Updated Words

It's been awhile since I last posted about the kittens. You may have noticed that the room is a lot emptier. And soon it will be very empty.

Katherine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor were adopted together by a woman who likes shy kitties. Katherine was really warming up to me around the time of her adoption and more and more would let me approach her and pet her. Elizabeth had turned love bug/lap cat months prior. Now in their adoptive home, the girls are doing well. Their adoptive momma is quite smitten with having a loving kitten like Elizabeth. And Katherine is doing well in her new home.

Mugwumps had several interviews with other people prior to finding her people. She had always been polite with the other people and would greet them for about a minute before retreating across the room and refusing to have anything to do with the people who came to meet her. That all changed for the right people. Mugwumps jumped up on their shoulders and gave them kisses. She picked her people and they fell in love with her right away. Mugwumps went home to another cat and they're getting along well.

Taradiddle stole an adoption from Ingrid. Ingrid thought she had it in the bag and after about 10 minutes of being fairly social, stopped interacting with the people. Tara swooped in and stole the adoption out from under Ingrid.

But Ingrid's people soon came. Although Ingrid was quite shy with them, she still won them over. Ingrid needed a buddy so the mom and son chose a kitten from another litter. Since Ingrid could be quite difficult with other cats, that kitten (Espresso) came to stay with us for a bit to make sure that Ingrid could get along with that kitten. Lo' and behold, it was Espresso who had issues coming into the foster room! He was a pistol for several days, whacking anyone who dared to get close to him. All the kittens took it in stride, even though they desperately wanted to play with the new guy. Ingrid developed a crush on Espresso. He finally settled down and the two of them went home together.

Firkin was also paired with another kitten in foster care. He is doing well.

Herman was paired with an adult cat in foster care. Herman is doing well; the adult cat is adjusting to sweet Herman.

Tiramisu and Anisette were adopted together. Their new momma is excited to have friendly, sweet cats as her last several had been standoffish and skittish.

The last two to be adopted are Gazump and Jackanapes. I'm absolutely shocked about that. They are gorgeous AND friendly. My shy ones were adopted before my friendly ones. So odd. The boys have an interview on Saturday. Fingers crossed!

One In, One Out

Mugwumps

Mugwumps was adopted last week! She truly picked her people. Several people have been interested in her. She is quite gorgeous. But each time people met her, she hung around for a minute or two and then would walk across the room, refusing to return. For these people, she hopped right up on their shoulders. She gave them kisses and patted their faces. They thought they chose her but she actually chose them.

Panjandrum

Interestingly enough, Mugwumps was a silent kitty in the foster room. She rarely spoke and when she did, she simply opened her mouth and nothing came out. Once adopted, she has become a big ol' chatter bug.

A few days after Mugsie was adopted, another kitten came in. This in Panjandrum, Snollygoster's sister. The person who captured Snollygoster, finally caught his sister. She looks like a cross between a lynx and a rabbit. She is quite vocal and definitely wants out of her kennel. She's a little more wild than her brother. She vibrates when she eats, just like her brother.

Snollygoster is still confined to a kennel (so is Panjandrum). They're in separate kennels that face each other so they can see each other. They both get to come out when they eat. I place the bowl right on my lap and pet them while they eat (I take them out separately). They're both still super scared and confining them to a kennel ensures that they won't burrow into a hiding spot where I'll never see them again. They only get to eat when I'm in the room as it helps to reinforce that people are good, they bring food. They both are no longer flat against the back of the kennel; they sit towards the front and observe the chaos of the foster room. Snollygoster even snagged some toys into his kennel and will play quietly. As soon as I open the kennel door, they both retreat to the back of the kennel. The day they stop fearing me, moving away from me, they will get free room privileges. I was hoping Snolly would have graduated by now but a week was a little too ambitious. He's gaining weight and seems to be content. Panjie would like to get out; she's a little more high strung than he brother. She may take even longer than her brother to come around fully, though.

So that's the story. One got adopted and made room for another to join the foster room (albeit in a kennel).

And another one....

Snollygoster

And another one has entered the room. It might be awhile before you see Snollygoster wandering about. He was found up north wandering around by himself. The person who captured him said it took four people to get him. I'm assuming it took so many because he was completely scared out of his mind. He's a bit scared now. He lets me hold him and will even start purring but once released, he's completely wild. He is currently kenneled in the room until he learns to trust me.

Snollygoster definition: an unprincipled but shrewd person.

Expanding Your Vocabulary

Gazump, mid lick

Two more kittens have entered the room and I've continued with the unusual words naming theme. Introducing Jackanapes (definition: an impertinent, presumptuous person, especially a young man) and Gazump (definition: a swindler or cheat, particularly when selling a house and then raising the price or accepting another offer from a different buyer).


Jackanapes and Gazump were found in Frogtown (a section of St. Paul, MN). They were being harassed by several boys who were tossing them around like balls. Understandably, Jack and Gaz are a little leery of being handled right now. They purr when petted but do not like to be picked up. They are not fans of the other kittens in the room and growl up a scary storm when approached. The other kittens are quite stumped by this. It's actually quite funny to see a kitten who is three times their size freeze and then back away from Jack or Gaz. Oh, the power of a might roar.

Jackanapes

Gaz is quite fond of sitting behind me, just out of reach. He likes to continually poke me in the back. He really wants attention and interaction. He's just a little out of sorts from his ordeal. His brother Jack likes to sit on the couch behind me, just at my shoulder but not touching me. Jack purrs a little more readily than his brother.

Both boys are quite sweet. Neither hide. They stand their ground with the other kittens. They are not skittish. They're just a little apprehensive. They'll get over it soon enough.

The Dessert Menu

Cannoli

Some of you eagle eye cam watchers may have noticed some teenies running around the past week and a half. They were transferred from another Feline Rescue caregiver, who had too many fosters (her remaining all have medical issues).

Tiramisu and Anisette

Originally there were three new ones - Anisette, Tiramisu, and Cannoli. Unfortunately, Cannoli suddenly passed away. He was coughing and losing weight. He saw the vet a day later who diagnosed him with giardia (he had severe diarrhea). A day later, as I watched the camera, I noticed that Cannoli was exhibiting signs of distress - pacing, twitching, and gasping for breath. I immediately left work and took him to the vet. He was placed on oxygen and an X-Ray showed that his abdomen was filled with fluid. The vet recommended euthanasia. The three things that had the symptoms he was showing were all terminal. A necropsy was conducted; the results will come back in a couple of weeks.

The other two kittens Anisette and Tiramisu are sweet little tortie girls that are incredibly bonded. They are about 8-9 weeks old although they look to be about 6 weeks old. They're stunted (so was Cannoli). They came from Animal Control when they were about 4 weeks old without a mother. They are good little eaters and happy little girls. One of these days they'll get big. They absolutely love to sit on my lap.

Rest in peace, little Cannoli.

The New Kids - the Wordy Kittens

Kerfuffle

Mugwumps

Mr. Darcy was adopted on Saturday and went to his new home. He was the last of the official Kissy Kittens.

On Sunday, five new kittens entered the room. They are fairly friendly and are all ages. Since it makes it much easier to track kittens in our database that have unique names, I came up with never before used names. I call this group the Wordy Kittens. Their names are unusual words.

First off the bat is Kerfuffle. He's the oldest kitten at about 4 months old. He's a tuxy with 'tude. He has done nothing but growl and hiss. Constantly. He growls and hisses at other kittens. He growls and hisses when he's eating. He growls and hisses when he's playing with toys BY HIMSELF. Kerfuffle means "commotion" or "fuss." Yup. That's Kerfuffle.

Widdershins

Mugwumps is probably Kerfuffle's sister. She's a tortie that seems to be the same age as they're about the same weight (plus, Keruffle doesn't seem to hiss at her as much as the other kittens). Mugwumps is an independent person who is neutral (relating to politics).

Widdershins is the next oldest at about three and a half months. She's a Siamese mix who is very un-Siamese. She is friendly! She's bursting with energy. Widdershins means counterclockwise and yes, she is always moving in the opposite direction.


Firkin

Taradiddle

Taradiddle is one of the smaller kittens. She's an 8 week old tabby. Very sweet. Likes to lick. Taradiddle means "pretentious nonsense."

And finally, my favorite (yes, I do have favorites) - Firkin. I'm in love with Firkin. He's a 7 week old black and white (not quite a tux). He's all fluff. He's a tiny guy that loves to sit on my lap. I can't help but put him there. He's not going to be good at walking because I keep scooping him up. Firkin is a quarter barrel (relating to beer).

So there you have it. Five new kittens. 



All Those Kittens in the Room

Mr. Darcy

Rhett Butler

So for this group, I had planned on posting weekly articles about them... but that did not happen at all. And not only have I not bragged about how wonderful these guys are, I haven't formally introduced the new ones or announced adoptions. Part of the reason is because I have been a little busier than previously. I was "promoted" the Feline Rescue Foster Program Director! I run the Foster program now.

These amazingly kissy kittens have been such a joy to foster. From the moment they popped out of their carriers after the ride home, they have been so incredibly friendly.

Dorian Gray

Don Juan

Dorian Gray, at one time one of the smallest kittens, is what I refer to as Patient Zero. He developed a cold within 24 hours of arriving and by day 2, was absolutely miserable. I chose not to separate him from the rest as I didn't want to have him alone... plus, all the other kittens had probably already been exposed to his germs. One by one, every kitten got that cold. We're going on four weeks now. Some had it fairly mildly. Some had it pretty bad. They've been without antibiotics for more than 24 hours. There's some sneezing and a bit of runny noses but I'm hoping that will work itself out soon.

Barney Stinson

Lord Byron

Now for the adoptions. The very first to get adopted were Warren Beatty and Don Draper, two panther brothers. They've already left and have been at their adopted home for almost 2 weeks now. They're doing so well! The next two were Don Juan and Barney Stinson. Don Juan (DJ) goes up to everybody and kisses them and then curls up on their lap. He's quite the lovebug and would probably be adopted a half dozen times over. The next two to get adopted were Rhett Butler and Dorian Gray. They're going to a home with a 7 year old and an 11 year old girl and boy. Rhett was quite fine being lugged around by the little girl while she was visiting.

Casanova

After a lull in adoptions, Casanova and Lord Byron finally got adopted. They're going to a home with quite the energetic three year old boy. After his visit, both kittens slept for a long time. Since both kittens are normally very active, this was a refreshing surprise. Mr. Darcy is the last and has an interview on Sunday evening.


William Blake

The new ones. Several weeks ago, within a day of each other, I brought home a litter of three and a single. The single is William Blake. He is the botfly boy. I pulled him from the room a few days after arriving since he lost a lot of weight. He stopped eating and was vomiting up a storm. I had to give him sub-q fluids and force feed him formula. Since both of these tasks have to be done quite frequently, I brought him to work so that I didn't have to travel home to feed him. Another caregiver lives close to where I work and offered to take him after she found out he was with me at work. She is the one that noticed the oozing hole and sore on his chest. I had noticed a sore a few days ago. The oozing hole was new. Turns out, he had a botfly. Over the next few days, he would develop sores and then within 24 hours, a hole in the sore would emerge. This was the botfly making a hole to breath. He had seven removed from him total (although he actually had 9 in him - 2 were dead and the extraction of those 2 would be surgery. No sense in making him go through that). He had a record number of botflies in him. One of them did have to be surgically removed but he came out of it like nothing happened. After the first botfly was removed, William felt so much better and began eating on his own. Within a month, William went from 1 pound 1 ounce to 4 pounds. He's quite the chunk.

Elizabeth Taylor

Katherine Hepburn

Percy B. Shelley

The litter of three kittens are incredibly shy. Two sisters - the black one is Elizabeth Taylor and the tuxy is Katherine Hepburn. The brown tabby is Percy B. Shelley. Percy developed Dorian's cold and had it even worse than Dorian. Percy suddenly realized that the medicine I was forcing upon him made him feel better so this undersocialized kitten actually started seeking me out so that I could give him medicine to make him feel even better. It was quite interesting to watch him overcome his shyness. Elizabeth was the smallest kitten in the room and lacked confidence. She was easily bullied from the food and as a result, was not gaining weight. I removed her from the room for a few days (and let her bunk with William Blake upstairs) to give her a chance at food. It was this one on one time that helped her start to like me. Katherine is absolutely not fond of me. IF I can grab her, I can get her to purr. But that's IF. It doesn't happen very often.

Ron Howard

About a week after William Blake started feeling better, I got a new little kitten. He had coccidia and couldn't mix with the downstairs kittens (coccidia causes diarrhea and if the other kittens stepped in it, they'd get coccidia, too). The new guy is a little orange and white tabby with orange dots on his face like freckles. I named him Ron Howard. Unfortunately, his diarrhea was quite bad and he very quickly became dehydrated. He stopped eating and dropped a lot of weight. Again, I had to do sub-q fluids and 3am feedings. After four days, the medicine finally kicked in and Ron Howard started eating on his own. A week later, Ron Howard had gained a whole pound (kittens typically gain 4 ounces a week). Once the diarrhea subsided, he was introduced to William Blake and the two became best friends instantly. They're now inseparable. They've made friends with my own cats and are quite responsible little kittens so they get to stay upstairs and have pretty much free roaming time.

Ingrid Bergman

Another new little orphan made her way into the foster room. She looks almost identical to Dorian Gray. I had to clip a piece of her fur so that I could tell them apart. She came from a tree farm in Plato, MN. She was NOT fond of super friendly, in-your-face kissy kittens and growled up a storm any time a kitten approached her. I had to kennel her for a few days until she calmed down. She now really likes some of the other kittens. Casanova has a crush on her. I named this brown tabby Ingrid Bergman. She is a cuddler and a purrer and has invented several games that the other kittens now play.

Herman Munster

And the newest addition to the room - Herman Munster. He looks a lot like Ron Howard. He's an orange and white tabby. He was found under someone's porch... who then left him there overnight. He was brought to our shelter as the shelter intake person was under the assumption that this kitten was a good 4-5 months old (she got that impression because his rescuer told her that he was 10 inches long). He's about 7 weeks old and 1 pound 5 ounces. He ain't even close to 10 inches, tip of his nose to the tip of his tail. He's a wee little thing. I was going to name him Jimmy Stewart but changed my mind after I saw him in action. This little guy is a spitfire! He backed Mr. Darcy into a corner, jumped onto Casanova's back (the biggest kitten in the room) and rode him around the room, made every kitten freeze and stop eating their dinner, and has greeted every single kitten with a flying crab walk and hiss. Oooooh! He's a tough little monster. But he's also loveable. He fell asleep in the crook of my arm last night... after he stopped gnawing on my arm.

William Blake and Ron Howard

The seven Kissy Kittens will be neutered on Tuesday. Dorian, Rhett, DJ, Barney, Cas, and Byron all leave by the end of next week. Fingers crossed that Mr. Darcy will also be going to his adoptive home!

So by next week the room will not as chaotic... until I find more kittens who need rescue.