Kitten Less *Nooooooo*

Pretty much for the first time this year I'm currently kittenless. I mean I wont be kittenless for long as I'm already seeing talk of pregnant female cats but it might be a little while before any are handed over for foster care.

Anyway. The Firestarters were due to return on the Wednesday last week but due to vet staff shortage it was changed to the Friday. I would have 'loved' to have kept the four for a bit longer but at the same time I was happy to see them go.

By the time kittens are reaching 8 Weeks old they're getting pretty good on their feet and causing all sorts of trouble. These four were getting ever closer to reaching 4 MONTHS old. They knew how to get into all sorts of mischief. They were getting bored within the same four walls - I don't blame them.

So beyond shredding the mesh screen on a window and trying to leap up onto shelves that they weren't supposed to these four kittens had reached the point where they no longer needed me. Technically they could have been a short term foster of only a week considering the first time I offered them some raw cat mince they were all over anyone that had some.

Yeah they didn't need much socializing.

The longer we had them the more obvious it was that these cats absorbed attention like a sponge. Of all of them Ash is the most reserved and wont push her siblings out of the way to claim a piece of mince. She'd much rather sneak a bit someone else hasn't seen.
Smokey has gotten much better but he's the least happy about being picked up with Cinders -depending on her mood - coming in second.
All four will drown you if you so much as hint to sit down and all four will begin a chorus of loud purring.

So I wasn't sure what the vet would find on Friday. There was every chance there could have been some remnants of their sneezing bug. I had witnessed a few coughing but it seemed like hair stuck down the wrong way - Sooty and Ash the two longest haired kittens were seen doing it.

I managed to worm them all when some of their stool was looking just a wee bit too 'soft' and no food had been changed. That was quite the event in itself as I'm not a pro pill popper and dread doing my own cats.

Alas all passed Friday's vet check without any problems. Sure they were all cowering in the cages having not been confined so much since they were taken out on foster care but none began hissing even when their temperature was checked.

Then they all went straight into adoption. I put them in room one but there was likely to be some shifting around. They went in with three other roomies.

Two black and white kittens that I called the Twins

Who are you?

And Sadly, little Cleo looking so much older and wiser is STILL waiting for her home.

Hey, why did you have to bring four more pests?

There was some fluffing up and hissing going on. Cleo hissed at anyone that so much as dared come over to her comfortable bed, she was quite happy observing and didn't go out of her way to make any introductions.

Cinders sizing up the competition

Cinders and Smokey were investigating everything with Cinders telling those Twin cats that she did NOT want to be buddies.

Smokey giving one of the Twins the cold shoulder

Sooty ventured out from under a sitting seat but at the sound of loud trucks across the road zoomed back under cover.

What was that Noise? ~ Ash

Smokey did attempt to climb the walls in effort to see if there was any escape.

Hey!! Lemme Out!! ~ Smokey

Poor Ash. She didn't like it at all and squished herself between the seat and the wall. I coaxed her out and she huddled on my lap for quite some time, hissing at the over friendly Twins and cowering at the loud sounds of traffic. Ash wasn't any less affectionate but she wasn't comfortable in her new surroundings and may take awhile to come out of her shell.

Still photogenic even with a crappy mobile phone camera

The other three were wandering around and checking things out when I finally decided to leave them.

The homes that had been lined up for Smokey and Cinders may have fallen through. I know Smokey's one has but with Cinders the jury is still out. I shall let you know the outcome.

The Firestarters

Well I've had them for over a week now....

A few days after their arrival the sneezes started and I threw out a few choice words. Despite this however there has been no further progression other than sneezing. Any snot has been clear, no eye discharge and I've seen no welts in their mouth.

They are still eating like there is no tomorrow, still playing and still being totally normal kitty cats. Pretty much day two and all socialization work was done but they couldnt return while they were sneezing. I totally dont mind having the company.

So...

Every night they get a tiny container of cat mince. Its kind of a bonding process but it has come to the point that to ensure you dont end up clawed, bitten or drowned by cats then you must stand and attempt to share out the food. Each kitten has gotten quite good at stealing from a litter mate or begging for more and pretending I never feed them at all....

My Brother Ben doing the honors of mince feeding while I take pictures

Cinders doing a little beg for said mince

It seems the hissing that originated from the cats in the beginning (when they had been separated from their siblings and then returned) lasted only a few days as well. Now they're all quite happy with each other, even to the point of helping each other wash.

Smokey - Really Cinders keep your ears clean

Sooty - Uh guys...do remember I'm down here

The problem with having four three month old (possibly older) kittens is that their balance and activity level is much higher than a kitten that is much younger. Normally by 8 weeks old they're done with foster care and return and I usually see the signs when they get ON TOP of the cage or begin making attempts to scale the half door.

These guys are always testing the boundaries. They managed to use the study chair to get ON TOP of the curtain rail. Not the brightest idea on their part because mum loves her curtains and if they shredded them they'd end up being in deep trouble. To 'save' the curtains I tend to tuck the white mesh over the curtain rail so they can wander on the window sill...

Smokey had decided this created the perfect hammock. He was quite cosy tucked in there until his two sisters tried to join him. Minor chaos ensued with me yelling at them to get down and Smokey barely managed to not slide down the white material screen with his claws. The curtains are intact and I moved the foster room around in attempt to make it so they can no longer get up there.

Whilst doing so I pinched a nerve in my back. So for four days it was painful to bend/lift/generally move. Serves me right for trying to shift heavy stuff with no help.

My back is fine again now after seeking a bit of helpful chiropractic and remedial massage, I'm also hesitant but hopeful that the sneezing in the kittens has begun to recede. (Fingers crossed)

They are not due for their next vaccination for a few more weeks. I'm not sure if I'll take them in earlier and see if they're eligible to get their spays and neuters done while their on foster care.

I'm hopeful that they don't destroy anything else in the meantime. I think I owe my parents a new protective window screen as one or maybe all four attempted to scale it or use it as a scratching frame and I'm VERY lucky that they didn't all escape (if they had focused on the one area for much longer  they would have created a hole big enough to escape).

Here's some pictures of the little rascals

Cinders and Ash

Ash is a bit more reserved than the other three but
affectionate and very photogenic

Smokey is a handsome little love bug and
will probably be returning to the shelter
as his potential home has fallen through.

Sooty not quite sure what to make of the treadmill

Laps do not go cold with these kitties, Cinders claims mum's lap

Sooty claims mum's lap with Smokey looking for room to join

Pretty, pretty Ash claims my lap

Sooty claims brother Ben's lap

As you see I have no doubt these kitties will be fine finding themselves homes when they return and they really don't need anymore socializing.

***********************
I am a horrible person. I haven't updated in so long and wrote this entry over a week ago.

Since then there has been little to no sneezing (any sneezing there is I've put down to recently giving the room a good clean and thus disturbing dust) and has been a bit of coughing but I'm not sure if that's just (I need to get rid of a hair ball) or something along those lines.

They go in for a vet check on Wednesday (fingers crossed) and if they pass they're likely to head straight up into adoption. As much as I'm enjoying their company they are quite full on and ready to be unleashed on the general public.

They are entirely fine with people. Always hungry, always playing, always being generally well adjusted kittens that now need a home.

Smokey, Sooty & Cinders squishing onto mum's lap

Ash  looking a bit put out that she doesn't fit as well

Speaking of playing I had hoped to resume walking on my treadmill. Well Smoky and Cinders have taken a particular liking to the treadmill and if I were to set the speed to something that was actually a walking pace I'd risk breaking my neck.

Any who, Sorry for the massive post, I'll possibly update again on Wednesday to say how their vet check went but I doubt I'll have any newbies until kittens begin flooding through the doors.

The Inevitable End and The Firestarters

Well the foster journey for Cleo ended on a lower note than I'd hoped. In the ideal world I thought throwing her face around on face book, being honest about her positives and her negatives and changing them as she grew more comfortable with humans would end her leaving foster care and going directly into a forever home.

Not so.

Maybe its because fostering advertised kittens in a small town no one has the time to wait for me to drive maybe 15 minutes to look at a cat. I mean if it was meant to be someone could wait that long...

Either way I received no calls about her at all. No matter if she was plastered as pet of the week in the paper or all over face book. Sure people commented on her, wished they had the time and finance to take her on but not one meet and greet.

I eventually had to ask the shelter how long they wanted me to keep her for. I was happy having her for longer but she didn't need any further socializing and she was getting just a tad too comfortable here (to the point of claiming everything Leo sat on or harassing the living daylights out of him). I am pretty sure Leo got sick of her flopping all over me and giving him a look saying 'this lady is mine now'. (not that he's much of a lap cat himself).

The return to the shelter didn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped. Cleo took it fine. She was a bit shy when strangers (only one other shelter worker) popped in but she never ran and hid. The little fur ball tried her hardest to convince me to take her home with me being extra clingy, alas not possible.

So it wasn't her adaption to living in her sale room at the shelter, it was more the fact that there is still sneezing going on out there. Cats with flu now get treated with one course of medication, if that medication fails to help them then they get put to sleep (if it fails to help they're in a miserable suffering condition anyway so at least they now get some form of chance at treatment first).

In the end I've just got everything crossed hoping she's out of there sooner rather than later as the longer she's there the higher the risk of her contracting that horrible bug.

I did ring the shelter today (mostly to see if my new recruits had names) and Cleo had done well overnight and still wasn't cowering in the corners. She got given an adult cat roomie today so.....

I still miss the ever loving shit out of her (excuse the cursing). I'm not overly fond of fluffy cats but I got to know her quite well in the month plus I had her and feel a lot like a mother hen hovering and pestering the shelter until she's sold. This is a reason why I'm reluctant to take on singletons...

Totally my favorite picture of Cleo

******* The Firestarters********

Alright. The bigger reason I didn't resist the need to return Cleo is that there were a few other kittens in need of a bit of work.

So they came in without names. I was inwardly groaning at this. I mean if I really hate the names they come with then I tend to give them nicknames anyway but starting from nothing...eep

I have 3 girls and 1 boy. A grey and white female, a black female, a grey female and a grey male.

Knowing my aunty (different relation to the one that adopted JoJo -now Millie) wanted a solid grey cat I mentioned this and before he even goes through some socialization he'll possibly end up with a home. I allowed said potential owner to give him a name to save changing it at a later date.

She chose Smokey for the grey boy.

I may have a home already? But I just got here...

I had been tossing around fire related names anyway but was having trouble finding feminine sounding names.

Well we now have Sooty as the black female,

Stop following me with that clicky thing

Ash as the grey female

Not quite sure why she looks so surprised here...

and Cinders as the grey and white.

Wishing she was outside as a wild kitteh

There's been a bit of hissing since they're all 3 months (guesstimate) old so they appear more like young cats than kittens. Their fur is a strange mix between short hair and medium hair but I believe when they reach adulthood they'll have a thick short looking body coat and maybe a flume like tail and also a bit of a mane. I'm not sure though.

They were in separate cages with 2 in each so reintroducing the 4 was going to take a little time. This afternoon they were getting along well enough to all sit on the same bed. Good signs.

I scooped them all out and let them run on the floor (I wanted to put shelves in their cage). None of them really liked being picked up and held but all do allow pats and all readily purr.

I sat with them, mostly to try and get some pictures to send to Smokey's potential adopter. I also brought in a little container of cat mince. I'm so glad I fed them off a fork instead of by hand.

Unlike Cleo who would NOT dare touch a human in the beginning these four kittens have no such qualms. They were all over me reaching for the container. Smokey who appears to be the smallest of the bunch was actually the most into it and stealing it off all the others.

So things are looking up, I doubt they'll ever be full on laid back and don't have a care kitties but they certainly are open to new things especially when food is involved. Listening to all those motors going and its only partway through day 2 of having this group and I can only hope they continue adding to their potential adoption with things they 'will' do rather than things they 'wont' do.

Until next time.

Video's as promised

I left the last post saying I'd update with videos the next day. I wasn't sure how much traffic would trot on over so I've left it a few days hoping the big pimp out about how special this kitten is might get some calls.

NADA, NOTHING, ZIP, DIDDLY SQUAT *WHY!!!*

I mean I get that she's now quite a bit bigger than a little 8 week old kitten but she is still kind of small and also becoming more and more of a cheeky little devil (Sweetheart).

I'd still rather she found a home sooner rather than later. She does get along with my cats fairly well but the newness of another kitty has worn off and both Leo and Terra are beginning to get a bit over her. They seek time out on the upstairs side of the house since she prods them whether they are awake or asleep and often has to be hissed and swatted at to stop pestering them.

*It also does not help that despite best upbringing both Leo and  Terra are quite the nervous, whimpy 'ooh-a-small-fluffy-kitten-is-annoying-me! MUM!!! help me!' kind of cats. If anything I think she's helping them build some character.

Along with this Cleo has kind of decided that I'm hers. She's got one rude awakening coming because Leo's my cat and he doesn't share...well not forever. She now constantly follows me around (when she's not pestering Leo and Terra or playing with toys), She seeks out my lap and despite best attempts to train her to Laptop etiquette she's determined to add her own flair or press buttons that should not be pressed.

She is still a bit concerned around males but she will play with them and often grudgingly lets them pat or pick her up. She'll play with anyone who'll drag string around.

If you feed her you quickly become her best friend and she makes it difficult to walk anywhere weaving between your feet.

Here are the previously promised videos.

In this one Leo's like NEW KITTEN (Flirt) and all 'play with me'. This one gives a rough idea of her size compared to a ever getting closer to 3 year old resident cat.

Cleo getting a bit of the stares from Leo and Terra. Early video when she was interesting now the two bigger cats couldn't care less and often walk the other way.... Sooks.

Cleo showing her cheeky semi-submissive (only while you're looking then I'll prod you when you look away). Another early video of the introduction of these kitties.

Cleo being in a cuddly mood early on voluntarily hopping up onto my lap, purring away and then persistently trying to eat whatever's left in my cereal bowl on the side table despite being told no....


Hope you enjoy, please spread the word. PLEASE. Cleo needs her forever family so she can truly bond with someone that's not already owned by a cat. I believe she'd be fine with other cats but also fine by herself. She still does need an adjustment period but in three-ish weeks she's changed so much that I'm sure she'd adjust to every situation.

Please call the Portland RSPCA and inquire about Cleo or Kim's Foster Kitten. I'm happy for them to call me and arrange a meeting at the shelter. She is spayed and microchipped so if you decide she's what you're after she can go home once her adoption fee is paid.

*Fingers Crossed*

Major Changes

Well despite being in the local newspaper over the weekend, no one has stepped forward to claim this cute bundle of fluff (also known as Cleo).

She's such a pretty girl...

She has begun to exceed even my own expectations. Cleo is also stating quite loudly that she's quite happy being where she is currently and becoming more accustomed to life in our household. Unfortunately she has a rude awakening as we cannot keep her. Three cats is enough and I think Terra and Leo would go insane if we kept her permanently.

About three or four days ago now Cleo began making a break for it every time we opened the study/foster room door. She'd long since conquered the half door. I usually freaked out and blocked her not wanting her to interact with Leo and Terra.

Then I figured what the hell if she had to deal with us and strange noises and other cats it might expand what home she'd be ready for. So I let her wander out fully expecting her to freak out upon seeing Leo and run for cover of 'her' room.

Nope.

Cleo wandered around the house and barely glanced at Leo who was thoroughly interested in the newbie. He was being a flirtatious idiot rolling around and also hunting her through the house. I thought if she returned to cowering and hiding or if they got into a tussle I'd put her back in the study. Nope.

Sure there was chasing and some dark looks from Leo but if she overstepped her boundaries she just ducked down or rolled over or fled until Leo stopped chasing her then turned around and continued shadowing him.

Cleo ~ I surrender (only while you're looking at me)

So it became a daily thing while someone was home to let her wander. She is one cheeky little girl. She hears someone in the kitchen she thinks they're getting food for her. She'll get under your feet chirping and peeping and often my mother will cave and find something to give her.

Cleo has investigated the noise of a vacuum cleaner (from a distance), checked out the noise a mixing beater made (from a distance) and has begun tormenting the life out of sooky, wimpy resident cats Terra and Leo. She wants to play, they now say nick off. She pokes and prods and runs about the house freely following Terra and Leo until they hiss at her.

Only today she's popped up beside me to seek out company. She even climbed on my lap. On her own choosing. That I never thought would happen. (She is currently curled up asleep on my lower legs, I do have a fluffy blanket over said legs but once upon a time she'd do everything to avoid any human contact).

Cleo ~ Hey, what's this?

She is still iffy with men. My brother, although old enough to know better often doesn't listen when I say she's not happy being picked up and carted around. Sometimes she'll let you pick her up for a little bit, Sometimes when you pick her up she'll attempt to bite your hand (gently never drawn blood and I call this being a brat more than fear now) and sometimes she'll flatten her ears and nearly resume her previous 'I'll freeze here unhappily until you put me the heck down' I don't like her reaching the point of discomfort with people but even when she is held against her will she hasn't gotten aggressive and attempts to dive out of arms if given the opportunity rather than shredding someone to pieces.

Cleo ~ I'm top kitty in this house

Leo ~ But Mum! She stole my bed!!

Dad is all for an overly confident kitten that will interact well with him and not show fear. While Cleo does have a very cocky and cheeky personality that's coming through she still gets nervous and unsure if someone comes directly at her. Loud, Big, Scary man coming at a still pretty small kitty is often a bit too much for her to handle. Thankfully Dad has toned back and reached Cleo through playing with string toys.

The pictures dont really show how little she is. She isn't a gangly kitten anymore but she's still less than half the size of Leo and most of that is fur.

A few more photos and I'll try to upload some video's tomorrow.

Cleo Mid-wash. I couldn't resist adding it (laughs)

Spread the word, the sooner this kitten has a home the sooner she can settle in to somewhere permanently. I'm quite happy keeping her until said home turns up or until kitten season returns. If kitten season does return and Cleo hasn't got a home she'll have to put on her big fur boots and try sell herself through the sales rooms at the shelter. I feel worst case scenario she'd learn to adjust there but it could take some time and she could take a few steps backwards.

Cleo is such a fitting name, look at those eyes and how on earth has no one called about her?

Cleo the Charming Kitty

Well I've still got Cleo.

Cleo's such a pretty girl

I'm also seeing signs that she's at the stage where she'll do better with her forever family.

The longer she's here the harder she bonds with me and I cannot keep her.

Cleo would do better in as a single cat in the household. She did spend time with another foster kitten that was slightly younger and she did alright but her attention was on that kitten and she sought no human interaction. Its only after she's been a single kitten that we've had a lot more progress.

She would also do better with an older family or one with older kids that can read basic cat language.

Cleo isn't much of a handsy cat and doesn't like being held or patted if she doesn't seek it out herself. Over time I can pick her up and give her a cuddle and place her back down but when she leans away I put her down.

If a kid cannot read that she doesn't want the attention and give her time to seek it out on her own I fear she'll revert back to being timid and avoiding human contact.

There is nothing to say she wont eventually become a lap cat she's already allowing herself to be picked up without tilting her ears back (a sign of discomfort).

I have never seen Cleo reach the stage that she lashes out. She has hissed in the early days but it was simply a don't touch me warning.

Occasionally when she's being over patted she'll say she's had enough by turning around and grabbing your hand in her mouth. She has never bitten or drawn blood doing this but its also a warning to let her go. I notice she also does this right before a hit of the crazies so directing her attention to toys provides her a much better release for her cooped up energy.

I think the biggest thing I have noticed with Cleo is her not liking anything done to her where she cant react or get away. To be comfortable with something she has to make sure and check it out herself.

I had a friend over and it took roughly 30 minutes for Cleo to feel comfortable enough to allow said friend to pat her.
The friend won her over by playing with her and offering her treats. Once the friend had allowed her to sniff the back of her hand without Cleo moving away the friend was able to pat her without any problems and Cleo got more confident moving near the friend knowing she wasn't suddenly going to be picked up.

In the last week where Cleo has had no other kitten to distract her I often leave her for hours at a time to entertain herself giving her free run of the study floor. At one stage I wouldn't be able to catch her to put her in the cage overnight but now every time I step in I'm greeted with chirps and she's rubbing against my legs.

I am able to pat her without introducing myself first (by offering the back of my hand to judge her reaction) and I'm also able to pick her up give her a cuddle and put her down again with no signs of discomfort.

I fear the longer she is here the more she'll bond with me and that will be cut off dramatically when her forever home turns up. I am hoping said forever home turns up sooner rather than later for that reason.

If anything Cleo deserves a loving, understanding family so they too can be rewarded with this...

* Introducing self with back of hand - I once got told reaching for a cat with a claw like hand is often read as a threat by timid cats/kittens. By offering the back of my hand I hope to appear less intimidating and I can carefully read the kittens reaction before offering the back of my hand and turning it on the side before reaching to pat her. I very rarely if ever just reach for Cleo but she is getting better at receiving affection or pats when she's not even looking at me (often when she's weaving around my feet).

Slow Progress

Well nearly a week ago JoJo moved out.

Where Am I Going? ~ JoJo

No she didn't return to the shelter she was scooped up by a loving family and I'm pleased to hear updates that she's settling in well.

My Auntie had been tossing up on whether to introduce another cat to their household as their now four year old ginger tabby Milo was spending long periods alone.

Handsome Kitty Milo

Milo (taken quite awhile ago via Mobile Phone)

He had originally been bought with a sibling Cocoa but unfortunate circumstances of having indoor/outdoor cats meant Cocoa used up his nine lives all in one go.

Cocoa RIP

She also felt that her son would love the attention of a kitten all his own. He shared a close bond with Milo but Milo never chose to sleep on his bed.

Having spotted me pimping out JoJo and Cleo on Facebook they inquired about them and turned up on Saturday for a meet and greet. I am pretty sure their minds were already made up before laying eyes on her...but then again who wouldn't melt at those big expressive eyes she has?

You know you want to take me home ~ JoJo

JoJo went home with them on that day as she was already micro-chipped and spayed and they tossed around a few names trying to get the right one. Millie ended up being the final choice.

So Millie and Milo, the M&M's. Although there's still an adjustment period it seems Milo is slowly accepting his new roomie.

Best part to all of this is I'll get to keep in touch.

Farewell Millie may you live a long and happy life

******************************************************************************
On the other side Cleo.

Since JoJo left Cleo has begun transforming. She readily purrs and seeks pats from anyone if they approach her cage, I think she'd still be wary of a complete stranger but she has accepted both myself and my mother.

When picked up and held for a few moments her ears aren't tilted back and she doesn't feel as tense. In fact most of the time she actually purrs.

Only recently I've been giving her a bit more access to the floor mostly so she's not completely trashing her cage but also to get her used to having people walk around her and hoping to make sure she doesn't hide in corners. With help of a laser light a few nights ago I was able to lure her over and pat her freely while she isn't confined.

Cleo not quite sure of the flashy thing

Today that has progressed to being able to pat her (as long as she knows you're going to and its done slowly) while she was out and about. She's peeping at me whenever I show up and will walk past me and even touch my leg without thinking I'm going to eat her.

She is still a very long way from a kitten who has been exposed to people all her life. I'm not entirely sure she'd suit a family with young kids as she needs patience to earn her trust. Cleo also does get over stimulated so if you pat her too much or she doesn't want to be picked up she can gently grab your hand in her mouth but she's never outright bitten. I'd also love to clip her claws but scruffing her sends her into survival mode and doesn't really get the whole 'relaxed kitty' results that it gets with others.

Such a pretty girl

I have never seen any aggressive behavior in this kitten. Ratty when thoroughly excited with toys yes, scared yes, wary yes and she's still very jumpy at times but I also see a kitty that's really trying to understand what we want and deciding we're not so bad after all.

She pops in for a vet check tomorrow and hopefully I bring her home again to continue working on her. I am not sure if she'll return to her timid self if let loose in a unfamiliar area.

As always Cleo is available for adoption. She is already spayed, micro-chipped and up to date on vaccinations. If you want to meet her I'm happy to arrange a meeting so you can meet this charming pretty little girl in person and all you'd have to do is pay her fee and sign papers and she can go home straight away.

For further information please call the Portland RSPCA. I'd certainly love if little Cleo was given the chance of her own forever family like Millie has.

Here's a video of Cleo accepting some pats and playing

If Only....

Well the kittens did return on the 3rd of July but they went straight to the vets for spaying and neutering. Squish, Milky and Whimpy remained behind but JoJo was doomed to wear the bucket to keep her away from her stitches.

Family Portrait (from L clockwise) - Milky, Wimpy, JoJo & Squish

The three stooges that returned

JoJo (who's crazy as a YoYo) isn't a huge fan of being kept confined so I was offered the chance to foster her again until the stitches came out. Such hardship for me (rolls eyes).

Well, I never really bonded with JoJo (still Judith by RSPCA papers) when she was one of the four kittens, in fact I tended to gravitate towards Squish because he was happy to hang out whereas JoJo was off being a...well YoYo...

Some Examples of JoJo's YoYo-ness

Come and get me! ~ JoJo

SPROING!!

CHOMP!! (JoJo laughing maniacally at her brother)

SPROING!!!

Can I has some halp? Bit Stuck ~ JoJo

Now that I've had one on one time for over a week I've seen a different side of her. The title of this new post is a reflection of 'If only I could keep them all'. Yes, JoJo has wiggled her way into my heart and if I didn't have Leo I probably would be darn tempted to sign some papers.

Alas I do understand that three cats in one household is enough and Leo would get his nose out of joint if he had to share me any more than he does now. There's also nothing to say JoJo wont change out of her cute behavior as she gets older (seriously doubt that).

So what does JoJo do? Well its not really anything that every other cat doesn't do. She purrs, she cuddles, she doesn't want to be left alone and she's a cheeky little girl.

Normally when a kitten is sick I enjoy cuddling them and watching them sleep while tucked up around my neck. By the time they get better they don't want to sit still and hang out. JoJo isn't sick and yet she'll just hang out with me purring and snuggling against me and generally turning those big expressive eyes on me.

Cuddles with little Jo

Hey look I found a warm spot (sitting on heater vent)

Side Note: While wearing her hood little JoJo also slid down the treadmill belt when she accidentally wandered onto it. She wasn't overly worried about it or the noise...the vacuum is another thing...

On Friday she went to the vets to possibly get her stitches out but the vet advised to leave it until Monday. Everyone was enchanted with her little sock.

****Story of the sock****

The hood of doom was not JoJo's cup of tea and one morning she managed to get herself into an awful mess. Somehow while using the litter tray she'd managed to shift the neck part of the hood to nearly down to her waist and had trapped her front legs in the hood also. If I'd thought about it a picture would explain much better but either way she couldn't get out of the litter tray and had spent quite a bit of time struggling and getting poop everywhere. (exasperated face)

Since the altered socks with leg holes and the toe cut off seemed to work with previous kittens we went down that path with this one and beyond walking like a drunk kitten for a few minutes she soon adapted to it and motored on like nothing was different. (She never showed any signs of pain from her spay site to the point that even with a hood she managed to climb cage walls).

JoJo modelling her sock

Cat Walk

Side View 

On Friday I was introduced to another kitten Cleo who's story is quite a bit sadder. She was born either feral or semi feral and has never had decent human interaction before the RSPCA. Her brother reacted in a manner which was dangerous and unadoptable and the shelter manager bore some nasty scratches and bites. Cleo however seems to freeze when handled but you can tell she's not happy or comfortable with humans hands on her or when she's off the ground.

Cleo ~ I'm watching you

She was adopted out for a full three days before being returned as unsuitable for that home.

I've had Cleo now a heading close to a week. I see a kitten that is trying but is also very distrustful. She is 15 weeks old so the window of turning her into a cuddly little purr bucket has kind of passed.

Cleo stalking JoJo

HISS!!

Taking a breather where its 'Safe'
(Meaning I was on the other side of the room)

Within moments of having room to move in the big cage she was tentatively playing with some toys (she did have a freak out at a dome bed hissing and swatting at it like some monster until I removed it) but otherwise she was fine and did nothing more than hiss or shift to the other side of the cage whenever I had to clean/check something.

I began offering her bribes of nice food to try and get some sort of level playing field. By late day two I think it was the first time Cleo accepted and sought out some attention. Depending on her mood sometimes she'll purr up a storm and head butt your hand allowing you to pat her on the head and down the back. Legs, belly and movement to pick her up is rewarded with her tensing or backing off.

The last 3 days (stitches all out by Monday for both Cleo and JoJo) I've been giving them supervised 30 minute play sessions. It saves Cleo from turning her cage into an absolute trash site and gets her interacting with another kitten. She's quite a bit bigger than JoJo so I cant leave them alone together. Mostly it seems they're playing but occasionally it seems to get a bit nasty from my view (probably normal behavior but I try to split them up if I hear too much hissing or yeowling when ones been tackled).

Cleo and JoJo playing Hide and swat

Cleo still totally prefers to stay away from people rather than be with them and is overly cautious of going near or past a human (which makes catching her again quite difficult because I don't want to just pounce on her and ruin all the trust).

Long term with a patient loving owner I see Cleo being a quite affectionate cat who might be a lap cat but only on her own terms. I cant see her tolerating being picked up and carried around or cuddled at least not anytime soon. I also believe she'll be shy around strangers but alas I'm hoping she'll prove me wrong in all areas.

JoJo will adapt anywhere but I'm pretty sure given the right attention she'll return it tenfold. The trips to the vet have been quite overwhelming for her and she trembles like a leaf tucking herself closer to the side of the box that I'm on or trying to squish herself through the bars. When out of her carrier she tucks in and cowers on my lap but is quick to purr up a storm if she's reassured and given scratches.

Both JoJo (Judith) and Cleo are available for adoption and once paid for can go home immediately as they're both desexed. I will probably have these guys until Monday but if anyone is interested in them I'm happy to swing by the shelter with them so you can meet them.

If interested ring the Portland RSPCA and inquire after Judith (JoJo - is what I call her, Judith is what her paperwork says) or Cleo or Kim's Foster Kittens.

I'll be soaking up all the love from JoJo I can get in the next few days and working on Cleo's fears of humans.

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Leo the Loony Boy

Former foster toy a kitten sized kicker laced with catnip that he's now calling
MINE!!!!!!!

One of the odd ways this boy sleeps all tucked up....

Until next time....