Weight Woes

Events of 20th December 2015

Hot days. Summer is here.

So far Casey and her kids are the least of my problems with nothing outstanding happening. They're normal active little bundles of fur that get time to roam the room.

However...

Sheldon, Timmy & Tommy are doing my head in with weight loss.

I mean I expected it with The Twins. It'd be quite the adjustment going from having a mum to not having a mother. They would roughly be just learning to eat but would still greatly rely on their mothers milk.

LADY! FOOD!

Tommy Playing

Tiny little Timmy, in denial about needing to grow up

I'll keep plugging along though and hope we get over this bump sooner rather than later.

Most of the other kitties were of age to be fine being left on their own but Timmy and Tommy got dropped at the shelter while I went on a day trip to Warrnambool for some Xmas shopping.

On 22nd December Jojo & Oscar got their first vaccinations. Sheldon got looked over to see if there was any underlying issues to explain why he was dropping weight. I was told to continue doing what I was doing.

Sheldon & The Twins

Events of 16th December 2015

Sheldon was doing good until his first course of wormer. I'm not sure if it was just his body finally catching up to all the food he was now getting.

Size comparison, little saucer, little kitten

He is getting better with interactions. I think it will take a long time before he stops running for cover or hissing when something new turns up but he's not ripping people apart to get to food anymore.

Loves people

Rare picture of me and my new little shoulder parrot.

Also, he has some new buddies to grow up with.

Two kittens came in that were being given away free at only four weeks old. Much too young to be away from their mother but unfortunately several of their siblings had already been handed over to new homes. :(

Meet Timmy & Tommy.

Cute little mites.

I tried getting Casey to take them on as Jojo & Oscar were at better weights to be weaned than The Twins. Unfortunately Casey wasn't wanting to extend her motherhood duties and after nursing them twice she stated "No Thank you".

Oscar & JoJo doing fine

No more kids please.

So supplementing and teaching The Twins to eat is next on the agenda.

Tommy "You're our mum now?"

Timmy "This is comfortable"

The Shelley Beach Kitten

Events of 11th December 2015

Teen Mum Casey and her little sixish-seven week old kittens are doing well.

When can I leave these kittens?

They don't need much its mostly keeping them healthy and giving the kittens a bit of socialization.

Nom Nom Nom ~ JoJo

I'm watching you lady ~ Oscar (the grouch)

I guess they weren't enough of a challenge.

The story goes a person was out walking their dog at the beach and their dog took interest in something. Checking it out they thought it was common wildlife but were amazed to discover a tiny kitten.

I hereby introduce Sheldon Beachboy.

Such a cute Wee face <3

He's only a singleton and his survival instincts are strong. He devours any and all food and if you move too quick he hisses and spits and tries to hide. 

I would hate to know what he's had to endure to survive this long or where the rest of his family may be.

After a bath he slept up against my neck on my shoulder for ages. Whenever someone would talk or he saw them he'd hiss and snuggle closer. 

Although he's eating well now there's no saying what his body will do to process it. Having had limited food for quite some time and then constant food I'm prepared things are going to get worse before they get better.

In the meantime though, here's some cuteness.

More food lady!

Its a bit higher than I thought up here...

FEEEED MEEEE!!!!!!!!!

Time Up With The Pretties

Events 7th December 2015

Avery got put on some tricin for her eyes due to some conjunctivitis, only her eyes got icky and neither of the other two ever had the problem.

I'll never know why only Avery had icky eyes..

Esmeralda hit a turning point and gained although her weights were still well behind her siblings.

I'll take things at my own pace, thank you.

Armful of kittens <3

On the 7th Eddie returned to the shelter but Avery presented with a temperature so she remained with me for a bit longer. Esmeralda was not adoption weight yet.

A neighborhood friend became quite smitten with Esmeralda but she already had a cat of her own and was sharing a house with her son who also had a cat. Two were enough.

Who could resist me?

In fact some may remember the kittens.

Mitzy was from the very first litter of kittens I ever fostered.

Little Miss

The Cherubs

Ash was formerly known as Misty from Madeline and the MMMM's.

Tiny baby Misty

Beautiful Babies that Madeline had

Neither of which wanted anything to do with me when I took Esmeralda over for a visit in a brief attempt to convince her son that a third member would be cute.

Little Miss, not so little anymore

Ash hissed at me and hid around the corner, she's very much a daddy's girl and has no memory of me at all. Once again it only instills that I am only a tiny part of their lives and I'm only a stepping stone for them to reach the required weight and health needed to find their forever family.

Ash keeping a safe distance around the corner and swearing at me.

On the 9th of December Avery returned to the shelter but Esmeralda was determined to keep living it up at the Legends.

Avery (left) Eddie (Right) Esmeralda (smothered by siblings)

That same day I inherited my next group of fosters.

Casey who is barely six months old herself and her two babies JoJo and Oscar.

What did I get myself into?

Little JoJo

Oscar (currently Oscar the grouch)

Worried About Esmeralda

Events of 16th November 2015

I sent the kittens out for a vet check and Esmeralda didn't impress the vet at all.

I'm cute though, just fussy ~ Ezzy

She'd dropped weight since intake and was only nibbling food.

Eddie and Esmeralda had been going through bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. So the foster stress begins. 

Can I have cuddles yet? ~ Eddie

The options aren't to my liking lady ~ Ezzy

I've been advised to remove AD (weight builder) from their diet and try kitten food and kitten milk formula. The thought is that maybe they're having some trouble adapting to suddenly having food from who knows what conditions they were living in before they were brought in.

I don't know what they're fussing about ~ Avery

I've got everything crossed that Esmeralda is strong enough to pull through, occasionally I see a very mischievous little kitten in there.

Such a cute little kitty

The Pretties new digs. (Totally loving the new floor)

Kitten Room Renovations & The Pretties

Events of 12th November 2015

Another reason for returning Violet and Curtis was the fact it had been in discussion about ripping up the carpet and putting down laminate floorboards.

Over the years of fostering there had been many 'oops' moments where tiny kittens didn't quite have the legs to reach a litter tray or decided somewhere else was a better place to go potty.

We'd found the carpet was retaining a lot of the litter they tracked everywhere and after the flu that the Pickles kittens had I was more iffy about how many germs the carpet was retaining.

Underlay going down

Underlay with some boards down

Corner where the small cage usually goes

Looking over half door

Bedding cupboard

From the kitten room door

Needless to say the foster room was out of action but that didn't stop some kittens from coming in. 

There was a group of six and they'd been aged at roughly five to six weeks old. Another foster carer took the bigger six as she was doing her first year of regular fostering and I got the smaller six.

Over time they got the group name of The Pretties.

Little Esmeralda watching me

Since the foster room was closed I set up a cage on a table out in the hallway as a temporary set up. The little pipsqueaks weren't overly active and the tiniest one a little grey had me a bit worried.

The temporary setup for the Pretties

Introductions

AVERY

EDDIE

ESMERALDA