Random Fridays

We hope you have a nice weekend. It isn't supposed to be very warm here, so no open windows for a while. Mom tells us to suck it up since she prefers this weather over the hots.

Junior

Daiquiri

(not sure why she looks gray in that picture - she is a brown tabby)

snack time

left to right: Trillium, Orchid, Muscari and Dandelion

Mom thinks she may take a kitten out into the living room on Saturday so Daiquiri can see them. The other night mom was in with the kittens and the door wasn't completely against the wall. Orchid seemed fascinated and as mom looked over, a white paw shot through the opening and was flailing around while chirping could be heard. Amaryllis doesn't seem overly concerned about Daiquiri hanging around outside the door, but mom is playing it careful and won't let Daiquiri into the room until the kittens are a little bit bigger (and Amaryllis may get a spa afternoon in the bathroom when that happens).

Mom put canned food out on the chip tray and lined up the kittens. Trillium tried to bury it and the other three walked away. Hopefully they will see Amaryllis eating and follow her example. For now, when Amaryllis has had enough, she gets up on the chair in their space.

Once again, mom has noticed the wi-fi being wacky and the camera going offline during the day. She doesn't have enough technical skill but may call the cable company and ask if it is a speed thing (she isn't even sure what our current speed is and if that is the issue). If anyone has a clue, let us know. We think we are currently 30 mbps and wonder if an upgrade to 60 mbps would make a difference (and need to see how expensive that would be). (and if you are all impressed by that sentence, don't be...she found it on the cable company website)

4 weeks old - flower kittens

4 weeks old....  we  will warn you now....there is some serious cuteness going on here

mom loves Orchid's one orange stripey sock

Weigh in: 1 pounds 1 1/4 ounces

Trillium always seems to be giving mom the eye

Weigh in: 14 1/4 ounces

our Dandelion boy seems confused - by everything

Weigh in: 1 pound

Muscari - large and in charge (until one of the girls beats him up)

Weigh in: 1 pound 3 1/4 ounces

Muscari is still our resident heavy weight. Trillium is the lightest but gaining weight and still on track for her age.

Wednesday morning caught Trillium and Dandelion peeing near the litter box. She set up a smaller box and Trillium was the first to use it. Mom is going to start putting out canned food for everyone and see what happens. Amaryllis gets canned but mom doesn't think they've seen it.

video Wednesday

Muscari

Cute ain't he??

and kind of monster sized....mom weighed everyone on 

Sunday morning and this beast weighs over a pound already

We mentioned last week that mom had some concerns about the structure of his chest. Our v-e-t took an x-ray on Friday afternoon and did make the comment that he does seem to breath more rapidly than normal. Mom had noticed this when she was watching him nurse and that prompted her call.

Dr W had a friend who is an orthopedic doc look at the x-ray. He didn't see a hernia or anything like that. He did say that baby bones are tough to see on x-ray since they don't have as much calcium as adults and therefore don't show up quite as well. He did think say he thinks Muscari's heart looks enlarged but also that that is above his pay grade. Dr W is going to ask a favor of a cardiac vet she knows and see what he says. However, she did mention that most kittens with heart defects tend to lag behind in growth and tire easily. Ummm....we don't think he got that memo. Though mom agrees that he does sleep awfully hard - she has freaked out a couple of times walking in there and he is out cold. :)  We think he is just messing with her.

For now there isn't much that can be done but keep an eye on him. They will be a month old on Wednesday so no real rush unless he appears to stop thriving. Until we have a prognosis, mom says she isn't going to freak out about it since he sure seems to be doing well.

Notice toward the middle Amaryllis starts leaning into the camera - the strap was swinging around and she thought it was fascinating  :)

weekend report

We hope you had a nice weekend with open windows. Mother Nature still can't decide what season it is here, so ours were closed since it was a little chilly.

We are all doing well and the kittens are growing like mad.

Amaryllis is a good mom - though she disapproves of 

your shenanigans (kitten shenanigans are fine though)

Orchid is a cutie - love her one front sock

Trillium tends to have lots of complaints

Usually about the milk bar being unavailable

Muscari and Dandelion LURV their momma

Someone asked in the comments after seeing the kittens on the web cam if Dandelion (he has more white for those watching) walks funny. His back legs do tend to splay out a bit and we are going to talk to our vet about that. Lots of times kittens will do this though as their bones and muscles are growing. He gets around ok and it it continues we may just have to splint something to "reteach" his legs where they are supposed to go.

Random Fridays

Oh the foster room is driving Daiquiri nuts. Amaryllis, thankfully, seems ok with her new stalker, though she has been a little vocal if Daiquiri sticks her nose in the space between the doors. When mom moved things around on Wednesday and "released" the kittens, then Daiquiri REALLY lost her mind. She can sit on a shelving unit near the doors and look it and she was chirping away as the kittens were toddling all over the place.

With the kittens now out of the box and given a little more space, they have found a favorite spot....on the far side of the room from the camera next to the sliding door. And right by the entrance mom uses to get into their space. Orchid tried to make a run for it the other night, but her legs are still too short. MOL

We hope you all have a great weekend. Mom has an adoption event she is working on Sunday and hopes to be able to do a little rearranging in the foster room as well. We are just hoping the weather stays nice so the windows stay open.

3 weeks old

Can you believe they are three weeks old??? Time really goes fly. They are getting around and are pretty active though still stuck in the box. They have also reached the bitey stage - which will probably stop being funny when they get some actual teeth.

Weights:
  Orchid 14 3/4 ounces
  Dandelion  14 5/8 ounces
  Trillium  13 1/2 ounces
  Muscari   15 5/8 ounces

Despite mom's worries, we can see a clear winner. Muscari is bright, alert and obviously the reigning heavyweight.

Trillium is our lightweight and didn't gain much since Saturday. But they are also getting more active. Mom will keep an eye on....her. Yep - mom was 3 for 4 in the gender "guessing". So we have two girls and two boys.

Mom also did a little rearranging of the foster room. While sitting on the floor, mom realized the kittens could probably get under (!!) the tower. Mom wants to get a bigger rug, but for now, the tower is out and the kittens have been released from the box. (More cause mom thinks Dandelion could now get out on his own)

Be sure to check out the webcam (link to your right).....they are getting around more now!!

not so wordless Wednesday

There was a disturbance on the coffee table and the gingerbread house fell off. Mom turned it back over and set it on the floor rather than back up on the table. Apparently that is what we had been waiting for since the house has now been fairly regularly occupied.

Wellness review

We are part of the Chewy Influencer Group and receive no compensation for our reviews. All opinions are our own. We did receive the food for free but it did not influence our honest opinion. 

Amaryllis here reporting from the foster room. The foster lady has been feeding me well. She did try some canned food but after a few meals I decided that wasn't for me. When she was offered something different to try from Chewy, she thought she would see if that appealed to me.

Thankfully she got the salmon and tuna variety. The website says it is grain free and has lots of stuff that will keep me health. The foster lady is just hoping I will eat something to help me from turning into a stick since I am nursing those kittens.

The foster lady says the orange bits are sweet potato and carrots. Not sure that vegetables were going to be my thing, but with enough gravy they were pretty tasty.

*some kitten smelled wet food and was spying on the process

gratuitous kitten picture

nom nom nom

(she cleaned the bowl with no pausing)

I give it 2 paws up. It had a good bit of gravy which was very delicious. The foster lady has been leaving out the dry food for me and making sure I get this food in addition to that. I like it so much I shoved her out of the way yesterday while she was getting my breakfast ready.

Thanks to Chewy for letting me review this food and providing me with some nutritious noms.

weekend report

Boy was it nice here this weekend. Windows open and lots of sun.

The kittens continue to do very well. They are more and more active every day. Mom has seen Orchid and Trillium both stand up and look over the edge of the box, so we suspect it may not be long before someone makes a break for it falls out.

 

nursing really has become a contact sport around here

 

move over...outta my way

 

finally

(though notice Muscari's paw on Orchid's back)

 

"how much longer?"

Mom is pretty sure their ears are open now too. They seem to be responding to more sounds when she is in there. She makes sure to pick them up and handle them as much as possible. She also lets them out of their box to stretch their legs a little. The rug has good traction so they can move around.

Blog the Change - advocate

advocate: (v) to speak or write in favor or; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly
                        (n) a person who speaks or writes in support of a person, cause, etc
(from dictionary.com)

We know what you are thinking....but what can "I" do to make a change? As bloggers, we write about things going on around us. Around here, it is fostering, TNR, transports, spay/neuter. We say, pick a cause and write something. Or if that isn't your thing, think about sharing on social media. Facebook and Twitter are places where a simple click to share can make a difference...you never know when someone is going to read something you have written or shared and it will make an impact.

Remember too though that while some people think that pictures of injured or abused animals make a difference, we have learned over time that they can tend to turn people off from wanting to see anything you share. Be aware of your audience (and honestly, with everything we have seen being IN rescue, we don't want to see those pictures either).

When sharing, make sure to include relevant information. Mom is forever frustrated when she sees people sharing animals that need adoptions or help but she has to dig around to find out where the group or animal is located. Make it simple - put the information and location right up on top.

Other impacts: video. We have shared some of these before but want to do so again:

Lucy Foundation

Cole and Marmalade help feral cats

Our Wish (this is the one we helped with last fall)

Remember, you don't have to be a BIG voice...you just have to BE a voice. 

2 weeks old

Time flies.....

Hard to believe that two weeks ago last night, we had this:

The kittens are certainly more active and Amaryllis is spending a little more time each day out of the box. Which is good for her and for them. Even Tuesday morning mom noticed how much more active and alert they all seem. But boy do they look concerned about everything.

Orchid - our only girl. She is very sweet and more than willing to sit with mom.

 

12 1/4 ounces

Muscari - he is doing well. Can't wait to see what that coat looks like as he gets older.

 

11 3/4 ounces

 

Dandelion - still the drama queen of the family. Amaryllis laid in the box the other night and he ended up behind her. Rather than climb over, he screamed like an idiot until our mom "rescued" him.

 

13 3/8 ounces

Trillium - still the little guy of the crew. Sweet but doesn't take much crap from his siblings.

 

11 3/4 ounces

Mom figures another week and they will more than likely be finding their way out of the box they are in for the moment. Then it will be - let the games begin. Poor Amaryllis has NO idea. MOL

wordless Wednesday

*there was cat laundry in the dryer - from like a week ago (don't judge) - and it had to come out to dry other laundry. rather than fold it and put it away (seriously, stop judging), mom threw it all on the coffee table. we have properly refuzzed all the blankets and towels for her.

Muscari

He's the guy with the gray coat (mom was hoping to get a better picture, but her camera won't talk to her computer at work....oh the joys of technology).

Anyhow, mom has noticed when she picks him up that his chest felt kind of flat. He is eating and getting around (as much as any of them do at this age) and weighs the most of the entire litter. However, it worried her. So Saturday morning she sent a text to the head of the rescue and since the head lady was going to the rescue vet with one of the adoptable dogs, mom agreed to meet her there.

The rescue lady said she agreed it felt funny but that she had seen kittens like this before and they all seem to turn out ok. She suggested that when mom is holding Muscari to put some gentle pressure on his chest/ribs. Mom laughingly said she should maybe build him a tiny straight jacket. MOL

Anyhow, the vet checked him over just to be sure. She was checking his lungs and heart and said she had some concerns he seemed to be breathing fast. Mom leaned over and said - nope, he's ticked off and hissing at you. (he had been asleep on mom's chest before all this). The v-e-t lady leaned over to look - and he hissed and her and SPIT so hard everyone jumped. Mom almost fell over she was laughing so hard. The v-e-t lady agreed at this point he was ticked off more than anything else.

Anyhow, mom is going to keep an eye on him. It may make a difference as he gets bigger and starts walking around too. Mom told the rescue lady that since he was the last kitten born, he had no doubt been smooshed in there for a while. haha

weekend update

It was COLD here!!  In fact, it snowed.... yuck!

 

take cover

Amaryllis and the kittens are all doing well. Mom weighed them last Wednesday and they were all around 8 ounces. She weighed them again on Saturday. Trillium weighed 9 1/4 ounces, Orchid weighed 10 ounces and Dandelion and Muscari both weigh 10 1/4 ounces. We have some seriously chunky and healthy kittens. Amaryllis is taking good care of them but isn't hovering, which is good too.

 

Orchid in the back, Dandelion in the foreground

 

Trillium to the left, Muscari buried under his brother

 

"what??"

Orchid is very laid back. Not much fazes her....which is good as she is the only girl. Trillium is also pretty mellow. Muscari will tell you about it when he is done but is willing to get along with minimal complaining. Dandelion is a drama queen. Pick him up and he howls. Amaryllis will come over to check him out but doesn't act too concerned.

Random Fridays

It has been a weird week. Mom is hoping to get back on schedule over the weekend. Especially since the kittens are going to get bigger as we go along.

Mom weighed them all Wednesday night - their 1 week birthday. Everyone weighs around 8 ounces (mom left her note at home or she would be more specific). We suspect we will be seeing eyeballs any day now. They are getting around (and over each other) pretty well. Amaryllis is a good mom. She is spending a little more time out of the box where the kittens are at right now (mom put them back in the box earlier this week and apparently Amaryllis decided that leaving them there was easier than chasing them around a small space). But the minute those kittens make any noise, she is right there. She is super lovey with mom too.

Daiquiri and Tommy had a v-e-t appointment last week. Mom had scheduled it a week before then for Tim and Tom and decided to keep Tommy's appointment and add Daiquiri (who needed her booster shots). Both were checked over and deemed healthy.

Tommy should get his teeth cleaned as he will be 13 this fall, but they didn't look too bad. Mom did have the v-e-t run a senior blood panel. All looked pretty normal for a guy his age. The v-e-t said a couple of numbers (mom can't remember which) were a tiny bit high but that could be accounted for with the gingivitis. He has actually put on a couple of ounces and was declared pretty perfect.

Daiquiri.....oh my. Mom was hoping she would weigh in around 9-10 pounds. Actual Daiquiri weight: 10 pounds 11 ounces. Mom actually banged her head on the exam table. The v-e-t wrapped her hands around Daiquiri and said it was ok - but no putting on additional weight. However, Daiquiri has pretty red gums and the start of gingivitis - which isn't good considering she isn't even 2 years old. The v-e-t ran a blood test for Bartonella which came back negative. Mom did ask if it could be due to the FeLV marker that tested positive for a while when Daiquiri first came to us. The v-e-t didn't think so. Basically at this point the goal is to clean her teeth and see exactly what is going on back there and stay on top of it. Hopefully it won't morph into stomatitis (which is what Tim had and caused him to lose all his teeth).

Otherwise, all is good here. Mom added a link to the web camera on the upper right of the front page of the blog. Be sure to check in on the kittens. OK - they don't do much at the moment, but it won't be long.....

kitten update

Thanks for the birthday and gotcha wishes on Monday. Good news - mom took her laptop and her brother fixed it. It will get limited use, but at least mom will be able to go back to using the camera and uploading that way.

Speaking of cameras, the web cam seems to work sometimes and not others. Since it usually comes back on if mom resets the wifi at the house, we suspect it is that rather than anything else. However, if it goes offline while mom is at work, it won't be reset until she gets home. Sorry about that.... we just don't have thumbs to flip the switch!!

Mom was in Tennessee for birthdays over the past weekend (she and her niece share a birthday). The kid made mom some artwork for the foster room:

Mom also just realized looking at that picture that they are crooked. Oops.... But aren't they adorable??
(also - you can see the web cam in this picture too)

Mom swears the kittens doubled in size while she was gone. The momma cat is taking great care of them and they are active. Hard to believe they are a week old today. As for names, mom is going with a flower theme. The momma cat is now Amarylis. We think there are 3 boys and 1 girl kittens (the more orange but lighter color). The boys will be Dandelion, Muscari and Trillium, the girl is Orchid. (Mom thought for a while it was two of each and the other girl was going to be Hyacinth....which is also known as Muscari....happy accident).