Downsizing

Well good news all round.

Camera is happily charged for now, will need to make sure it stays that way so I can update more often.

So the important news.

Mother Fran left our home on Monday. She had by far overstayed her welcome and was over her eight plus week old kittens. She was over the four walls she had been confined in so every time someone opened the door she'd attempt to scoot out.
Leo was less than impressed with the intruder but both Leo and Terra simply followed her around like 'how did she get here? where'd she come from?' and Mother Fran wandered around like she owned the place only once did I hear her hiss at Leo when he got too close.

So since Fran didn't want to stay in the room she was confined to the big cage. I felt horrible keeping her cooped up and since her home had in fact fallen through it was decided Fran would move back to the shelter, spend a few days settling in to her new surroundings before being let out in the open sales rooms. I am sure she will get sick of the four walls pretty soon but there's lots to see and numerous people coming and going...hopefully one she'll work her charm on.

Now I failed to update one from being busy, two from my concern of Josie's illness and what the end result might end up as. I shouldn't have worried. She first started sneezing Wednesday a fortnight-ish ago. The time from the last update she was well on her way to getting better already. The whole 'is it serious flu' or 'is it just a passing bug' had pretty much been banished but one couldn't be sure.

Serious flu that the shelter has been dealing with is a cat that is appearing healthy suddenly begins sneezing, gets stuffy in the nose to the point of breathing through their mouth, refuse to eat and if they aren't humanely euthanized it progresses to discharge and failing body condition due to their inability to smell and therefore eat.
In a single home under proper care with medication, from my understanding, this flu can be treated however the cat then remains a carrier for life and needs to be watched for symptoms and will pass it on to other cats.

In the shelter environment with one ill cat among 20 or so healthy (the ill cat could even just be a carrier and not displaying symptoms) it doesn't take long before all 20 are in various stages of the flu. To treat them all one could be on the way to recovery only to relapse and then its around and around in a vicious cycle with every potential healthy cat then developing it....

Alas this is thankfully not what Josie had. Josie sneezed more than she should have for possibly a week before it began to clear up. Her nose got less stuffy and by this weekend just past she was itching to get out and play. While I thought her personality stayed the same and she never showed she was sick, playing, eating and being her usual full on self I soon found that she had another level of 'I'm feeling better'. I really wanted to spring her from quarantine early but didn't want to risk her siblings.

Health check for all wanderers passed with flying colors. The four kittens returned home and mother Fran stayed behind. None of the kittens missed their mother and were too busy checking out Josie who'd been reunited with her siblings and allowed freedom of a whole floor to run around in. Let me tell you she burnt off some pent up energy.

There IS four kittens in this bed, I'm pretty sure Kimba is squished in the top left corner.

Today, I said goodbye to Hank and Josie as they were dropped at the vet early this morning. They had reached weight, were good in health and I'm positive their new owner has waited long enough. By now they are probably tearing around their new house or being cuddled. I can also see them trying desperately to keep Josie quiet so she doesn't pop her stitches and failing miserably. That kitten isn't one to sit still.

Charming little Hank

Personality plus little Josie (such a beauty)

So now it's just the two white kittens Simba and Kimba. Unfortunately there's been no word of interest at them. Its possible tomorrow I'll be called out to the shelter where the weekly photos for the local paper will be taken and on Friday they'll be shown for all to see. Fingers crossed someone adopts them soon after the Friday advertisement.

Kimba and Simba, I mean who wouldn't want them?

If you get in touch with the Portland RSPCA and inquire about these kittens before the Friday paper I'd be happy to bring them in for a cuddle...

From what I understand at the present, on Friday the kittens will be taken out to the RSPCA and will possibly get the same isolation then put in sales treatment. I have given them all they need except for a home, they no longer need weight gain or anything specialized and they are better off finding what they need out there where the public can walk into a sale room and fall in love.

Kimba, its getting harder to tell them apart by eye color

Simba he looks deceivingly small in this picture.

There may also be a little puff ball that does need a bit of specialized care I shall find out for sure on Friday and will let you know of any new foster kittens....