Henry Lovable

I've been desperate for kittens and been wanting them since September.

On October 6th 2012  my answers were met. Henry isn't as young as I normally take on being roughly ten weeks old or there around but he was really skinny and he was sharing a room with two sneezing cats. I decided, since he wasn't sneezing that I'd take him on.

None of the pictures do justice to how skinny he was, he's got quite the thick fur but ribs, spine and hip bones could be felt when I first brought him home.

Soon after I got him home timid and looking a bit grotty

For at least a week Henry was the only kitten I had and I was pleased when his weight was going up rather than down. Over the course of the week he would occasionally sneeze I mentioned this to the vet at his checks and they said keep an eye on it but there was no medication and he had no temperature.

Posing for the camera

Henry was quickly made the connection with people and scratches under the chin and cuddles.

Enjoying some chin scratches

I particularly love it when you scratch his chin in a certain spot his little back foot starts ticking a bit like a dog. It's pretty darn adorable.

Soaking up some cuddles with mum

When I first got Henry he didn't know how to play or interact with toys. He soon learned they were great fun.

Swatting at a ribbon

Was playing with my camera strap here

Around roughly the second week on 13th October 2012 I got asked if I'd like to take on another three kittens. At first their age was estimated at around six or seven weeks but upon their weighing all were nearing the 1000 grams. All got their vaccinations - including Henry - and we packed off home.

I had a second dog crate that I housed Henry in because he wasn't too sure about the new kittens. They all interacted fairly well together. Henry continued sneezing on and off and began coughing as well.

During the last vet visit they mentioned that he had a temperature and the flu virus. I was advised to keep the two litters separate and since then I have.

Henry's future at the present is uncertain. I'm constantly checking him for further changes, weepy eyes, colored discharge from his nose, ulcers in his mouth, lethargy...

So far beyond some bowel issues - possibly illness or stress related - he's coughing and sneezing but still bright, playing and eating well.

Its a wait and see situation that I shall keep updated.

Everyone who meets this unique looking little guy falls in love with him. He is extremely cruisey - a word I use for kittens that are laid back and don't really care what you do with him. I can rub his belly and he grabs my hand but his claws are kept in and he nibbles on my hand always allowing me to keep rubbing or tickling him.

He has a massive motor on him. Sometimes you just have to look at the little guy and he's purring away, others you cuddle him or scratch him under the chin and he just soaks up the attention.

Henry has come a long way from the shy little boy that hid and couldn't figure out what to do with toys. He's now a fairly solid well balanced little dude.

Henry looking cute and more filled out

Fingers crossed he can kick this virus in the butt.

Miss B Paris

On the 25th of April I received a call from the Animal Shelter saying they had a single very small kitten that needed fostering. A worker had been doing it but couldn't supply regular attention and her dog was eyeing it as possible food.

I went out and met little Paris. She was a teeny tiny little tortoiseshell kitten, unlike the black tortoiseshells with orange markings she was white with black and orange splotches. I do remember there is other definitions between the two different colors but so far as I've ever been told while volunteering they're both classified as a form of tortoiseshell here.

Paris was a measly 257 grams when she came into my care, she was supposedly four weeks old. During the first few days the kitten got quite a few rinse downs as she had some loose stool which she managed to climb all through and when I met her she'd lain in vomit so she stank...

Paris rolling around on my lap on the trip to my grandfather's 90th
(attempting to play with the sparkle ball)

On the 28th I had an non negotiable 90th birthday of my grandfather's to attend and was freaking out at what that would mean for the kitten. She was getting regular milk supplement via syringe feedings that she was taking well but she didn't have a tonne of energy and quite easily fit in her carrier with all her basic needs. Paris had her first car trip and joined the 90th party meeting more of my family than even the permanent residents ever met. She was a big hit with the kids and some of my other relatives.

Paris enjoying the warmth of the blanket and my laptop

A few times I had to help her go to the toilet. Most of her behavior was more towards a four week old kitten even though her weight put her little below three weeks. She was unbelievably ribby. This photo gives an idea when all her fuzz is wet just how little she was.

Paris after much needed bath

Always, Always Paris was a fighter. Her name did NOT stick. The entire time she was knocking down weight milestones everyone was trying out numerous different names. Most of the names tried began with the letter B.

My sister and her boyfriend were determined that she be called Barbara

My mother decided her name should be Bubbles

My father decided her name should be Bandit because of the little black mask marking over her eyes.

I tended to resume to referring to her as Paris because thats what the shelter named her and thats where she would be returning. It is a method I use to not get too attached.

Who could resist that face?

Paris got the nickname from me of being a 'Bitch' (please excuse the language). Since she didnt have much interaction with kittens her own age I introduced her to Leo and Terra. I supervised all visits and made sure she was never hurt. I shouldnt have worried. As she grew she full on tackled Leo or Terra for no apparent reason. She was scared of nothing and cocky in her confidence.

Imagine something the size of a shoe attacking a medium to large sized handbag. Objects referred to are inanimate but they're the only things I could think of that would give a rough idea of the size difference.

Paris sizing up Leo

By the time Paris was ready to return I was quite glad. She was a mini ball of energy and by far one of the most outgoing little kittens I had helped raise. Paris was not overly cuddly she was a terror to Leo and Terra.

Size ratio - Mug is fairly big but she's the same size as it

She made weight and passed her vet check with flying colors. Paris didn't however do too great in mass population of the sales rooms with cats that probably put her in her place and there were more of them than there was kittens, she was the only one still very small.

Paris got taken out and put in a rabbit hutch just so she could have her own space and still be visible to the public wanting to buy her.

Paris back at the shelter looking more
 like a young cat than a kitten

I got the news a few weeks later that Paris went home with none other than Lilah from my previous foster group. Woot. Happy times.

The Troops

After a long gap between litters on March 10th 2012 I got my fifth group of foster kittens that I soon named 'The Troops'

The group apparently were part of some brought in by a person that had too many cats and often brought in kittens. I have no detailed knowledge of their history and this is just a brief summary of what I'd been told. There was six of them and they were having room troubles so I freed up 3 cages (each had 2 kittens) and carted them off home.

Managed to get a group photo

All weren't as little as they appeared but still below proper weight to go into sales. Unfortunately I had the job of naming them also.

A silver grey tabby female I soon named Lilah as in certain light she looked nearly a lavender purple.

Pretty Lilah

A fluffy buff colored male was named by a friend of a friend that also volunteered so he was called Bandit

Bandit looking cute

Peaches was a fluffy ginger female who spent awhile without a name but after watching one of the numerous Ice Age movies that was on TV mum mentioned calling her Peaches and it stuck.

Peaches such a pretty girl

Milo was a ginger male. Pretty much original to name a ginger male Milo after Milo and Otis.

Little Milo, name suits him

Rocky was a silver tabby boy a bit darker than Lilah

If I had the ability I would have scooped
him up and kept him forever
Silver Tabby boy weakness....

Hunter was a brown tabby

Hunter blending into the spotty blanket

There was another letter in their group but he didn't make it past the first vet check and I never got to meet him...or her.

I finally had my first not so straight forward group of kittens. Their weights from the beginning were like a yo-yo. One minute they would be up, then they would be down. They would all be having great formed poop next minute they would be horrible smelly puddles. Or they would all seem fine but then one or other would be limping and need to be isolated from the others...

Hunter and Lilah were the first to be returned not too long after I first got them. This was a blessing in disguise.

Lilah all grown up in sales room

Hunter all grown up in sales room

Bandit was looking down the hallway towards the night light. He had lost over 100 grams since his last weigh in, he had a temperature but he was put on medication and given a chance.

By the time the kittens returned the shelter had reached an 'at capacity' limit. The sales rooms were full to the brim, the quarantine sections were full to the brim. No one was buying. Anything under 800 grams was being put to sleep.

Rocky, Milo, Peaches and Bandit went into the room never to return again.

I understand their hands were tied. They were low on stocks of food especially kitten food, the sales room was possibly over the actual room limit and being a small town there just aren't ever enough homes for them all. Looking back the alternate lameness that went through each kitten and their struggle to gain or keep weight on could have been hiding some underlying issues.

Walking into the sales rooms and finding Hunter and Lilah in there I was glad they had been returned early and at least two of the six made it to a point where they would have the opportunity to have a new home. Seeing how full the rooms were and how much some of the cats and kittens were getting on each others nerves I solidified my belief that putting the kittens down was the best option available for them.

They knew love, they had a warm bed, all the food they could want and had room to run around in while they were with me. R.I.P Bandit, Milo, Peaches and Rocky.

Rest In Peace little cuties

Pippa's Memorial

Pippa was my first failure.

I got a call about a kitten that had dropped around 120 grams and needed to gain weight pronto. Poor little girl was just skin and bones. She still had bright eyes and although I had to force feed her a bit just to make sure she gained.

Unfortunately her gain wasn't significant. She got badly runny stool and was rushed off to the vet where she got some fluids, was wormed and got some medication to give her. Vet advised regularly force feeding her meals in attempt to get her body using the food properly.

There was a brief moment of yay when she was gaining due to the regular feeds but by the next morning she dropped downwards again.

Despite regularly stuffing food into her every time she got in the little weigh basket she was lower than she was the time before.

Going to the vet exam that day I think I knew deep down and had an inkling from the beginning that she was much too skinny when I first got offered her. I also regrettably never managed to get a photo of her which I really wish I had. My mentality at the time was to wait until she looked much healthier alas that day never came.

The vet took one look at her and my notes and said it was time to give this battle up. Although her eyes were bright her body was shutting down not having anything left to keep itself going and being more and more worn down by the whole diarrhea issue as well.

I bid her farewell and walked out the door not able to watch a kitten so young being put to sleep. I figure if they had tried sticking it out there would have been a high chance of her dying in my arms at home and that is one of my greatest fears.

R.I.P Pippa. You were dealt a bad hand early in life. May your future walks in heaven be pain free and full of spirit.

The Chillen

On the 31st of December 2011 I brought home The Chillen. It was The Children but got shortened as time went on and became the nickname of the group.

First meeting while still at the shelter

The little Chillen upon first sight

In their new digs at my place

The four weren't likely to need much attention just the usual socializing and weight gain, having had the one group for a long time and much more demanding than this lot it was a walk in the park.

When they were still itty bitty

I didn't end up having very many issues at all with the kittens. Their weights went upwards rather than down and they never stayed very long at all.

We had a few issues with a kitten named Chinook. At one stage she was acting lethargic and got taken to the vets fearing there was something severely wrong with her. She was just over heated so I had to give her some extra TLC before she was up and acting normal again. She is not an easy kitten to get a decent shot of.

One of the very few pictures I have of Chinook as a kitten

The kittens personalities I don't believe had fully developed while I had them with me. Chinook (Snookie) was by far the most antisocial.

Indi (Miss Independant) was into everything and had characteristic big wide eyes that told her apart from her sister

Miss Boggles is pleased to meet you

Daisy is what I call Torbie. Some of her brown tabby coat changed to ginger tabby in specific parts of her body, most specifically across her chest was a ginger stripe. She was one of the more affectionate.

Little Daisy being cute

Bundy was the only boy of the litter. He was a gorgeous fluffy and cuddly boy who was quite happy to pose away for the camera. Bundy was the one who upon returning to the animal shelter got scooped up with Charlie. I can totally understand why.

Bundy when he lost his kitten looks
and began taking on his cat looks.
Handsome boy.

Only three kittens returned to the shelter for adoption. No, none passed away. I am totally sure at one stage or other anyone who fosters kittens come across one that they cannot return. Well, that happened with one from this group.

Chinook struck a cord with not me but my brother. The morning I brought the group home my brother had a dream about a black and white kitten. As soon as he saw little Chinook he was sold and spent the remainder of their time here helping look after her to prove he would be the right person to look after her.

Chinook soon got a new name - Terra. Terra was not a new name for Terror. More of a name that now means Terrified. As she's grown she's become more and more nervous around new situations - I take no responsibility for making her like this. However despite her being terrified of new things she loves one and only one person to bits. My brother. She sits at the door when he leaves for work and snuggles up under his chin when he returns. I guess they chose each other.

Terra claimed as a new member of the family

Terra adopted wearing a altered sock to
cover her spaying surgery stitches done in her side 

Recent picture. Not quite a year old and
I am aware that she is a bit pudgy

She has been quite the blessing. Terra has provided Leo someone to share the house with and Leo gets along with her extremely well attempting to give her baths which she doesn't appreciate at all and they end up in a tackling war instead.

Leo giving Terra a bath

She starts half the fights but he finishes them and she screams out for help. Poor loser.

The Kids - Part Four

The final story of The Kids

Well we had Dianna, Charlie and Izzie to share Christmas with and it was quite a nice way to celebrate the day.

Charlie trying to chew down the tree

Dianna attempting to pull down all the tinsel

Charlie recruited Izzie to help destroy the tree

It never ceased to amaze me in the fact that during they were in my care I never lost any of them and Izzie and Charlie who were the worst off managed to still thrive. The day of fun and toys was over and we had some very tired kittens on hand.

Little Angel Charlie

Sadly all had to be returned. I learned not long after they had been returned, there wasn't enough room in the sales section for them so they had to stay back in quarantine. Well quarantine got struck down with a nasty flu virus. For quite a few weeks I was terrified that all my hard work would only be rewarded with George finding a home and the rest being put to sleep.

I walked in after the worst of the flu had gone. I learned mumma Annie, Beatrice and Harry had not made it and had been on the side that got hit the hardest.

I found that Charlie, Izzie and Dianna had managed to beat the odds and pull through not even being struck down at all. In the weeks I had been away from the shelter it appeared that all of them had grown into miniature cats instead of kittens. Freddy, Eddie and Jenny were still roaming around the sale rooms also unaffected by the flu.

Meet the grown up Kiddies

Freddy

Remember The Tank? Well he slimmed down well

Eddie

Mistaken Identity Eddie is truly beautiful all grown up

Jenny

Jenny still quiet but friendly

Dianna

Dianna posing again - my how she's grown

Charlie

Little fuzz ball grew up, love how his stripes are much more prominent now

Izzie

What happened to pot belly little Roo?
Can see some of her mother in that gaze

I could not get over what gorgeous cats they all had turned into. 

Charlie and Izzie so different from the little pipsqueaks that I had held in one hand and fed from a spoon with the other. Izzie was the most stunning change as while she was with me she was always very tiny with little legs a round fat belly and massive ears, while she never lost the big ears she did turn into a slim, sleek long legged girl surely taking after her mother.

While I did lose two kittens and a mother due to uncontrollable circumstances I comforted myself in the fact that whatever the outcome at least they had known love. If I hadn't taken them on they would never have even had the two months roughly of around the clock food and cuddles and experiences that they got to have while they were with me. 

Most of all they wont be just random cats that will be forgotten, I have my pictures and my memories of each and every single one of them whether they live or die.

R.I.P Annie

Farewell Annie you did a massive job and shall live on in those you raised

R.I.P Harry

Little Harry the cuddler

R.I.P Beatrice

Beatrice the spirited half and half kitten.
I would have loved to have seen her all grown up

I am eternally grateful to have had them in my life for however long and hope that those strong ones who made it through and found themselves a home live a long and happy life.

I also found out at a later date that little Charlie was scooped up to a family who took on another kitten from another of my foster litters to be mentioned at a later date.

The Kids - Part Three

It was quite interesting with the whole teaching kittens to first drink from a spoon, then from a saucer, then from a bowl.

Izzie drinking from a spoon

Charlie making short work of a saucer of milk,
Freddy wanting some of his own

L to R - Dianna, Izzie and George taking their fill from a bowl

It was cute seeing them learn from Annie that wet food was food and how to eat it.

Eddie taking quick notes from Annie

I was amazed in the day to day, week by week changes in the appearance from where they began...

The Kids, shortly after arriving

To where they ended up

L to R clockwise - Freddy, Harry, Eddie & Beatrice
(who looks like she's giggling)

The chaos when they're all in the basket (Minus Izzie here)

Can you count them all?

Learning to play

Dianna & Beatrice with Izzie attacking a mobile toy

Beatrice, A slightly better look at her hind ginger colored leg
always appeared that a grey cat swallowed a ginger one

Alas time came for another departure of mumma Annie and two of her kittens Beatrice and Harry. Thankfully I got to keep Dianna, Charlie and Izzie over Christmas.

Last moment before seperation - Annie looking pleased as ever

To be Continued....