If It's Not One It's The Other

Well...

Terra is still having eye issues and has been wearing her bucket since last Friday. If we take it off she's there rub, rub rubbing her eye and making it puff up again.

I seriously think another vet visit is in order. I don't believe it's a scratch on the eyeball but more located in the corner of her third eyelid or on her upper or lower outward lid somewhere. Either way beyond the ointment helping with inflammation it doesn't look as healed as it could.

So...

The title kind of leads you to believe somethings up with Leo?

True. He hasn't been to the vet yet but he is having his own set of issues.

Leo has what I consider shortish hair but lots of it. He is shedding all the time. He's not overly fussed with being brushed unless you catch him in a good mood.

Needless to say now that my boy has more 'work' to keep himself looking spic and span he's having awful issues with coughing up hair balls.

When it was once off I didn't worry but in the course of two months this year he's probably done it at least 5 times two of those within the last few days.

If a hairball has to come out I'd rather he vomit than get constipated but he doesn't like retching up hair and I don't like hearing him howl or cleaning it up.

Therefore he's now on a hairball control dry food, I've bought him some cat lax to put on his paw (so he'll lick it off) every so many days to help him digest what hair he does eat and I'll be taking to him with a brush more often.

Now that I'm officially kitten-less, it could be for several weeks, it could be until next kitten season I'll try to keep this blog going but I don't think it will be as regularly updated as it is when I have kittens running around.

Changes? I don't like changes! ~ Leo

The Journey...To Heaven

I am quite tired of these posts. I'll bet followers, the few I do have, are probably tired of them too.

Ebony was grotesquely emaciated. Her fluffy coat hid it well but there was nothing left of her. Around Midday yesterday I knew even though her eyes were bright her body was growing weary.

Supposed to be 600g but is less than the size of my hand

Her bowel movements were not from this world and spoke a story of an extremely sick kitten. The pictures I showed the vet and fellow shelter people had them all recoiling and saying that it was not right. It didn't take any form of expert to know there was something seriously wrong with her inside.

Loving some chin scratches

Huddled for warmth. Fuzz hides how boney she is
(my face reflects the putrid smell coming off her)

From early this morning Ebony was on food strike. Not even raw chicken could entice her. So I gave her cuddles and we packed off to the vets.

Wrapped up in her blanket

I never got a confirmation on what would cause the severe issues she has. No definitive answer. The vet said it could be an extremely heavy worm burden, a form of gastro but either way her body wasn't strong enough to fight it even if a proper diagnosis was found.

You wouldn't think I'd bathed her the day before...
I Did, I swear

I had prepared myself for Ebony. I knew she was too far gone to save, that I couldn't do anything for her but be there, pat her, give her cuddles until the nearest vet check.

Rest In Peace Ebony, you were not made for this world...

I was not prepared for part 2.

The shelter is on lock down. No kittens or cats are available for adoption until 4th March. The closest a person that's non staff can now get to them is pressing up against a window.

The lock down is their only method to try and contain the cat flu. If those in sales remain clear of flu symptoms by March 4th then they'll be right to be adopted. If not its a very grim future indeed.

Buster is one of these kittens, I looked at him through the glass and he seems relaxed and well adjusted to his extra space and roomies. He isn't out of the woods as yet but I have everything crossed that he'll be fine.

Me? I'm living it up with the big cats ~ Buster

I 'need' him to be fine.

Last vet check I noticed Lilo occasionally sneezing. I thought nothing of it and she continued occasionally sneezing but showing no other signs until this vet check.

Everyone is hyper alert to cats sneezing now because of the flu that can't seem to be fully eradicated, but I think Lilo's final nail in her coffin was sneezing 10 times in a row when she was in the vet room. She sealed her own fate.

Sadly one of the better pictures of this one I have
is of her in her coat

I wasn't expecting to come home alone.

I hadn't prepared myself at all for the death of Lilo as well as Ebony and it hit me pretty hard. I mean Lilo was a little love bug, she played, she purred, she ate, she pooped fine and she loved being patted.

Purring away madly

She was kept in her cage since the sneezing began to try and reduce where in the house the flu spread to. Her stitches were fine and hadn't become infected again....

Its at the point where one sneeze equals death. Its too risky to keep them. One cat that sneezes may or may not have the flu but if it does and it's allowed to pass into Quarantine or even sales and it spreads it to several previously healthy cats then that expands the number having to be put down.

Its an absolutely horrendous sacrifice, one life for 10 others but it does make sense. A shelter is not made of money. It is hard to medicate flu. A cat could be medicated, get over the flu and then be penned beside one shedding the virus but not yet showing signs and get reinfected all over again.

So, it seems kitten season is over. I was hoping to have Ebony for a few weeks until she was fat and playful like Buster was...unfortunately it wasn't meant to be.

I thought I'd have Lilo until this Friday when her stitches would be removed and she'd likely pass for adoption.... unfortunately that wasn't in the cards either.

Rest In Peace girls. May you have better adventures among the clouds.

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Apologies for lateness in posting this. I both needed time to come to terms with what had happened, face the  task of uploading more pictures and once again kicking myself for not taking more of Lilo when she was here.

At one stage this week I thought I'd already posted this.

Crazy minds.

Added to all this only today I had to rush Terra off to the vet. After coming home from work I saw her cowering beside a small table and where her right eye was supposed to be was pink flesh. I grabbed her and tried having a look but in all the history of eye scratches Terra has fallen prey to, this was the mother.

Here third eyelid was puffy and red, her bottom lid was badly swollen and inflamed.

The minute I saw it I feared serious damage to the actual eyeball since I couldnt even see the eyeball.

Rushed phone call to the vet and rushed trip back down the street to the vet office went a panicked me and a terrified Terra.

Terra is my brother's cat but he was out doing his job and wouldnt be back. Her eye injury couldnt wait that long.

Thankfully the vet checked her out. No ulcers that he could see with this awesome orange dye that then changes scratches to a hulk green. He did have to get tweezers in to get the third eyelid out of the way in order to see anything at all.

I once again am grateful of the whole steel stomach.

Unable to discover any major life threatening (or more eyeball threatening) injury, the vet prescribed some antibiotic eye ointment to help with inflammation and infection.

Terra sporting her bucket.
Her right eye looking much better already

I decided to ask the question my brother and I argued about incessantly.

Is Terra Overweight?

Answer: Yes.

(HAH brother!)

Apparently Terra is 10% overweight. On a scale of bad she's about a six possibly out of 10 with 5 being ideal. So she's overweight but not morbidly so. Not sure how we're going to get that extra 10% off as Terra spends her days hiding or eating the small rations she's been cut back to.

Anyways, Terra is now on medication and sporting a 'bucket' as I fondly call them. Majority of her irritation is caused by her itching and rubbing her eye until its horrifically swollen. The biggest mystery is how this happened in the first place?

Did she injure her eye during the nasty storm last night and spend the morning rubbing and irritating it?

Did her and Leo get into some form of squabble where once again she got poked in the eye and then of course rubbed and irritated it?

Who? What? ~ Leo

I didn't do it! I'm innocent! ~ Leo

Did some foreign particle get in her eye and she's rubbed it out only to scratch her eye with said foreign object and then spend the rest of the time rubbing and irritating it?

Pretty sure we'll never know. I do know she played a major part in its severity by not leaving it alone.

I'm fine now Daddy's home ~ Terra
(that cat absolutely adores my brother)

Wishes

So, I think I've held the suspense long enough.

Late Friday after giving up Buster I got a text saying there was another kitten that had dropped to 410 grams and needed some special care. I knew very little about the kitten.

I trudged out to the shelter again on Saturday and located my next kitten.

A tiny black kitten peered at me from inside a cage with her mother and sister. It was obvious that her sister was much brighter and bigger than she was. Her sibling is around 600 grams, she's dropped down to 410 grams and is little more than skin and bones. I lugged her off home thinking this will be easy, Buster was 381 grams and he shot up quickly and easily.

Heh heh...wishful thinking.

Finding anything this kitten will eat is near impossible. Then she had her first poop.

I am eternally glad I don't have a easy turned stomach. It would take a *lot* to make me heave.

Her poop was the oddest color, runny as water and the absolute foul stench coming off it was the worst I've ever encountered. It did however provide possible insight to why she was so foul as a live worm wriggled in it. (Do you have a steel stomach? if not apologies).

So I got straight on to her two consecutive days of worming her.

Battles with getting her to eat anything, especially when my weight builder and proper kitten food are out of availability at the present makes it even harder.

I thought I found a break through with raw chicken. She actually showed interest in that and ate independently.

You know what thought, thought? Just when you think you've hit a turning point *smack* you're back to square one.

Her belly never feels like she's eaten anything, a few times now when I've tried force feeding her 'anything' to get her to have something in her belly she's immediately begun heaving like she's going to throw up.

I mean generic kitten foods do stink and I'd probably try to hurl to if I was forced to eat them but still, she's a kitten....

So I'm at wits end as what to feed her, whether to try force feed her or let her decide herself if she's going to eat. Second option could mean she just gives up.

Her poop hasn't improved, its still foul with dead worms or 'something' in it that's not normal healthy kitten poop.

Truthfully I believe she's on the verge of the end. I'm not sure if a supply of weight booster will help anymore. She has no reserves to fall back on and no will that I've seen to eat independently.

Alas it will be up to the vet as yes or no if I persevere or its decided she's too far gone. I cannot help a kitten that can't or won't help itself. As much as it kills me I'd rather her life end peacefully than one morning stepping into the room to find her dead.

Its heartbreaking and frustrating feeling so helpless. The only thing I am certain of is there is something severely wrong with this little girl.

Meet Ebony Little. She may only be here for a short while but at least someone cared enough to tell her story.

My fingers are crossed and I'm wishing hard that she'll be given a chance or reach a turning point soon.

All Good Things Must Come To An End

I currently have one kitten...Lilo.

As promised I got a few snaps of her in her little protective coat although it seems her wound is fine without it now. I'll still have her until her stitches are out. She's quite the little love bug but shy at times.

Lilo in her coat

*everyone put on their sad face*

For someone so cute it was so hard to get a picture

Majority of potentially good photos has Buster's tongue poking out

Buster is no longer here, he was returned to the shelter weighing a whopping 880 grams. Sneaky little kitten has just stacked it on and on during the last week and transformed from a lethargic, semi adventurous fur ball into a full fledged terror.

I swear it looks like he's smiling here.

I admit he has been spoiled...just a bit. His new digs in the isolation room will be a nasty wake up call when no one comes running to him or lets him out to run. Hopefully he'll only be out there for a little while as they wanted to give the sale room one last disinfect before putting kittens out again. I'm for anything that might guarantee Buster doesn't exit with a needle.

Soaking up attention with Dad

So. Usually I'm quite happy to let kittens return when they're ready and he was ready. With kitten season beginning to fizzle out and my last batch of healthy kittens returning only to get sick I was a little reluctant to send him back.

No I wasn't imagining adopting him. That was never the case. I know long term Leo is 'my' cat and my only cat. I knew when Buster grew up he'd have a hell of a time with shedding, mats, bum-dags and all the other things long haired cats potentially mean.

Leo is short hair and he sheds like a long hair.

Leo focused on Buster zipping around the room

I would love if Buster found a home with someone I knew but alas I'll probably end up only knowing that he has a home - whenever that happens.

A few days before his departure we gave Buster another bath. We being my brother and I. I'd noticed his flea dirt had built up again and sifting through his fur there were way too many for me to track and catch. Once he was bathed and quite a few killed during that process we managed to pick another 20 plus parasites off him during the drying process.

Mid bath, all those black dots are fleas...can you count them all?

Buster is NOT impressed ~ Buster

It seems most of that effort was done in vain as the following day he still had some on him. Probably getting them from Leo and Terra as they go outside and roll in dirt and such.

Terra and Buster having mock fights

I'll miss this little guy, it was amazing seeing him go from near death with slim chance of survival to a normal fat and healthy little kitten.

Remember how little he was? (soon after he came home)

Farewell Buster.

Buster practicing his adoption plea
Pick Me! Pick Me! ~ Buster

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On a side note the kittens that made the journey to Melbourne, there is some good news for them.

Ping Pong has a home.

Grizzles has a home.

I don't currently have the status of the other two but I hold high hopes that they, too will get a great home.

Stay tuned I have a surprise for the next post.

Round and Round

Well its been a long time since I updated...again (no surprise there)

The Lucky Ones who were going to be heading to Melbourne on Friday got delayed until the following Monday. The four boys developed some nasty sneezing but no other signs. I worried about the girl's incision so I took her out for vet check along with Buster and one of the boys that had the runs...

Well round and round and round. (holds head)

I got some tablets to try help the worst one sneezing. He wasn't even at the check.

The one with the runs was given the 'keep an eye on' but was temperature fine and still fairly alert so rang no alarm bells to the vet.

After much worrying Buster cleared temperature check and toughed out his first injection like a big man. He's 700 grams and rising...he wont be here much longer. (very, very sad face).

And the girl. Oh boy. I did a full circle driving out the the shelter for the vet check and then back in town to the actual vet. Her incision was in fact badly infected and there was no antiseptic ointment to clean it up properly at the shelter and the tablets she was to be prescribed weren't there either. So off I trotted.

Within a matter of minutes it was decided by the amount of pus they got out of the incision that she would need putting back under and reopening to give it a full clean. It made a lot of sense as to why she was very lethargic, poor girl wasn't feeling so good.
So needless to say she had another overnight stay at the vet and would be picked up Saturday. She stopped being a lucky one and became her own foster group since she now would be missing the trip to Melbourne and be staying with me until her stitches were removed.

So...

The Lucky ones had no names. They literally left with no names. But for here and now because I like names here they are.

Grizzles - because originally he whined about having two roomies in his space.

In a moment of not grizzling

PingPong - Because this one endlessly tossed an orange ping pong ball in his water or food.

By far the best picture I have of this guy
when he wasn't hanging off my arm

Mr Sneezy (originally Grump) - He was put in with the girl kitten but after she returned from her second surgery I brought yet another cage in to keep them separate. He stopped being Grump and became Mr Sneezy.

Mr Sneezy, when he had a roommate.

Cruiz - this one is hard. He originally had the runs, was the one to keep an eye on but nothing else and he seemed quite happy with PingPong and Grizzles no matter what they were doing.

Little Cruiz

I really don't mind being Grizzles pillow ~ Cruiz

Thankfully their trip on Monday wasn't further delayed as I was going insane with Mr Sneezy, sneezing around 10 plus times in a row. He never showed any eye discharge or nose discharge and although he spent long periods sleeping he did occasionally pop out for a bite to eat. He sounded horrible though. Not sure if that was because of his 3 day course of tablets to loosen up the mucus or not though.

Say what? We're going where ~ Grizzles
Hey! down here lady! Look at me! ~ PingPong

The girl. Oh boy she's been called 'the girl' for way too long. I've been running out of ideas for tortie girls, she's around the 7th dark torti I've had this year and they're just not easy to name. Since her incision is now twice the size and has twice the amount of stitches a quirky name came to me. Lilo.

Welcome Lilo Stitches. (yes, named after the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch).

Lilo before her second surgery. Is much brighter now.

Not entirely sure how long she'll be here for, possibly longer than Buster even though she's older than him. It seems spay surgeries always bring trouble to me. Here's why.

History of troubles I've had with female cats and their spay surgery.

Missy (now a heading 4 year old indoor/outdoor cat of the family) took extra time recovering from her surgery that she had at 6 months old.
Missy isn't one to be held down no matter what and she licked it, or her brother licked it (Rosco) and then it got infected.
So this then entailed numerous trips to the vet, medication, bathing it and attempting to keep her away from it.
A hood ended up being out because one Rosco still licked it for her and two the cunning little B-word (a nickname she actually goes by) managed to use the edge of the hood to itch it. (exasperated face).
Eventually one of dads modified socks did the trick. She looked quite funny. When her stitches were finally out and she was given the all clear I think the entire family inwardly celebrated.

Missy was very close to Rosco her brother

Missy in her modified sock
(do you have any idea how hard it was to find this!)

The green is bandages under the sock.
Yes we were triple making sure it didn't get infected again.
(Was checked and bathed daily.)

Terra. My brother had to pick a girl kitten. Her spay surgery was done around 8 weeks when she was available for adoption. As it's known she never set foot back at the shelter. Her surgery was done in her side and with Leo around we worried he might bowl her over and pop the stitches.
One of my light weight socks was modified to look like a singlet and cover her little bare patch. It both stopped her licking - since she too didn't understand the hood and kept getting it off - and it kept the stitch site protected.

Terra sporting her sock

Terra walking fine with her sock.

The closest Leo let her sleep without them bickering.
(Gee she was tiny then)

Now with Lilo. (I pronounce it Leelo, but I guess it doesn't matter). After her first issue and her second surgery I decided to try the hood.
Nope, no matter how tight the material was to hold it on there was enough gap for her to stick her legs through right near her head and worry me to death about her snapping a leg or something. Plus with her small quarters she didn't quite understand how to lift her head to clear objects.
We got some clear mesh and my mother and I modified it to create a little 'sock' or coat for her that covered her stitches.
Despite it being ultra light it was apparently heavy enough to make her a little balance-woozy so she often took a few steps and flopped. It worked alright but by morning she'd always have it off again.

(Unfortunately no pictures as yet but will try to get some)

Little Buster.

What did you do to me! My floof is gone! ~ Buster
(He was a bit too overrun with fleas for my liking)

It seems in only a matter of days he's gone from a tiny weeny kitten to this nearing 800 gram ball of fur. I don't need to weigh him to know he's nearly 800 grams (he is hovering high 700's though) he's making enough trouble and showing enough attitude that I know he's nearly ready to leave. (Sad Face).

Playing with Dad. He does love a feisty kitten.

Gone are the days that he'd flop and purr under my chin. He's now full of energy and doesn't stop. For a few nights now we've cut off access to the hallway and kitchen and let him have free run of the dining room and lounge room. His antics are hilarious and he's just go, go, go. Buster loves to tell you everything so there's trills and chirps and meows while he's hooning around.

Yes, you can probably tell I'm quite smitten with this little dude. It will be hard to give him up, especially seeing that all my hard work to keep the Quads and Duo healthy failed when they returned. Alas, I cannot keep him either. Three permanent cats within the one household is more than enough and I'm pretty sure Leo would stop talking to me for good.

A recent picture of Leo, he's getting such a boof head now.
Don't you dare keep him ~ Leo

So, I'll have Lilo for a few more days and weeks. Buster will likely be returning on Friday or maybe the following Tuesday. Then it appears that there wont be any kittens in need of fostering. I'll have zero kittens. (starts running around screaming).

Adopt me please,
I'll cuddle temporarily unless I'm really tired then I'll tuck under your chin
I'll run around telling you of my adventures
I'll run up your legs
I'll rub around your feet
I'll come running to you if you call me and have food
I promise to do cute things forever
I mean...look at me ~ Buster

Whirlwind

Daily posts (shocked face) who would have thought.

On a complete turn around from sad news I have some absolutely amazing news instead.

Smokey who went in to the vets to get the *snip* never came back to me and instead headed straight home with his new family that got lined up within hours of his tiny operation.

I have been a bit concerned about my grey little boy. There was every intention that he would be neutered and be heading off to Melbourne on Friday with the Lucky Ones. To me he was seeming a tiny bit 'off' and with Buster running a temperature I worried that he was sick or getting sick.

I didn't need to worry. I expressed my concerns about him when I popped into the vet after work to see if he might have been ready to return home. The receptionist assured me he'd only just been done and had gone through fine with no breathing issues or anything. *fewf*

The shelter manager called me and asked me to bring him out to the shelter as she had a potential adoptee lined up for him.

Unfortunately I had a dentist appointment (would rather *not* have gone to that appointment) so the shelter manager organised someone else to pick him up and would contact me or swing by to drop him off if he didn't get chosen.

Well I got the call. Smokey now has a home of his own. He did have a slightly icky right eye but with the guarantee of a new home if it develops into something he can get the TLC he needs and he'll be in an environment that will promote recovery rather than one where if he finally battles an illness he could simply turn around and get the virus again.

I'm sure he will be fine and I have high hopes that he lives a long and fulfilling life with his new family.

Smokey has a new name. Gizmo. I guess, not as original as Smokey  (named because he was grey and reminded us of a grey cat we had years ago) but Gizmo is certainly unique just like this little fur ball is.

From a tiny little howling mess to a well formed and well socialized little chicken crazed kitten with his own unique 'kink' to his tail. I will miss him but I am happy.

The day I brought him home
He fit in a hand

Was originally wary of people.
A hand reaching in to touch him
was met with hissing and spitting.

It didn't take long for this kitten to
 know who brought food

Once the food connection was
made he was quick to say hi and purr

I still wish he'd kept his amazing blue eyes

Smokey making the Yin Yang

He grew into such a lovely boy

Smokey enjoyed an assortment of litter mates
He never suffered from being a single kitten
(With Rebel & Squeak)

Some of said siblings were more accommodating of
his endless need to suck on other kittens
(With Squeak)

Smokey's assortment of fur-siblings
(Brat Shortstay,
Sparky & Flash Duo,
Rebel Squeak, Pip & Jet Quad)

Sharing the love with Buster
(promptly tried sucking on his roomy and got turned down)

Farewell Smokey Howler

And really, I don't blame his family for falling for those eyes and that adorable little face.