinny. But, I didn't see her eating because every time I went in the room she hid. Well, this afternoon I sat down to weigh the kittens and play with them a bit. After a few minutes Momma came out. She was tentative at first but when she realized she could get pettings she became much more social. She purrs quite loudly. I did take a couple of pictures.

Here's one of just the kittens. They were asleep and, obviously, not facing the camera. When I get a better shot I'll post it but for now, here you go.


Here's one of Momma with her babies.


And here's one of Momma nursing her babies.


I'm glad you are all enjoying the story. More updates in the near future. ;D

[devil-may-care]

Your latest batch are so adorable! I'm glad the momma cat has decided to make friends with you. Kind of surprised she didn't get between you and her babies at first. She was probably just too scared. I'm guessing this was her first litter. She's beautiful. ;D ;D


A couple years ago, we had a young cat (obviously pregnant) show up at our office in February. It was bitterly cold out and she was definitely a stray. I took her in, and tried to find a no-kill shelter to take her in. I wasn't too worried about her giving birth right away. She wasn't very big.
I finally made arrangements to take her to a shelter on a Monday. When I visited her on Sunday at the office, she was fine and still pregnant. When I came to work on Monday morning, she met me at the door and she looked very svelte. She'd given birth to two kittens in the night. That's why she wasn't very big. Only two kittens and she wasn't anymore than six months old herself.
She spent the whole day running up to us and our customers, and leading us back to the box with her kittens. She was so proud! ;D
I took the lot of them over to the shelter the following day since whoever had set up our Monday appointment forgot to mention that they weren't open on Mondays.
They weighed each kitten. They didn't even weigh a full ounce each! I found out a few months later that all three of them had been adopted! ;D ;D
I named her Emily.

[rx7]

That black and white mama cat just has that smug look with pride about her babies!

[aeromanda]

Your latest batch are so adorable! I'm glad the momma cat has decided to make friends with you. Kind of surprised she didn't get between you and her babies at first. She was probably just too scared. I'm guessing this was her first litter. She's beautiful. ;D ;D

Thanks DMC. I'm quite glad That Momma cat is so friendly too. Today she came out to me when she heard the door open. She didn't wait for me to look under the bed for her she just came out. I expected that she would get between me and the babies too but she didn't. I expect that, like you said, she was too scared. I also agree with you that this was most likely her first litter. She is quite small (body frame size wise) and I would guess that she isn't much more than a year old, if that. I do think she is quite a pretty girl too.

Your Emily is lovely. She certainly does look like a very proud mommy there. I'm so glad that the shelter found her and the babies a home.

[jmsquared]

Apr 16, 2012 21:54:04 GMT aeromanda said:

jmsquared, have I converted you into a cat person? OK, maybe not that far but I'm glad to hear you have taken more of a liking towards them.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't dislike cats. In fact I much admire their independence, grace and elegance. It's just that I've never had the desire to own one....and I've always had dogs!

DMC, that B&W cat is one impressive beastie! Glad she got a home.

[Vivienne]

Here's a short video for you all.
www.wimp.com/catexistence/

[devil-may-care]

That was a great video! Love the 'tasty snacks just out of reach'!! ;D

[dit]

I loved it! Especially 'I'm surrounded by simpletons'.

[jmsquared]

Top video. Laughed my head off!

[Vivienne]

For those of you not on twitter here is another video that was posted there.
twelve52.co.uk/2012/04/04/dansons-la-capucine/

[eolise]

Oh look at those kitty pictures!! <3

I just went for a walk and saw a cat pretty high up in a tree with thin branches. I dont know anything about cats, so I was wondering if someone here knew if I should call the firebrigade or do you think it can get out itself? It was miauwing a bit to us and tried to get out, but couldn't.

[Vivienne]

I'm one of those people that would try to help. Do you know the cat? He/she may be afraid and get hurt if you help. Do what your gut says to do.

[devil-may-care]

She may have climbed up the tree and not know how to get down or be too scared. She may be just out enjoying the day and be perfectly fine.
You might give the fire brigade a call and just have them check. Can't hurt.

[aeromanda]

Had a little bit of a fiasco today with Momma kitty. Since she and the babies have been here, they have been staying in their own room upstairs away from all of my cats and the other foster kittens. (Momma hasn't been tested for FIV yet and until she is I don't want to expose her and the babies to my cats.) Every 3 or 4 hours, I go upstairs and spend a half an hour or so with Momma and the babies feeding them, petting them, playing with them etc. This was working out just fine but for the last couple of days Momma has gotten curious about what exists "beyond the door". This interest has been growing even though she knows that there are other cats out there. When I come into the room, Momma is waiting by the door ready to sneak out and when I leave, Momma tries to follow me out. So far it hasn't been too much of a problem. But then, this morning when I was entering the room she was ready and waiting on the other side. As I was going in she tried to run out of the room. As I bent over to grab her before she could leave the room I tried to pull the door closed and I thought I did. So I sat down on the stool that I have next to the crate that the babies sleep in and started to get out the cat food to feed Momma. Apparently, I didn't close the door all the way. DaVinci was on the other side of the door and he decided to come in and explore the room. He pulled the door open and started to come in. Momma immediately started to hiss at him. Before I could get up and go over to shoo him out of the room Momma lunged after him. DaVinci backed off but then Momma shot after him! I have never seen cats move that fast in my life! She chased him down the hallway, and down the stairs. At that point he ran into the kitchen and she decided to go and explore the living room where she encountered Valmont. Oddly though, she didn't seem to have any trouble with Valmont. She barely seemed to take any notice of him. I can only wonder if it was because he didn't seem like a threat to her because her babies weren't in the room. So now I am kind of at a loss for what to do. I am taking her to my vet and I am going to have them run an FIV test. If that comes out negative I would like to move her and the babies downstairs because it is obvious that Momma is lonely. But I am not so sure how she will react to the other cats when her babies are with her. I guess all I can do is give it a go and see how it works out. I can always move her back to the upstairs bed room if I have to.

[devil-may-care]

Sticky situation, aeromanda. Hopefully Momma cat tests negative for FIV. I'm guessing DaVinci will be giving her a wide berth regardless of what room she's in. Poor guy, he was only curious. *can't help laughing a little*

Good luck! ;D

[aeromanda]

It has been a while since I have updated my on going kitty saga. So, I apologize in advance for what I assume will be an overly long post. Lately, my whole life has been revolving around cats, both mine and the fosters.

So I'll start with the latest news about my cats. I took my cat Eponine to the vet last week. They had tested her for thyroid issues and wanted to rerun the blood work (which all came back normal thank goodness). However, when they had her in the back to draw blood, they went to trim her nails and noticed that several of her nails had grown so long that they punctured her pads. One of them was quite bad and very infected. I felt absolutely horrible because I hadn't noticed. She's on antibiotics twice a day now. Luckily, she is pretty good about taking them.

Sunday afternoon, I gave my cats their special treat of tuna and I noticed that our cat Binky hadn't come down for the food which is VERY unusual for her. About an hour later we hear a loud crying coming from the hall way. Binky was on the stairs and she was crying. I went to her and petted her and she was ok unless I tried to pet her too close to her tail. Then she would cry and turn away from me. I bent towards her and she absolutely reeked! I got her to turn around and saw that her butt was matted with poo; She's not the cuddliest of cats and doesn't often get very close to us plus her hair back there is black so I hadn't noticed before that she was having this problem. I should have though because she weighs about 17lbs and has trouble reaching her butt to clean it. My husband and I decided that we would try to trim her butt fur and perhaps wash her off. It was a disaster! After we managed to drag her out from under the bed, I tried to trim her fur. She peed all over my husband and our bed. She cried and yowled. We took her to the bathroom for a second attempt and she yowled and hissed and screamed and tried to scratch us and she bit me. So I said to my husband that we should give up and just take her to the vet. So I called the vet and left a message describing the situation and that Binky seemed to be in pain and they called me first thing Monday morning and told me to drop her off and the doctor would look at her when she got the time. I dropped Binky off at about 9:30am described the situation again and warned them that they would definitely need to sedate her. I got a call from them in the late afternoon. They said that Binky had done wonderfully and that they hadn't needed to sedate her at all. But Binky's bottom was in very bad shape. The mats were blocking her anus and her vulva and she had quite a bad infection. They decided to keep her overnight. Again, I felt like a horrible mommy for not noticing that something was wrong and that things had gotten so bad. By the next morning she was quite improved and I went and picked her up. They had groomed her very well and she now smelled lovely. (I payed the $200 vet bill. ) Loaded Binky in the car and set off for home. Not 5 minutes into the 20 minute drive home I noticed a pungent smell. She had peed inside her crate. And then, apparently, she rolled in it or something because she got it all over herself. When we got home I did try to wash some of it off her but that did not go over well! I wound up letting her go and she hid under the bed and didn't come out until this afternoon. Hopefully, by this evening I'll be able to get some of her medication in her.

Now, on to the fosters. The same day that I took Epi to the vet I also took in Momma Kitty. She was really vocal the entire drive there and when we finally took her out of the carrier she absolutely freaked out! She was terrified! We finally calmed her down enough that the vet tech was able to hold her. She had ear mites so they cleaned out her ears and gave her medication for that. The doctor gave me a pill to give Momma in about a week to worm her. I had her tested for FIV and the test was negative. Thank goodness. Then the doctor recommended that since Momma had been having some loose stools because she was eating so much that I should start the process of weaning the kittens by feeding them gruel so they could nurse less. I figured the easiest way to do that would be to bring them and Momma downstairs to the living room so I could figure out their eating schedule and feed them on their schedule. I decided to wait a few days so that Momma could destress after going to the vet. On Monday, I moved all of their stuff, food dishes, litter box, crate, etc. downstairs and I brought the kittens down. They loved it. I then brought Momma down. She took a look around the living room and then high tailed it back upstairs. Before going to the vet Momma had been very eager to get out of the room. Now, not so much. So, I took a litter box and food back upstairs. In the mornings I go upstairs and get the kittens and bring them down for the day. Then at night I take them back upstairs so that they can nurse and be with Momma. I was planning on trying to bring her back down today but then this afternoon I walked out to the kitchen and there was Momma exploring. Once she saw me she went back upstairs but it is a start. I'll give her more time and see if she comes down on her own again.

I still have Micky, Peter, and Davy. They are doing really well. They have gotten quite big. But not big enough to be neutered and they can't be adopted until they are neutered so I'll have them for a little while yet. Next week they go for their final set of shots. I don't have a recent picture of all three of them but here's a picture of Peter and Davy:


And I finally got some decent pictures of the younger babies.
Here's Snooker:


Here's Polo:


Here's Cricket:


And here's Cribbage:


They are taking to the weaning pretty well. It only took a few days for them to figure out that they could lick the food off of my finger. Unfortunately, Cribbage bites! Snooker has figured out that she can eat the gruel off of the plate. Snooker really is my little buddy. She follows me around and loves to cuddle. They are all adorable and the older kittens get along with them really well and love to play with them. Well, if you have made it through my post, thanks so much for reading it. Hope I didn't bore you too much. ;D I'll continue to let you know how things progress in the near future.

[devil-may-care]

Glad to hear that the kittens are all fairing well. They must be a handful when they're all together! ;D
Poor Eponine and Binky. Hope they're feeling better soon. *sends soothing pats*

When I was visiting a friend a couple years ago, her cat walked rather gingerly up to me and cried. My friend mentioned that he'd been doing that for a few days. Almost limping and crying. I picked him up and instantly saw that his claws on one paw were curled under and starting to pierce the paw pad. Luckily it wasn't infected. So a few snips from the clippers and he was a new cat! ;D

Love your updates, aeromanda!

[dit]

Yoiu're not a bad cat-mommy, with the household you've got I'm not surprised you blinked and missed something. All your kitties look lovely, so cute, but I don't know how on earth you're coping with all those little ones! Thanks for the pix.

[aeromanda]

May 2, 2012 22:27:40 GMT dit said:

Yoiu're not a bad cat-mommy, with the household you've got I'm not surprised you blinked and missed something. All your kitties look lovely, so cute, but I don't know how on earth you're coping with all those little ones! Thanks for the pix.

Thanks for saying I'm not a bad kitty mommy. It does make me feel a little bit better. It does get kind of crazy around here some times with all the little ones. It is usually fun to watch though. The only thing that is really annoying to the point of making me angry at times is when they play on my keyboard while I'm on my laptop. I have learned to try to use my lap top while they are asleep but somehow they seem to sense it when I pick up the computer. Other than that, the biggest consistent problem that I have is keeping my adult cats from eating the kitten food and using the smaller kitten sized litter boxes. To some extent I have given up and just buy extra kitten food.

[FizzyLogician]

May 5, 2012 20:20:00 GMT aeromanda said:

The only thing that is really annoying to the point of making me angry at times is when they play on my keyboard while I'm on my laptop. I have learned to try to use my lap top while they are asleep but somehow they seem to sense it when I pick up the computer.

Oh my Lord, I have a baby parrot who insists on spending most of her time on my laptop keyboard. My screen is always going wonky, and I can never use the 2-4 keys (her preferred spot).

[dit]

Photos, please!

[melly]

9 years ago i lived in another city but i was graduated so the plan was to move and live together with my hubby. I must say i felt very lonely (althoug i have no parents anymore) i was really depressed of it. So i got a job for just a week and i found there a cat that was so hungry. She even eat my sandwich. So i decided to take her home and called her "Anais". She was my sweetheart. She made me feel like i was needed. Last year,she died. Since that day,i don't like cats anymore,i'm numb. Although i always loved cats. Now in 2 weeks we're gonna have a kitten because my son asked it. I'm curious how i will act because no cat can replace my Anais.

[aeromanda]

Melly, I am so very sorry to hear about your sweet Anais. I have had cats all of my life. And I have had lots of cats. As many as 13 at one time that were mine and not fosters. I have lost many of my cats to old age and diseases and I know how very hard it can be. I have loved every cat that I have had, but some of them are extra special. Some of them touch your heart and become part of your soul. When you lose a cat with whom you are that close it can be devastating. When you get the kitten, keep in mind that the kitten is not a substitute for your Anais nor is (s)he a replacement. No one could ever replace your Anais. This kitten is an opportunity for you to find love and joy in another animal. Sure, it won't be the same but that is part of the joy of having an animal. They're always different from one another and they each contribute something special to your life if you let them. Maybe you can look at this as an opportunity to share with your son the happiness that an animal can bring. You can share with him how to take care of the kitten and help him see how he can give love to the kitten and get love in return. It could be a very good experience for everybody. Of course, that won't make it easy, but you are doing a wonderful thing by giving an animal a home. Open yourself up to the love that the kitty has to give you and you won't regret it. I hope it goes well. Please let us know.

[aeromanda]

Sorry for the double post but I wanted to give an update and I thought it should be separate from my last post.

I am feeling incredibly stupid at the moment. But I have a defense for my stupidity. I'll give a little back ground to explain why I am so dumb. When I got the grey kittens they were only a few days old and they were obviously boys. I mean, they obviously had "boy parts". When I got Momma Kitty and her kittens the kittens were about two weeks old. One of them was a tortie so I knew she was a girl (it's a genetic thing, the chances of a tortie or calico being male are only 1 in 30000). I looked at the other three and they didn't have obvious "boy parts" like the grey boys had so I thought they were girls. After that, I didn't really think about it at all. I just went with the assumption that they were girls. But, they have gotten bigger and the other day Cribbage was playing and rolling around on her back. I looked at her and I thought, hmm...I'm not quite so sure that she is a she. So I went on line and did some research (or as my friend said I looked at "kitty porn" ) and I found pictures on petmd that show you how to differentiate between the two sexes. So, I was wrong. The tortie, Polo, is a girl but the other three are males. I'm glad I gave them pretty generic names that can work for either sex. I just feel pretty dumb because I have had cats all my life and I should be able to tell the difference by now.

Other than that there isn't much real new news to report. Polo has had an eye infection off and on for the last few days that was quite bad Saturday night. Her eyes were oozing yellow green goo. I told my hubby that we were going to have to bite the bullet and pay out of pocket to take her to the emergency hospital if she wasn't better by morning. But by Sunday morning her eyes were open and clear. Now and then they get a little bit gooey so tomorrow I am taking her to the rescue's vet. Wednesday I'll be taking the grey boys to the clinic for their final set of kitten shots. Then, I'll have to start scheduling for them to be fixed so that they can be adopted. They have gotten so big so fast. I just can't believe it. The other day all three of them crawled on top of me. I told my hubby to get the camera and take a picture. It is slightly blurry but it is pretty cute. Well, they are. I'm not looking that great in it but in my defense it was late and I had just finished getting ready for bed. And please, ignore how incredibly pale my legs are. Here it is:

[Vivienne]

They are absolutely precious. They have certainly gotten big. You are to be commended over and over for your devotion and love for them. I think it's a great picture of you and them. They are obviously devoted to you as well.

[jmsquared]

Awww, that's a lovely photo of all 4 of you! I still think it's amazing what you do!

[devil-may-care]

Thorin has been sitting in front of the laptop as I read your posts, aeromanda. When I scrolled down to the pic of you and your young lads, he put his nose up to the monitor and gave a little purr. ;D I guess he approves. ;D

They are gorgeous little guys and will no doubt find forever homes quickly. ;D

Great job!! ;D ;D

How's momma kitty doing?

[dit]

I think you are doing an amazing job, aeromanda. They grow so quickly and it must be pretty stressful to know you will eventually have to let them go to loving homes, even though I am sure that these will be vetted extremely carefully. However, the kits know what it feels like to be loved by a real kitty mommy!

[jacqui]

My how they have grown - you have done a grand job you should be proud of yourself!!!

So cute..... ;D