Since I've Been Gone

My apologies for my continued absence. I really need to get into some sort of routine with this blog.

I had eight kittens last time I did a blog post, I now have three.

I haven't really been this low since kittens season just began, its been a steady stream this year but finally it appears to be ending.

Aura and Zeus as well as Clyde and Zula went through a bout of sneezing. Some medication cleared them up right quick.

Aura and Zeus were stressing too much in their pen once they recovered. Due to random bouts of sneezing from Kisses and Cheeky I couldn't let them run free in the room and unfortunately and they were beginning to stress themselves out to the point of possibly getting sick again.

I put them up in the bathroom for the daylight hours over the weekend a fortnight ago and made arrangements with the shelter for them to take Aura, Zeus and Cleo in a transfer of kitties to the Ballarat shelter.

Aura and Zeus thanked me for that freedom by knocking the plug into the sink and turning the tap on. I opened the door to find water running off the sink and onto the floor. That was a fun clean up...NOT.

I thought it was quite funny ~ Aura

I do NOT like camera's ~ Zeus

In the end Zeus and Cleo made the trip to Ballarat but Aura did fall ill again and is currently on medication out at the shelter. Fingers crossed she recovers soon and can get onto the adoption floors.
Zeus was however reunited with his siblings Ace, Apollo and Athena as they all made the trip as well.

I'm outta here ~ Cleo

I'll charm them with my cute ~ Apollo

I'll curl up on their lap and purr ~ Athena

I'll be the most playful kitten ever ~ Ace

Out of my black six (Lexi, Harlem, Pixie, Jinx, Onyx and Midnight), Harlem found a home and I feared all the rest would fall ill with the dreaded ringworm or end up with complications of the flu.
Thankfully news reached me today that Lexi made the trip to Ballarat as well in a second group for transport. Yay.

New surroundings? Sounds good ~ Lexi

The other four weren't so lucky but I find comfort in knowing that they did go from scrawny tiny kittens with no mother to full grown kitties who knew love for most of their time in this world.

Only Today Zula and Clyde left the nest as once again due to Kisses and Cheeky being on medication they couldn't have free run on the floor.
 They were technically big enough to return and they will purr when they are patted but unfortunately I didn't get the opportunity to build their confidence to the point of approaching people of their own will when they had more than their cage to roam.

Zula not quite sure what to make of the camera

Really doesn't properly show Clyde's impressive coat with silver highlights

Tash is still with me, growing in to all that fur she had as a tiny puff ball. Her spay surgery has been a bit of a nightmare (not so much as Trixy was) but enough that she needed to go on some antibiotics to try and bring down the inflammation.

Tash looking a bit less fuzzy but still very soft

Fingers crossed that she will soon venture off to her new home but we're still working out the details.

Once Tash is gone I'll have only the tiny tabbies Kisses and Cheeky. Those are currently on some medication for their sneezing but besides that they are at a weight they could return once its cleared. I'll probably hang onto them for awhile as it appears they'll be my last litter for this season. (Very sad face)

Cheeky wanting some attention

Kisses with her slightly squinty left eye

Until Next Time...

Old Recruits And New Recruits

Shortly after Tess and Shadow returned Zeus began sneezing and had some clear discharge from his left eye. I put him in the big cage all by himself and kept him separate from all the other kittens.

About a week later on the weekend Aura was witnessed sneezing and showing some discharge from the left eye as well so she joined Zeus in my form of isolation.

Since two had contracted something I was certain that before long I'd have all seven sneezing and on medications.

Aura's eye got very red and swollen but by the time I managed to get them in to be checked over a vet the swelling had gone down. They had little to no discharge present but what they did have was clear and they weren't sneezing. So no medication until a secondary infection develops. Until then they're in isolation to see if what they have develops into something or resolves on its own.

They are already sneezing less but still seem to look like they're crying from one eye. I'm not worried at the moment  they're behaving like normal kittens.

Athena, Apollo and Ace were getting too big for the room. None of them showed any signs at all and were to the point of climbing my mothers curtains and getting up on the curtain rail. On top of the cage is fine, up on the curtain rail is a sign they're due to return.

Ace cuddling her little yellow ball

Apollo turned into such a love bug

Athena always on the move.

Ace had also managed to scale the half door and was cornered by Terra on one occasion. Terra just crouched and stared at the kitten, she was too scared of Ace to hurt her.

Needless to say those three black kittens didn't need me anymore but they did need a home. The only way for that to happen was to get them out to the shelter while they were still relatively small.

Tash and Cleo also went out but they only had a sales check. I'll be hanging onto Tash until after her spay surgery and stitches are out. If all things go well she'll be heading straight into a home and wont ever have to wander the sale rooms. Cleo will eventually have to sell herself.

Tash has grown so much but is still so adorable

I have no doubt Cleo will do very well in selling herself. She's such an intelligent kitten. Minutes after giving them a free run on the floor unsupervised she managed to use the blanket covering a cage to get up by the half door and attempt to escape.

She will also climb the back of your arm and get up between your shoulders so you can't reach her the little devil.

You can see the plans running through Cleo's mind

Since the black kittens didn't need me and I'd be down to four, since kittens season hasn't yet decided to stop I offered the now empty cages to some kitties that did need me.

Clyde and Zula are two kittens that appear to be well over the 800 gram mark but due to an upbringing without human contact they are very unsure and hissy around people. Thankfully they aren't entirely feral and are more hiss than attack. Given some time to find that I bring food and that I'm no threat I'm pretty sure I can turn them around.

Pretty boy Clyde seems to have some silver in with his black fur

Zula is such a pretty girl

I also have two kittens that are around the mid to high 600 gram mark. Ones a torbie (that I've since called Kisses as she looks like she's been kissed on the head), the other is a tabby (now named Cheeky since she was the more confident of the two) and they are also full of hiss and spit. They are more defense than attack and oh so tiny. I'm thinking a course of wormer wouldn't go astray either as they have quite tight little pot bellies.

Little Kisses not sure of the camera

Cheeky giving me a look for luck.

So I'm full again and the shelter is still running with kittens. I'm not sure if there will even be an off period this year or it'll continue straight into next season...

To The End

I try to keep track of my fosters and I feel sort of responsible for them the minute they are picked to be under my care.

Since Panda, that has meant being there with them when its only to say good bye.

Regrettably an outbreak of ringworm has claimed a few of my fosters. They were covered in lesions and due to it being a highly contagious fungus (not a worm despite its name), that can easily spread to other cats and even humans, the decision was made to put them down.

Despite looking like a healthy cat apart from those patches of fur missing I really don't know many people in the world that would adopt a cat that had a fungal infection that could make them or any one else in their family contract the same thing.

As with many of the problems ringworm can be treated. There is a absolutely massive BUT to that though.

Being in a shelter there isn't a full on quarantine area to house one cat and when at least ten get it how does one try to contain a highly contagious infection when you're in a facility that has hundreds of animals and quite a few people handling them.

A cat doesn't necessarily have to touch another cat, something in its bedding may touch something that is put in a different cats pen and then before you know it then that cat has lesions appearing on its body too. In a shelter environment its so much harder to contain and treat.

Bieber did have it but was put on medication because there was only possibly two kittens at the time displaying symptoms. He seems to be over the worst of it and managed to sneak a reprieve today.

Unfortunately Onyx, Jinx and Pixie three of my Black six had many big patches of fur missing. They have been out at the shelter for quite a few months now and although Harlem found her forever home the rest have struggled to be picked.

Baby Onyx

Grown Up Onyx

Baby Jinx

Grown Up Jinx

Tiny Baby Pixie

Pixie all Grown Up

They went quickly. I held them, stroked them (with gloves) and said my farewells.

It wasn't the ending I had wished for them. In the perfect world when they were on the adoption floors I wished someone could have fallen in love with them, taken them home and loved them well into their teen years.

That wasn't to be and it's heartbreaking.

I comfort myself that even though they are no longer roaming this earth while they were here they knew love, they knew warmth and I'm sure they had an absolute ball.

From the moment I brought them home they never knew an empty belly, they never had to shiver with cold and they had so many things to play with.

They went from tiny weeny critically small kittens (that probably wouldn't have made it if they hadn't been put on foster care) to big lanky kitties that would climb all over people for attention. In fact the only one that has so far made it into a home was on deaths door.

So in the end they had many more months than they would have if they had not been brought into the shelter in the first place.

Run free my little Blacks, show those in the second life that you were just too good for us down here.

The Events Of The Last Few Weeks

So far no more of my previous 6 black kittens have found a home and the other four S's - Sherlock, Suess, Sierra and Salem are all still wandering the rooms as well. Yoda is also still running around the corner kitten room.

Bieber did have a home but it so far seems to have fallen through.

Getting so big but no better at keeping his fur clean

Mac reached her weight and would be bouncing around in her new home by now.

Night before she left she began licking me. I think it was her thank yous and goodbyes

The five blacks named by my friend Connie (that now have a title name of 'Connies') have all passed sales check and could return whenever there is more room available.

Would have been an epic group picture but we're missing one

Too crowded over there ~ (I think it's Athena)

Since kitten season seems to be ending I'm in no hurry to send them all back.

Tash and Cleo are moving ahead in leaps and bounds but still comically look much smaller than their actual age. I think its all fur. They no longer feel skinny when you pick them up. All ribs and spine now have at least a bit of fat covering them. Both girls put on their big girl pants and had their first vaccination this week.

Just looking cute and chilling

Tash's home is still firmly in place with her new mother patiently waiting for the moment she reaches just over 800 grams. It will be so nice to keep in touch with this furry little bundle.

Getting so pretty, pity that the stains on her face wont come out.

Sadly I also had two other foster kittens this week that I had for a much shorter period of time than I would have preferred.

I never managed to get a picture of them which will forever haunt me.

Tess a fluffy tabby a bit like Bieber and Shadow another black girl kitten were seriously underweight. While Tess was just breaking the 600 she was bony and her siblings had all been more towards the 800 grams.
Shadow was a pitiful 400 something grams and was very light.

The two kittens were very fearful of human interaction and I feel that the stress they were putting themselves through and their low weight dropped their immune system enough to contract a flu type illness.

Neither kitten was suffering to the point of not eating, in fact they had actually done a bit of gaining but the odds were against them.

If they hadn't been so underweight then maybe they would have been put on medication but the vet did decide to let them go.

I wish I'd had more time with them, taught them that people aren't so bad. I wish I could have fattened them up and brought them out of their shells.

At the same time the shelter has done incredibly well about not getting a flu epidemic with the amount of cats we've had through this season. The risk of Tess's sneezing being some highly contagious flu virus and putting all the healthy cats at risk meant the only way to stop it moving on was to stop it in its tracks.

If the vet hadn't taken the choice out of my hands I would be in a tough spot. On one hand  I would want to medicate and give them the best chance at recovery. On the other hand I had seven kittens, one of those with a home waiting that were fully healthy and affectionate and taking home sick kittens would mean dire consequences and potentially all getting sick.

So I'm left with the comfort that for at least two days the kittens knew love. They had full bellies. They had room to stretch their legs, toys to play with and a hot water bottle to curl up on if they pleased.

This world was not meant for them and I hope they're enjoying a carefree and happy second life upstairs.

Absolute Craziness

I have been neglecting my blog. *slaps self*

Needless to say quite a bit has happened over the past week or so since I last filled you in.

Harlem has been adopted.

You Go Girl, Happy Life little one.

I found this exceptionally fitting as she was the kitten I thought would not make it. For at least the first week in my care Harlem's weight only went down and she didn't have much left to lose but she defeated the odds and made it to sales and is now the first of the six to find herself a family. Woo Hoo.

Garfield, who I only had for a little over a week or so, reached weight quite easily and returned to the shelter. I'm pleased to announce that only recently he too, has found a family of his own.

Giving people my cute eyes worked ~ Garfield

My advertisement of the shelter cats and kittens has proven to be quite helpful and I hope as I continue splashing cute cat pictures that more will find homes.

My time with the remaining four S's - Salem, Suess, Sherlock and Sierra - unfortunately reached the end.

Having a snooze after a big photo session

All kittens were well over 1 kg upon returning and if I kept them much longer they would turn into little cats. They were already reaching the lanky stage and several times I caught myself looking at Salem and thinking he was Onyx.

Yoda had also packed on some much needed grams. Due to some sore eyes that were fixed with treatment she had been kept apart from mixing with the other kittens. At the vet check they found her to be clear of illness and she was at the right weight to pass into sales.

Looking much better now...

Needless to say being dumped in the kitten room wasn't her idea of a fun time but at least for awhile she might get to catch up with Garfield and Bieber. She's such an exotic looking kitten I hope she finds a home soon.

Well earlier in the week I brought home two kittens who look extremely tiny but their movement says they're older. I call them the Fuzzies.

This is Cleo fully relaxed in dads' arms

Tash trying not to fall asleep on me and failing

 Tash and Cleo are affectionate little mites but are still quite badly underweight being in the high 300 to low 400 gram mark. If all goes well Tash is already spoken for but I'll be able to relax more when they've gained at least 100 grams.

Trying to show how unique Tash's coat is. Her black patches are actually tabby striped.

The five black kittens have names and some glaringly bright sock coats because once again they have no distinguishing markings. I asked a fellow blogger and kitten fosterer Connie (you can see her blog here) to name them as currently her kitten season is being a bit slow in starting where mine doesn't seem to be ending.

Ayoss (has been changed to Ace due to my inability to pronounce the name properly)

This sock suited Ace, she even got a yellow or pink ball to carry around matching her outfit 

Aura

Very hard to tell apart from Athena if she didn't have her coat

Athena

Athena making sure her sister's aren't coming to ambush her.

Apollo

Apollo stopping to give me a nice shot.

Zuess (since I had Suess at the same time and once you see his sock coat you'd understand but I've been calling him Zee)

Zee the bumble bee

So this week I started with twelve again returned five and came home with another one.

Mac is already adopted but she's a little below the right weight so she's sticking with me.

Cute little Mac still bright and happy

Hopefully by Friday she'll be at a weight in which she can be safely put under for her surgery. She does currently have a little issue with a bad tooth which will also be seen to at the same time.

This is the mayhem that has been going on over the past week or so. Current tally is 8 but if all goes well I might be down to 7 by Friday.

In The Time That's Passed

So much has happened I'm not sure where to begin.

The six big black kitties Onyx, Lexi, Harlem, Pixie, Jinx and Midnight returned to the shelter and are currently on the adoption floor in numerous different rooms to spread them out. So far no news of any of them being adopted yet...

Harlem And Lexi cuddling up with some RSPCA kittens

In return I received 5 tiny blacks so now we're back to square one. I don't think these little dudes will take too long to get up to the right weight but they might take a little time in the socialization section. They're all purrs in the cage but given free run its quite difficult to get them to come over to you.

And we're back to identical looking pure black kittens. Will need to pull out the sock coats again.

Of the five S's I'm now down to four. Scout was adopted into a lovely family and never had to set foot on the adoption floors. Right place at the right time.

Little Scout perched on the top still small enough to fit.

The other four have recently been having some tummy issues but fingers crossed they will get better and there will be room at the shelter for them to return.

Salem not really into hugging as Sherlock clings for dear life.

Garfield reached his weight pretty quick and he's now sharing the corner kitten room with previous fosters Bieber, Onyx and Pixie as well as a few other kittens. He doesn't look to be suffering from lack of things to do.

Adorable little mite with captivating eyes.

Felix dropped by for a temporary stay of less than half an hour before being popped back in a cage and carted off to his home with my auntie's mother in law. He's living it large and taking over the house from what I've been told.

Such a beautiful boy and so tolerant of everything thrown at him.

Yoda is on a course of medication for some sore eyes. Otherwise she's at a much better weight and is becoming a not so quiet little terror.

I really like my hot water bottle ~ Yoda

Sherlock really tried his cutest tactics on my friend Michelle who dropped by for some purr therapy. Alas she's not in a position to buy one at the moment but did enjoy snuggling with him.

I've even given her most of the chair, what more does she want ~ Sherlock

Still have ten currently on foster care but it seems that kitten season may finally be ending and I might actually get down below the double digits in the weeks to come.

More detailed introductions of the new five black kittens to come at a later date.

Checking In and New Additions

Due to the shelter having at last count 125 cats on site and in foster care I've been trying to help out by volunteering and taking pictures of the kitties to plaster all over Facebook. So far there hasn't been a massive influx of people liking or sharing the albums or pictures but I hope maybe someone is seeing them and might be enticed to go out and visit one of them.

If you haven't seen the albums or don't follow my community Facebook page for Legends of the Little Fur Balls please click here.

The blacks are always getting bigger, all 6 are well over 1 kilogram now and I've stopped weighing them. It's nearly to the point that they're outgrowing their room so I really hope that some might begin trickling back soon. I definitely can't keep them forever.

Why not keep us forever? And buy us a bigger bed?

The five S's are also getting up there. I've put them through a course of worming and fleaing since Suess has been at the 760 gram mark for at least 4 days with no rise or fall and two of his tabby brother have now zipped past him in weight gain after sitting in the 600's for quite awhile as well.

Tired kitties

On Friday I got asked if I'd possibly take on 3 more. I agreed as I had room for one more cage and technically the others don't NEED me. Its just let them out for a run and keep food up to them.
I missed the challenge of kittens that needed at least a bit of extra attention.

So here is Yoda

Such a pretty little kitty...

Yoda is adorable but she's not behaving like a normal kitten. She is underweight and although she does eat, she's not eating enough and for a kitten is very, very quiet. I haven't witnessed her actually playing. Its still very early days but she hasn't gained or dropped from her first weigh in.

Pumpkin (Although while he's here he'll be known as Garfield thanks to dad)

Full of purrs this boy...

Garfield is also underweight but less so than Yoda. He has a  short coat but the fur is so thick that it easily hides how skinny he is. He's dropped weight since he's been here but not by a massive amount and he still has quite a hearty appetite so I hope that with time he might begin going upwards more.

Now...lets wait for all the girls to start screaming...

Last kitten is called Justin Bieber (No I did not name him but by golly it suits him)

This kitten has attitude like I've never seen and unfortunately he's out of my capabilities to fix. He is antisocial...way antisocial with other kitties. He does try to bite hands and can go from completely chill to nearly going ape shit on you in a matter of seconds. Since he's been here I feel he has improved a little but scruffing doesn't calm him at all so the only way I've found to get some control is to wrap him up in a blanket and hold him close.

With other kittens he can go all day or long hours without so much as doing anything. The problem is EVERY SINGLE KITTEN AND CAT on my premises will NOT challenge him. If he gets amped up and ready to have a wrestle or attack another kitten they are SCARED of him.

The black kittens will shift out of his way staring at him and growling. He isn't stupid and he wont approach those growling at him but its fear growling and the blacks are extremely upset.

The five S's I thought were doing extremely well and spent most of the morning together but there was still tenseness and fear in a few of the kitties. None of those challenged him and it was all defensive 'back off' hissing in fear telling him they'll defend themselves if they had to but didn't want to start anything.

I was going to leave him in with the five overnight until he got all amped up and hypo and he beat the absolute crap out of one of the smaller tabbies to the point it was screaming but pinned against the wall and he wasn't letting it go. I admit I grabbed him and threw him away from the other kitten onto the bed in the back of the cage but he was going straight for the kitten again.

Poor Sherlock had ended half in the water bowl and was running away hissing.

I tried bringing Bieber out to learn some manners from Leo or Terra. He'd get all arched and growly and big and since neither would approach him he advanced on their territory effectively remaining the bigger kitty. Leo and Terra would move away rather than approach him.

Even Missy would rather return back outside than approach the arched, fluffed up, growling furball who started with backing off but when she turned away would begin inching towards her all cocky and confident with his intimidation tactics.

It absolutely sucks but I CAN'T help him. He's stressing out all the other residents to the point everyone is growling at each other and all jumpy when another sibling touches them.

He is at an adoption weight and hopefully he can go into the kitten room where there are other kitties that are as fluffy as he is and maybe they might be confident enough to give him a taste of his own medicine.

I feel like such a failure thinking he was coming around and integrating into the group of 5 but after witnessing what he's done and seeing how tense the other 13 are its just not worth them all being at each others throats and on edge.

If I had room and a few confident kittens that would have no issue with treating him the way he treats others I'd keep him and work on him but I have never seen such an aggressive kitten.

With time he might make a perfect single kitty for someones home. I'll be working on his people skills as much as I can but I don't see him staying any longer than Tuesday.