Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Opt to Adopt - Ivan

This is Ivan - here is his story:

"Can I come live with you? You see, I'm looking for my fur-ever home. I was left with these nice people here at the animal hospital and they helped fix my broken leg, but now it is all healed and I'm ready to go! I LOVE to play with other playful cats and I am a sweet fellow. They tell me I'm about a year old, but I'm on the small side, so I wouldn't take up much room! If you think you'd like to give me a home, you can come meet me at the clinic! I might be a little shy at first, but I warm up quickly and just want to LOVE you!"

He is living with our rescue vet. When mom was there on Saturday, he was doing laps around the office, skidding around corners...you would never know he had been injured. He is sweet and good with other animals.  :)

Monday, April 28, 2014

weekend report

Mom was gone most of Caturday. The rescue had a sidewalk sale at the vet office. They set up household stuff and pet stuff. After some long hours and lots of people (and a little sun...mom's face is a bit red), they raised $450.00.  Pretty good for hanging out in a parking lot for a few hours. :)  Thanks to the volunteers who staffed it, the vets who let us use their parking lot and those who came out to shop.
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Spud spent his Sunday snoozing.... this is his favorite spot. Not because it is on top of the food container (which is where he snoozes) but because he is up and can see out into the hallway. :)

This tree is blooming just outside our balcony. Mom is going to replant that evergreen into the bigger pot...maybe next weekend when it warms up a little more. Then she has to decide what else to plant. She is thinking geraniums in the bigger pots. And then....no idea. She is thinking maybe a couple of varieties of mint in one of the boxes (not that she has ANY idea what she is doing).

Jade is spending a little more time outside the sleeping box. There is limited space in the bathroom but the box is getting a little small for everyone....mom is going to look for a little bigger box to try to keep the kittens contained a little longer.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Random Fridays....

Maestro is still doing well. The vet stopped over last night and checked him over. They were going to see if they could drain part of it - the pathologist said it is about 1 part tumor to 2 parts inflamed cells. However, nothing much came out before he started to squirm. But the vet says he looks good to her and he was begging for treats from the tech. So he is on prednisone now for the inflammation and clavamox to stave off any infection from the pred affecting his system. Hopefully we will see some results in a week or so. This is by no means a cure...but it should help keep him comfortable and let's mom breathe.
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That Mica is a cutie.....yes, he is sleeping in a tissue box.

no, you cannot get five kittens to look the same way at the same time

Ash....yawning

why go around when you can go over?
Coral in the top left, sitting on Ash, Pearl closest to the camera, and Mica climbing over Amber


getting more mobile by the day

Thursday, April 24, 2014

they are growing

Those kittens are getting bigger. We posted yesterday on facebook and will share it again - momma cat Jade tested negative for FIV and FeLV. YAY!!! And as of the other day, everyone has their eyes open. Another 10 days or so and they will be getting more mobile....and then we are all in trouble.

 Coral
weight: 4-16 was 5 3/8 ounces; 4-23 7 was ounces
(still our tiny girl)

Amber
weight: 4-16 was 6 5/8 ounces, 4-23 was 9 ounces

Pearl and Ash
Pearl weight: 4-16 was 7 3/8 ounces, 4-23 was 9 ounces
 Ash weight: 4-16 was 6 7/8 ounces, 4-23 was 10 1/4 ounces

Mica
weight: 4-16 was 9 3/4 ounces, 4-23 was 10 1/4 ounces
(he has been up and down the last week but he is also more mobile - and the competition is more mobile as well - but we are keeping a close eye on everyone)

Jade is being a good momma cat. Mess with those kittens and make them scream and she will very politely tell mom to put them back in the box. They are getting around a little more and seem pretty aware of what is going on around them.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

wacky watermelon Wednesday

so....mom has taken to calling Ivy the "watermelon" ... we will let you judge for yourselves MOL


And on Sunday, she had a major case of the crazies....running around with toys, singing in the entry way...and then she passed out on the cat tree.


Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Opt to Adopt - Dorito and Pi

Anybody hungry after that lead in??  MOL

And no, not our Dorito......

This Dorito is a 4 year old neutered male, front declawed and was found trying to survive with a feral colony. He truly dislikes kids and is a little tempermental. But seriously, since we have no idea how long he was having to survive on his own, we can't say we blame him. He does love to be scratched on the head though and will head butt you to get you to hurry up with the scratching.

Pi is a sweet 1 year old neutered male who was left abandoned in an apartment. He is a little skinny but making up for it. He is also a talker, willing to tell you all about his day and how you can improve it. At our adoption center he would follow people around and supervise. At the Petco store he isn't allowed out but makes sure to tell everyone that he would very much like to try.

Monday, April 21, 2014

more kitten pictures

Sorry for the bad news yesterday. Hopefully we will know more later in the week, but all things considered, we are taking it for what it is and will see what the future brings.

Oh, and for fun, the part of Darth Vader is currently being played by Tim....yes, he is on meds. :)
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Mica is 2 weeks old today (ok, give or take but we are going with it). And the other four are 3 days behind. Ash's eyes are JUST beginning to open and the girls are all holding out (not sure for what).

Jade started doing this gagging sort of thing, so we have her on clavamox to hold off any potential sickies. She stopped eating the dry kitten food for about 3 days. But she lurvs her some Fancy Feast, so she is getting that several times per day. Mom had to run out yesterday to get something else as Jade decided she didn't like chicken (the Tabbies of Trout Town should be proud - she loves fish).

top to bottom:
Ash, Amber, Pearl, Coral (being squished) and Mica

 Ash, Amber, Pearl, Mica and Coral (why Mica likes to sleep on her, we aren't sure)

Amber is the one you see at the bottom of the picture,
Coral is the one...being squished by Mica
(anyone sense a theme here??)

Jade and Pearl

Sunday, April 20, 2014

not so easy Sunday....


We got the update from the vet yesterday. Based on the test results, she thinks it is a salivary gland tumor.

We did some searching and found this on Merck:

Salivary Gland Tumors

Salivary gland tumors are rare in cats, although cats are affected twice as frequently as dogs. They usually occur in cats more than 10 years old. Most salivary gland tumors are malignant, with carcinomas and adenocarcinomas the most common types. Spread to nearby lymph nodes and the lungs is common. Tumors removed by surgery alone tend to recur, so radiation treatment, with or without surgery, offers the best outlook in most cases.

So, it doesn't sound good. Dr T wanted to send off the slides to be tested elsewhere since it is pretty rare. Mom told her to go ahead, though it won't really change much unless it comes back non-cancerous for some reason. They are going to hold off on doing anything until they here back from the secondary test - maybe mid-week. However, based on his age, the goal is to keep him comfortable and maybe try to reduce the swelling at the back of his jaw. Mom told Dr T that she isn't sure if it is getting bigger or if it just that she has been staring at it for a week.

No idea what this means for time....they did discuss maybe trying to aspirate part of it to relieve some pressure but not sure if that will happen or not. The main goal is so long as he seems comfortable and still eating then we will give him all the time he has.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Random Friday....

More on the v-e-t report:
Mo got the bad cat report. He wanders around acting all nice when they get here and then WHAM tries to eat people. Mom is afraid one of these days he will actually bite someone so the next visit will require a little more thought. Mom can catch him easy enough. But he is pretty skinny and can turn himself around which makes him hard to hold on to. He actually got a fang almost into the tech this time. His weight is actually up some (which is good - no body fat on that boy). And he isn't due for vaccines for 3 years.... (mom is fairly certain she heard the v-e-t mutter "hallelulah" MOL).

Maestro weighs about the same - which is a very good thing. Still waiting on the report from the v-e-t.

Spud had to be chased around by mom and then unceremoniously shoved in a carrier to wait for the v-e-t to get here. At least he isn't a screamer like Ivy somecat. He got weighed, vaccinated, toenails clipped and his ummm behind shaved (we told him it could have been worse - we hear some of the cats at Katnip Lounge are now nekkid).
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We got an update on Saffron. She is adjusting pretty well. Mom knew she was going to be a tough nut to crack.....
seriously - you doubt that face would cause problems?? 

Mom and Saff's mom have been texting back and forth. Saff didn't come out much the first couple of days, but by Monday night she was letting them rub her belly. And as of the other night, she had met the other two cats in the house and checked out their climbing wall and the crinkly tube mom sent with her. She has even been out and snuggled on the couch. Though it does appear that she may end up being a daddy's girl. :)
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Thursday, April 17, 2014

a week already???

Thanks for all the pawsitive thoughts yesterday....we hope to have an update tomorrow.
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Hard to believe it was a week ago yesterday that mom brought home Jade and her boy. Then in just over 24 hours we added 4 more kittens.

We had some good suggestions on Tuesday and after wandering the interwebs, we went with some geology/gem names. (thanks to Miss Andrea and Miss Patty)

Everyone is doing very well and gaining weight. While our tiny girl is still tiny, she is putting on steady weight...plus being little lets her squirm under everyone.

So, without further ado, let's do some introductions and weights:

 Mica (Jade's original kitten)
weight: 4-11 was 6 3/8 ounces, 4-16 was 9 1/8 ounces

 Ash
weights: 4-11 was3 1/2 ounces, 4-16 was 6 7/8 ounces

 Amber
weight: 4-11 was 4 1/4 ounces, 4-16 was 6 5/8 ounces

 Pearl
weights: 4-11 was 4 1/2 ounces, 4-16 was 7 3/8 ounces

 Coral
weights: 4-11 was 2 7/8 ounces, 4-16 was 5 3/8 ounces
(so last night she weighed as much as Mica did when he got here)

Mica's eyes are just starting to open. The others should be a few days behind him. He is certainly the bulldozer of the family - he put his head down the other night and was shoving Ash around their box.

Jade is SUCH a good momma. As mom was taking pictures, the kittens were making it apparent that they weren't very happy about it. Jade came over more than once and told mom to KNOCK IT OFF!!! Jade was very polite about it, but also very insistent that mom put those kittens back.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Maestro




Our old man turned 19 years old last fall. A couple of weeks ago the pet sitter found a lump at the back of his jaw.

Our v-e-t came last night. Mo and Spud were due for check ups and vaccines. They are doing well though Mo did try to bite the tech (oh my).

As for Maestro, they took some samples from the lump. He is kind of stiff as well but things are limited for cats. We should hear something back by the end of the week. The doctor thinks it involves his salivary gland....either an infection or a tumor. Mom talked to the vet about how much to do and while mom can medicate him she is reluctant to go to extremes due to his age. We will keep you all posted.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Be the Change

We can't say it enough, but volunteering pays off in so many ways. You can "be the change" for an organization in you area!!

Rescues always need help and volunteers keep these places running. In some cases (like the rescue that mom volunteer's with), it is ALL volunteer...no paid staff at all.

From cleaning, to socializing, to laundry, to walking dogs, to foster care...and even different things you wouldn't think about. Writing thank you notes, working in a retail store (we have one manned by volunteers on the weekends), stuffing envelopes, organizing fund raisers. There is no job too big or too small that can't use some sort of help.

But of course, you are here for kitten pictures....which is a FUN part of fostering. If you have some space and some time, think about contacting a local reputable rescue: with the start of kitten season, they need all the help they can get.

the mom makes for a comfy snoozing spot

or you can snooze on a sibling

They are growing and getting cuter by the day!! The gray tabby in the middle is Jade's original kitten. The tiny black one on your right is the smallest...but gaining steady weight so we aren't too worried about that one.

And now....we think mom knows the genders. The gray tabbies are both boys and the other three are girls (where is Fred when we need him??) Still working on the name theme. Nothing has jumped out at mom yet. They don't have to be related to Jade...most times the kitten theme doesn't have anything to do with mom's name (though sometimes it does). If you are newer to the blog, suggestions are welcome (and we give credit) but we are all about a good theme...and not such big fans of people names (except famous names if you know what we mean).

Monday, April 14, 2014

Saffron

One of the hardest parts of fostering sometimes is letting a kitten go to a new home. Be it special needs or a special animal or special circumstances, some animals just imbed themselves a little further into a foster family's heart.

Saffron was one of those kittens. She had personality and charm. And thumbs. :) And she was here for a while.....


But, last weekend mom got an email from the rescue that someone was interested in Saff. Now, mom was on her way out of town for the weekend, but she sent the woman an email. They emailed back and forth....pictures and video. And then on Friday - Saffron went home.

She will have two older cat in her new home. An older kitty at 11 years old and one closer to her age at 11 months old. Her new mom and dad drove about an hour to get here to meet her. She was her normal grumpy self being somewhere not here. But after her new mom held her for a few minutes, she gave Saff to her new dad and she actually relaxed a little. While it has been a weirdly quiet weekend here without the booger running around and snoozing on top of everyone, we couldn't have hoped for a better home for her. Her new mom laughed and asked why Saffron hadn't been adopted before....mom said that despite her best intentions, Saffron had only gone up on Petfinder about 3 weeks ago.

And it seems it was fate. See this couple had a 2 year old cat that died suddenly. They worried and worried but after some time knew they were ready for another kitty and knew their youngest needed a friend. So about 3 weeks ago they started looking on Petfinder. And tada!!!

So....congrats to Saffron and her new family!!!

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Lookie lookie....

So when Jade came to us as a foster with her boy, mom and the head of the rescue talked about the ability to take some orphans.....

Thursday the rescue was at a trailer park doing TNR and found.....kittens. (of course)  Mom was no where to be found but when they tried to use the kittens to catch mom, no luck. But they were in a bad spot and newborn. They couldn't be left so mom got a text. She picked them up Thursday night and brought home 4 new kittens to see if Jade would accept them. She seemed a little confused at first, but she kissed them right away and mom caught them nursing within a couple of hours.

Some other good news - there was a total of 19 cats trapped and spayed/neutered from this trailer park.

So we went from mom and kitten to five kittens in just over 24 hours. No idea of gender yet....man are they tiny!!

more???

Jade's kitten: 6 3/8 ounces

3 1/2 ounces

4 1/4 ounces

 tiniest baby: 2 7/8 ounces

4 1/2 ounces
(can't wait to see the color on this one)

There is about 5 days difference in age - and the size difference is pretty amazing. But the newest kittens are feisty and willing to climb over their big brother for a meal.

Names will happen when gender is determined.....  It will be fun to watch them grow up from this size.

And we got some video...it wasn't interesting at first, but then a fight broke out: