Disaster And Departures

Been awhile since I updated again and I'm now a nine kitten household instead of eleven. Unfortunately the nine that remain are the ones that take the most feeding/cleaning so it doesn't really feel like I've dropped numbers.

These kittens are Oh so stressed....

Last Friday Smudge returned to the shelter and went directly into sales. From what I heard he was going to have two other kittens he'd be sharing the room with that he would be whipping into shape quick smart.
In his time pretending to be a litter mate of the M's he did fall quite a few notches on the pegs, especially when they got a tiny bit bigger and managed to flip him and bite him. Such a cry baby when he wasn't winning a fight.

Smudge ~ Nothing to see here, just patting at a tail

He also got quite the wake up call when he tried playing with Madeline's tail and got the old paw of doom that he wasn't expecting. The tricky little blighter also escaped his cage one of the nights during the week so he spent the night hooning around in the same space as mother cat. He was alive by morning but much more respectful towards Madeline so I'm sure some words were shared. Smudge learned a big lesson, don't mess with an adult cat.

Smudge claiming a blue sparkle ball as his.

Smudge was relatively shy with people in the beginning but once he warmed up he was fine. By the time he returned he was climbing all over people the same as any of the M's.

Smudge having some down time without biting or pestering the M's

His relationship with the M's went well. I feel he's better burning off some energy with a feather toy because if he does get ratty he tends to go ape on poor unsuspecting kittens that turn their back on him. He returns to the bite, bite, bite and doesn't let them go.

The M's learned that double tagging him and pinning him down worked well as they could send him running from them on occasion.

Smudge got on the wrong side of Merlin.

I may be small but I can be tuff ~ Merlin

Marlowe ~ Hold it there Smudge you cant ruin my photo shoot moment

Smudge was over 900 grams in the beginning so he was only a short term foster. I wish him well in his quest for a new home.

Its quite typical that after a vet visit symptoms of something turn up.  It's always over the weekend when something hits so its an agonizing wait until Monday for the next check. (In emergency cases I can go directly to the vet but it has to be life threatening).

I thought the Quintuplets (now named the Tiny Tot's) were heading towards formed poop and happy days. I hadn't had to syringe feed them as they'd learned to eat their weight builder and milk formula pretty well. They also got a bit of time nursing on the ever patient Madeline at least once a day.

Lots of fighting going on in search of prime place

I was a bit shocked to find increasingly pale, soft and some near white poop the Friday night. With the M's they were either holding still with no weight gain or dropping down. I called the shelter manager to ask if worming them could at least help, she said yes but give her a call the next day with how they were going.

On the advice of a much respected fellow foster carer - even millions of air miles don't mean anything when we share a common interest -  she advised me to put the M's back on milk formula as well. She also talked me down from my panic about the white poop and said wait and see, it could be nothing. (wholehearted thanks to Connie) (P.S if you don't already know of her blog please click over to Tails Of The Foster Kittens).

Well the worming syrup caused some screwed up faces on part of both the Tiny Tots and the M's. The milk the M's guzzled down like they hadn't had a drink in days. Especially Marlowe has the tendency to just sit at the bowl and drink until it's all gone or her belly is ready to pop.

I love that milk stuff, and that flashy thing *pose* ~ Marlowe

The Tiny Tots never changed in their eating habits but seemed to eat with more gusto. They completely ruined their bath the day before pretty much the instant they were dry. I swear its wash them then turn around and they've walked through poop or gotten food all down their chins so they'll probably be due for another wash in a few days.

And here we see why they get so dirty...

Thankfully crisis was averted and poop slowly moved to a more acceptable color. We do still have some less than formed bowel movements but fingers crossed they'll be turning out perfect little piles soon.

The M's since being on milk as well have gone up by quite astonishing numbers. One gained a whole 63 grams in a day. Their toilet habits are getting much better, I allowed them a little time running free without supervision and there were no accidents. Later this afternoon Mishka ruined their clean record and piddled on the carpet (*bangs head against wall*).

I took all the kittens out to a vet check today. Just to be safe. All temperatures were fine and the vet found nothing wrong with them so its a wait and see. Madeline didn't have much milk left, if any, and was becoming more and more reluctant to nurse even her own kittens so she too has now returned to the shelter.

Madeline ~ Find a happy place, Find a happy place...

Lastly the long awaited introductions of the Tiny Tots. I proudly introduce.....


Zorro - only tabby with white on his face correctly guessed as a boy

Cute little pretty boy. So thought he'd have been a girl just looking at him.

Cookie - biggest kitten. Has white on toes and what I'd call back stockings (could not for the life of me find any site online labeling body parts of a cat for some reason). Girl

For teeny tiny kittens they have some energy took ages to get this pic

Picture showing Cookies hind stockings and little white toes.

Koda - The easiest to tell apart. Little floof ball with long hair and is overall a darker tabby than the rest. Boy as well.

Bleh. Koda did have a bath not even a day ago and he looks like he can't manage his fur...

Tigger - No extra white. Also a boy.

Worried little Tigger. Also a squirmy little dude

Mittens - Nearly identical to Cookie and also a girl. Sort of has the same back hind stockings but her brown tabby color drizzles down the inside of her back legs.

At a glance can't tell this one from her sister Cookie.

Can see the dark running down the inside of both back legs. 

It won't be long until the four M's are big enough to return (sad face) but a glimpse peek at behind the scenes when I left Madeline behind tells me kitten season is well on its way to a big boom.

I'll probably have the Tiny Tot's until around Christmas or so fingers crossed all the M's are in loving homes by then.

Until next time.

M.M.M.M Mayhem, Smudge and the Quintuplets

Alright. So my plans to update in a timely manner have gone pretty much out the window. I apologize to anyone that is itching for updates as I don't feel I get a lot of traffic here.

So, whats been happening?

Madeline ~ Remind me again why I had these?

Attempt at a group shot. They've grown again...

Marlowe, Mishka, Misty and Merlin are now bounding around, playing, wrestling and eating wet food and dry like little pro's - although it did take them quite a bit of convincing and really they've only clicked in the last few days that their mother isn't going to be on call whenever so they'd better suck it up and eat what's offered.

Misty deciding to eat wet food with mum

It didn't help that Madeline is dead set on covering any wet food I put down when she's done with it leaving it covered so the kittens cant/wont find it.

The other hassles is the whole toilet training. Never have I had a set of kittens that pretty much say 'no we want to pee on the carpet'. I have plenty of litter trays scattered around and just when I think of expanding their floor room they go find a corner and piddle or poop in it even to the point they're right beside a litter tray.  At six weeks old they really SHOULD know better by now.

Speaking of six weeks all four of the little M's went and had their first injections on Friday. Their mother had to be taken in with the crew the week before to get a vaccination she was due for so they're getting to know the whole travel out, wait, be handled, travel back home.

They are all adorable. The minute I step in the room its kittens on your feet or up your legs. There is no shoes allowed in the room as treading on them is high risk. Marlowe is still the climber of the bunch and quickly scales legs.

Mishka although often the heaviest has been the most reserved for awhile. The minute you pick her up she's vice grip on your hand. She's startled easily and is one of the culprits for peeing outside the litter box. Recently however the minute I'm kneeling or sitting down she wanders over and plonks herself down on me for some patting and a nap.

Mishka being shy and antisocial

Mishka ~ Hello?

Mishka growing into a pretty little girl

Mishka making herself comfortable

Mishka ~ I might catch myself some Zzzzz

Misty is cool as a cucumber. She doesn't mind being picked up, flipped onto her back and given belly kisses. She voluntarily wanders over and is still obsessed with my feet. Misty may grow into a cat that is very interested in stinky shoes or socks...it nearly has a catnip like effect on her already. Misty is quite happy to catch some snooze while in my arms or on my lap.

Can see time difference in pictures...

Misty looking a bit unsure in dad's hands

Little poser, such a cutie

What's that flashy thing? ~ Misty

I don't mind cuddles ~ Misty

Cuddles are hard work ZZZZzzz ~ Misty

Merlin, oh the woe is me little guy. He's a stout little dude still small but not far behind his sisters in weight. He still has much to say about how horrible his world is with three sisters and he too is quite the cuddle bug coming over and setting himself up for a nap. He also doesn't seem to mind belly kisses but is more open to those when he's sleepy.

Little Merlin, My brother thinks he's related to grumpy cat

Woe is Me ~ Merlin

Such bright stripes on this tiny tike

The perils of living with sisters Merlin getting a poke from Mishka

C'mon Merlin, say Cheese

Not the way he planned on exiting the dome bed...

Marlow is an outgoing, into everything little mischief maker. She reminds me a lot of previous foster kitten Squeak. She will climb anyone who dares enter the room's legs or attack their feet and if I sit down she will often wander over and perch on my knee. Marlowe was one of the first to figure out how to drink or eat from a bowl.

Marlowe perching on my leg (approached and hissed at camera)

Claiming a visiting relative's lap as hers.

I can be chill too? ~ Marlowe

Huh? What's up? ~ Marlowe

Cute little head tilt

The chances of this photo turning out like this and not blurry was pure fluke

Anyway continuing on we now find out who Smudge is.

On Friday when the kittens were getting their vaccinations the shelter manager asked if I'd take him on as he needed some litter mates to help him learn some cat behavior lessons. I agreed and he looked quite small so off we went.

Well...

This little dude is nearly one kilo. He's a small but heavy little brat who has no concept of cat language. I put Madeline away and unleashed him on the M's and he was all poke, poke, poke and bite, bite, bite even when they were telling him to back off.

Looks small but has quite a weight to him.

He kept going after them even when they'd had enough, even to the point that the M's were climbing ME in attempt to get away from him. Smudge is OK with people when he's caught but he's a bit nervous about approaching on his own or hands reaching for him.

Smudge not quite sure of me yet

Merlin telling Smudge off but Smudge going to pounce anyway

Battle with Misty

Needless to say I let Madeline out hoping she'd give him a whopping. Nope, she wanted to wash him.
He didnt want any part of it and was hissing and growling at her attempt to mother him.

He has to stay in his own cage because I cant be that mean to the other M's and have him with them all the time when they often cant beat him off. Misty did give him a run for his money this morning but he backs poor Merlin into a corner and bashes the poor tiny ginger to kingdom come if I let him.

Madeline did give him a few half hearted bites this morning also but to me it seemed more of a 'keep still I'm trying to wash you' than any form of actual discipline.

Hopefully he'll be heading back soon as he really needs bigger cats to knock him about to teach him some manners. He outweighs my four M's by nearly 300 grams so no wonder they cant push him back.

And the Quintuplets. Another reason why I'm hoping Smudge returns.

As yet not named. Still trying to tell them apart

I got a call only today that five four week old kittens were brought in. I of course agreed to take them knowing Madeline had shown mothering instincts to Smudge so hopefully she might adopt the new little ones as well.

I went out and saw the five. Five tiny tabbies. Active and behaving like they're four weeks old but appear to be miniature chipmunks as they're so tiny and underweight. Only one of them breaks the 300 grams the rest are around 280 or 290.

I had to take them with me out to a friends place as we were painting and cleaning it. So I syringe fed them and let them sleep while I was doing my work. The friend's kelpie Meg (probably mentioned previously in the story with Muffin) was absolutely beside herself when she heard the kittens crying and even when they were sleeping she'd just sit on the floor staring up at the dining room table where the cage was and she'd whimper. She has exceptionally strong mothering instincts that dog and she has an adorable nature.

Every time I pulled a kitten out to offer food she'd pop up to sniff it and whine at it and watch intently. Unfortunately they were too little to let run on the floor but I'm sure if she could Meg would have nursed and babied them all.

Bringing them home I put the four M's in the big cage and rubbed the towel they'd slept on over each of the five Quintuplets before putting them on the bed. Madeline trilled to them and began washing them and eventually let them all nurse for quite some time. I shifted the five into the big cage and put the four M's back on the floor to run (and let Smudge out for a bit) and put Madeline in with the new five.

She let them nurse for a little again but when she went to the litter tray one of the tiny pipsqueaks followed her and wouldn't leave her alone. She growled at it so I let her back out with her older kittens and gave the Quin's some warmed up wet mixture with kitten formula (they are OK at eating but get it everywhere. They too dont understand litter trays and have been piddling all over the newspaper.)

Alas I shall try the mother in with them for an hour or so (supervised) then let her out again. Tonight they'll have a hot water bottle over half of their bed so hopefully they'll be warm enough. Time will tell if they're strong enough to all bounce back from this malnutrition.

Until Next time....

Pocket sized kitten in shape of a heart...