It's that time

Surgery went well on Monday. Everyone came back slightly grumpy and very hungry. Ree was very unhappy with the small portion of food for a snack and proceeded to bang on the food container and howl until mom gave them more to eat.

Since that is done though and they are all healthy, they are headed to the adoption center today to find their forever homes. We know the kittens will go quickly and hope the same for Ree.

Final official surgery weights: Kettle 3 pounds 1 ounce. Spatula 2 pounds 9 ounces. 2hisk 2 pounds 5 ounces.

Ree weighed in at 6 pounds 11 ounces and they estimate her age at about 1 1/2 years old.

Cute

They don't even have to try...

Everyone is scheduled for surgery today. Paws crossed it all goes well. Kittens get adopted quickly and we hope momma cat Ree does too. They will most likely go to the adoption center on Wednesday.

Weigh ins

Well....they have all hit weight. If you know anyone interested in adopting near Ohio, speak now. Just have to get their surgeries scheduled.

Spatula is the middle weight

2 pounds 5 ounces

Kettle is the resident

heavy weight at

2 pounds 10 ounces

Madame Tinycat??

2 pounds 3 ounces

Fun and games

Also known as, how the boys make their sister howl:

Poor Ree

This is what happens when the kids find your spot.

Cuties

The kittens are probably about 10ish weeks old now. New weights as of last night: Kettle 2 pounds 5 ounces; Spatula 2 pounds 2 ounces; Whisk 1 pound 14 ounces (so close).

Ree is just so super sweet. Mom can cut her nails and hold her like a baby. In fact the only time we've seen her get wound up was when Daiquiri broke in the other day looking for canned food. Space...fine, kittens...whatever, canned food...get out!

The kittens are doing great. Super sweet, playful and outgoing. Kettle is our go with the flow guy. Whisk is our mastermind. Spatula....well as least he's cute. Hahaha

Need to get surgery dates set for everyone but the little one.

We did a thing

Mom launched a t-shirt campaign to raise some awareness and some funds.

Back in February, mom was talking to Miss Julie of Cats Herd You (and Cupcake's mom) and it was mentioned that a vet on TV was going to be at a convention in Florida. This vet has been called out for declawing and mom and Julie said they should make signs "save the murder mittens".

Then mom got an application recently to adopt a pair of kittens from the rescue and the woman was insistent she planned to declaw.

The rescue is against declawing. Many countries have banned it. Yet it is still legal in the US. More people are getting educated. Some vet offices refuse to do it. But it can still be done.

Can you raise awareness with a sense of humor? We think so (or maybe mom just cracks herself up). She couldn't find a graphic she liked to use. But she had that picture of Chanel. We reached out to Miss Yasaar at Chirpy Cats to see if she could draw something. This was the first draft. She went back and added a tail.

Now we have a t-shirt campaign on Bonfire. Save the Murder Mittens with Chanel. All profits go to Colony Cats. We are hoping to raise enough to cover the medical/surgery cost for the kitchen kittens.

Words have power

We all know what has been going on in the world for the last few months, but more specifically in Minneapolis and the rest of the U.S. over the last week.

It is heartbreaking.

As a writer, I feel like I should say something.

As a human being, I'm at a loss.

But I do know this: we need change. At all levels. It starts with one person....say something, do something.

On the go

Mom went in last night to spend some time with Ree and the kittens. Ree decided mom wasn't moving fast enough with the canned food. Drama momma fell over and whined pitifully.

Kettle is a boy on the go. He is also kind of bitey so mom is working on that since not every one wants a piranha kitten.

Whisk took to the cubes to escape but turns out that wasn't her best choice as Spatula followed her inside.

She eventually left for greener pastures....or in her case the dinner plate.

Adventures

Whisk went on an adventure on Saturday. Mom needed to get kitten food so she took the kitten along. She traveled pretty well so like most cats in the car she did her some complaints. She was great meeting new people though.

Everyone is over a pound and Kettle is sneaking up on 2 pounds. The boys may be ready by mid June, Whisk sometime after that. 

Ree could probably go anytime but mom would like to get some weight on her first. She doesn't let the kittens nurse much at all any more. She is super sweet, can be held, doesn't care about the other cats here (she's even been hissed at by Daiquiri and was unmoved).

The kittens haven't purred for mom yet, but kittens raised by a cat mom tend not to early. But all three are playful and sweet.

Whisk will climb into a lap and sit.

Kettle is super curious.

Spatula is a good boy but does seem to have a question mark hanging over his head most of the time.

Random Fridays

Our fairy catmother struck again and sent up a Tespo playpen. We thought we would need it with the kitchen kittens to keep them in part of the foster room. Thankfully they came fairly healthy and didn't need to be restricted. But they will come in handy with the next batch of tiny kittens to keep them in place.

The tuxedo girls had a moment on Thursday. They get up the ladder and sometimes block each other. In this case, Goldfish wanted down and Chanel wasn't moving. Don't feel too bad....Goldfish has done the same.

Kitchen kittens

They have hit the hilarious on the go stage. Places to go, toys to destroy, siblings and mom cat to annoy.

Spatula

Whisk and a very big ball

Kettle and his momma Ree

Double trouble

Spatula

A lot of trouble 

all on his own

Kettle

Places to go

They are doing well and gaining weight. Mom had to set up an airlock by the door to the foster room as the kittens make a run for it when mom goes into the room.

Kitten videos

Mom tried to get Ree on video but all you get is a close up of Ree's nose...

However, the kittens were being cute yesterday:

Kettle

Whisk

Spatula

A small sigh

Ree, Spatula, Kettle and Whisk came back here on Tuesday. They are eating well and seem to be doing much better. So fingers crossed.

They are all playing and bouncing around like normal kittens. Eating everything in sight too.

Mom got weights last night. Kettle is the heaviest 1 pound 6 ounces. Spatula is 1 pound 3 ounces. Miss Whisk is a mighty.... 14 ounces. Keep in mind these guys are about 7 weeks old more or less and the average weight gain is a pound per month. But they are gaining and that is the most important thing.

Ree is supper sweet but so skinny.

Whisk says no to more pictures

The boys

Not a great week

This is definitely the worst part of fostering. Skillet died Sunday night. Tuesday night Griddle and Pot weren't doing well. Mom ended up at the ER vet with Griddle but the kindest thing was to let her go. Pot went to the vet Wednesday morning but passed away over night. Ree and the 3 remaining kittens are at the rescue getting medical attention. Mom is cleaning the foster room and tossing a lot of stuff that can't be washed. We hope to get the back soon. Please send all the healing purrs.

We know you all know this, but this is the reason we preach spay/neuter. If someone has been responsible when Ree was a kitten, none of this would have happened.

But this is how we want to think of them...

Happy Birthday Goldfish

Hard to believe she is 2 years old. Treats for all!!

The not fun part

Skillet is the kitten on the left (Griddle is next to her). All the kittens have not been feeling great over the last few days. They are on dewormer and another med. But Miss Skillet was the worst of the group so she spent last night with the director of the rescue getting fluids hoping that will get her back in track.

Everyone is pretty tiny for their ages but the black kittens are doing the best. Mom was worried about Spatula too but he came around over the weekend.

This is the hard part of fostering. Everyone thinks it's all cute kittens. And it can be. This group seems to be worry and a ton of laundry.