The cookie kittens turned nine weeks old on 6/11 (and the candy kids are 10 weeks old). Hard to believe how quickly they went from helpless to waddling to bouncing off the walls.
Most of the kittens are right on track with their weight (which means they're at least two pounds). Shortbread is about 6 days behind in weight. Although that seems sad, it's actually not so bad since a few weeks ago, she was two weeks behind in weight. She's catching up! Fudge Stripe and Shortbread toggle who is the smallest. Currently, Shortbread is the tiniest.
The kittens should be receiving their first distemper shot (the horror!) on 6/13. The candy kittens received their first shot already (since they're a week older) and both took it really well.
Double Stuff had a very scary incident last Friday. He was frightened by a loud noise while he was lounging on top of a six foot high cat tower. In a panic, he jumped straight down. While that's a scary action all in itself, it was compounded when his head slammed into the metal leg of the futon couch. He then spent 10 minutes wobbling all over the room, not wanting to put weight on his back legs (and actually wheel-barrowed around on his front two legs). This occurred around 7:15pm Friday. Since the vet's office closes at 8pm (and there's a 20 minute drive), I didn't wait to assess if he were merely stunned or was actually injured. I packed him into a carrier and took him to the vet. He was fine. Physically fine. Mentally, he was one upset kitten. He was very vocal about his displeasure over the car ride. As soon as he returned home, Nadya licked him all over and gave him a private nursing session. He glared up at me as he nursed feverishly. The residual effects of his fall - Double Stuff is now terrified to climb down from the cat tower. This fear does NOT keep him from climbing to the top of the tower. Every day when I come home, I find him stuck on the top, screaming at me to help him down. I've tried showing him how to get down. I've tried just letting him sit up there and scream. The other kittens have all tried to show him how to get down, too. He refuses to listen to logic and insists that I help him.
Their little personalities continue to develop.
Zotz absolutely loves attention and is incredibly friendly. She's the first to greet me as I walk into their room. She loves to crawl all over me as I sit on the floor. She's my pal.
Shortie, although the smallest of the bunch, has one of the sweetest personalities. She's so smart, too! When she wants me to play with her, she taps a toy and looks at me. If I'm not paying attention, she runs over to me, taps my leg, and then runs back to her toy and taps her toy. She's incredibly gentle. Her claws are always in when she accidentally hits me instead of the toy I'm waving at her. She's also one curious kitten and is very interested in waste management. As I clean the litter boxes, she crawls into the bag, investigating where the poop goes...
Biscoff is one of largest kittens and is the most easy going of the bunch. He lets me do pretty much anything, including holding him in the crook of my arm, cradling him like a baby. He loves belly rubs... or at least puts up with them.
Zagnut is a quiet, gentle giant. He is the largest of the kittens. Typically, kittens gain 4 ounces a week and total 3 pounds at 12 weeks. Zagnut reached 3 pounds at 9 weeks old. I'm still working with him about human interaction. It seems he greets me at the door every OTHER day. He likes me. He's just a little unassuming. His favorite game is blanket monster (I'm teaching 'em young!). He loves to have a baby blanket thrown over him and when he sneaks a paw out from under the blanket, he almost giggles when I touch it.
Stroopy is a rascal. He is the biggest of Nadya's kittens. He can be a bit of a bully as he plays a little too aggressively with some of the kittens. Of course, he has a good heart and likes to curl up with his siblings, too. He loves to be petted and puts up with belly rubs.
Double Stuff is the trouble maker. He loves to get into things. He's also the talker. The other kittens are fairly quiet, rarely meowing. Double Stuff is constantly talking, even in the potty. He is also a deep purrer. Loves belly rubs and will actually flop down at my feet for belly rubs.
Fudgie. Sigh. Fudgie. She's a sweet girl. Unfortunately, she absolutely hates me. It breaks my heart. She's starting to come around, though. She doesn't run away from me... as much. She WILL walk past me if I'm sitting on the floor now (she used to take the biggest circle possible to avoid coming anywhere near me - and sometimes, she just wouldn't even go around me. She'd stay on her side of the room). I think she's still holding a grudge to humans in general, with me at the top of her list, after her butt abscess draining (her bottom was poked with a giant needle to drain a nasty infection). Although I didn't do it (a vet did), she still holds me responsible for the incident (and not her mother Nadya who gave her the abscess). She does love to play with her siblings. I'm trying to work with her.
And Nadya. Sweet Nadya. Always greets me at the door. She loves, loves, loves to lick her kittens. When one runs by her, she grabs it and bathes it. She loves to play with me. She prefers to hang back when I'm playing with the kittens, though. She herself occasionally plays with a kitten. Shortie loves to wrestle with her momma.
Nadya continues to have bouts here and there of fevers. She was fine for a good three weeks without incident. She spent a couple of hours alone when the kittens were 7 weeks old. They went to the vet for their wellness checkup. A few hours after they returned, her temp shot up, caused by the stress of her missing kittens. She was placed on antibiotics and sub-Q fluids for a week. A day after that, her temp shot up again and she went back on antibiotics and sub-Q fluids for another week. She's just finished that round. Fingers crossed that she stays healthy!
Typically, Feline Rescue posts kittens for pre-adoption when they reach 2 months old (but doesn't adopt out until 3 months old, after they've been spayed/neutered and FeLV/FIV tested). Because there's a slight chance that these kittens might have FIV, we have to wait to post the kittens for adoption until after they've been tested. They most likely will be just fine - FIV negative. Given their momma's history, we have to be careful. With a typical litter, I'd be entertaining people who were interested in meeting the kittens. I'd know now if my babies were going to be adopted. These kittens have about 4 weeks to go before they can meet potential adopters. It's bittersweet. It's sweet because I have more time with these kittens; it's bitter because these kittens, unfortunately, can't do what other kittens get to do.
As mentioned, the kittens get their first distemper shot tomorrow (6/13). Think about them about 4:30 Central (Minnesota) time because that's when the needles come out. Poor babies. I think I'm more nervous then they are!!
No comments:
Post a Comment