Introducing Tasha and Wally

These are my two new fosters, Tasha, a female dark and tan tortie, and Wally, a male orange tabby.  They're siblings and were adopted from Cheri five years ago and were dumped last week at the Chesterfield animal shelter.  Because they have a microchip that was registered to Heartland, we were called.  Cheri is overly filled and I said I would take them.  We have no paperwork from their past five years, but they seem very well taken care of, not thin and neglected.  Tasha is a little shy at first, but after just a few days, she comes over to be petted and leans into my hand for more head rubs.  I can easily pick her up and hold her.

They almost didn't survive kittenhood.  They were dumped on a street in front of a church as kittens.  There were four of them. It was mid winter, the road was icy, and all four kittens were frozen to the street.  One of the kittens was run over and killed because it couldn't move.  The other three were rescued, but when they were picked up, part of their skin and fur came off because it was frozen to the street. They were nursed back to health, and all three were adopted.  That was five years ago.

Wally is more friendly, will jump on my lap for petting and head rubs, and is.....well, Wally's a goofball.  He loves to play - especially with a catnip toy I made.  He's a laid-back, sweet, playful, cuddly boy.

 "What do we have here?!"

"I don't know, but I think I like it!"

 "Okay, that was fun,  Did I do something silly?"

 Wally is back to his slightly more dignified self.  Isn't he beautiful?

Tasha is a very beautiful cat, too.  I love torties. It's hard to tell if she's black or dark brown with the tan.

After Wally got done playing with the catnip toy, Tasha tried it, but it didn't do much for her.  Some cats are just not affected by catnip.

 I told Cheri I'd have Wally jumping in my lap by the third night, and Tasha a few nights after.  Wally took two nights.  Tasha will just be a couple more nights.

They've already been spayed and neutered.  We'll have them retested for feline leukemia and aids, and vaccinated in a couple weeks, and then they'll be ready for adoption.

Meg Gets Adopted

One of my favorite foster cats, Meg, got adopted a couple weeks ago.  She was one of those cats that I could have kept forever.  Sweet, friendly, cuddly, and never the one "in trouble."  The girl that adopted her was also named Meg.  Although her sister thought Meghan should change HER name, the cat has been renamed Penny and has adapted very well in her new home.  Meghan sent me a picture of Penny today, and said she never stops purring.  That's my girl.  Isn't she gorgeous?

I'm letting everyone get over their sugar coma from Wednesday's blog.  I cut the door open in the box last night and all the kittens are running around the nursery.  I used a box from a case of canned cat food for a little litter box and put some of mom's clumps in to help them know what to do.  I sure hope Elsa doesn't try to use the box.  Besides it being half her size, she doesn't always squat when she goes.  But, I have no choice.  The door to Elsa's box is too tall for the kittens to get in.  It's been a few hours and I don't know what I'll find when I get there.

Elsa's Kittens at Three Weeks

COMA-INDUCING  SWEETNESS  ALERT

Elsa's kittens were three weeks old Monday.  They're playing, romping, and exploring.  Last night I let them out of the birthing box that's been their only home for their entire lives. 

 First, the requisite mama-nursing photo.  The kittens are outgrowing their box and need to be out in the closet running around.  I'll cut the door all the way to the floor tomorrow.

Cheri still says the five darker ones are girls and the three buff are boys.  Usually about 85% of orange cats are boys and 15% are girls.  It's rare to have a cat give birth to eight kittens, and to have all of them the same color, and 60% of an orange litter be girls is very, very rare, indeed.  Four times more than the average.  I'm honored to be a part of it.  And the best is yet to come.  In another two to three weeks, they'll be let out in the bedroom where they have the carpet for better traction. They'll be running, jumping, wrestling, and providing me with thousands of photo ops.

 Mama giving one of the boys a bath.

I'm sorry most of these photos are slightly out of focus.  The lighting isn't the best in a closet.  Even though the camera was set on auto, it focused in front of what I wanted.  They'd be a lot sharper if I didn't crop them down to a smaller section, too. 

There's 19 photos here, but I couldn't delete any.  I took 93 in the past two days, so this is just a small part of them.

I've been marking different paws with a red marker to identify them, but it doesn't last more than a couple days.  The colored velcro collars will go on tomorrow.  

All the kittens are on an antibiotic for sniffles and eye goobers.  As I gave each one their dose last night, I put them outside the box.  I had cleaned the bottom shelves, cleaned the floor, and put quilts down for them on the shelves and floor.  They were confused and stayed huddled together for a while, then gradually wandered off to explore.  Mom was there, so that was reassuring. I didn't leave them out because I didn't have a small litter pan ready, and it was late and I didn't want to start litter training.  They're still a few days too young, anyway.

 Obstacles are not a problem.  On top is the buff Front Right.  None have real names yet. There are buff and orange front lefts, front rights, and a back left or right.  Paperwork is in their room and I'm not.  The oranges also have Front Front and Back Back.

 After they were all out of the box, I changed the towel and put the old one on the floor till I left the room.  Someone thought it made an excellent bed.

 Even out of focus, she's still adorable.  This is the orange Front Left.

One of the five orange girls is slightly larger and has slightly longer fur.  That could be her on the right.  This is either Front Left or Front Front.  The other four are identical.  I can't see any markings to distinguish them from each other.  No spots, no larger stripes, no whorls - nothing.

 The one on the left is either Back Left or Back Back.

Last week I said in another week the kittens wouldn't fit in my hand.

Are you in a coma, yet?  I wish you could all see these guys in person.  It's just beyond words how cute they are.  Am I lucky or what?  One of those hardest jobs you'll ever love.

Elsa's Kitten Update

The kittens are 17 days old today and are growing as I watch them.  Elsa is a wonderful mom, but things are getting a little tight at the table.  One of the buffs got tired of fighting for room, so he decided to take the high road and approach from the top.

 He still couldn't find a spot, so he left to try again later.  So sad.

 He went back to try again after a few
 were finished and off to take a nap.

 Before Elsa had her kittens, she was so big that her tummy was scraping on the bottom of the doorway cut in the box.  I cut out an additional 2" section and saved it.  I knew I'd need to tape it back fairly soon after the babies were born to keep them in the box.  That day was yesterday when one of the buffs discovered he could stand on his hind legs.

 He saw a whole 'nother world.

 He almost made it out, too.

But gave up.  That's when I taped the piece back on and raised the door.  It's the piece laying on the floor to the right of the box. 

I have no doubt that if the kitten had gotten any farther over the edge, Elsa would have grabbed him by the neck or back with her teeth and brought him back in the box.  She's tried to do that many times when I've been weighing the kittens.  The first cry and she's right there trying to grab the kitten out of the bowl I weight them in, my hands, or my lap.  She's very protective of her babies.

Mom's New Piano

My mom is 82 and will be moving to an assisted living residence in Chester, IL next month.  She's originally from Randolph county, born in Sparta, moved 10 miles away to Steeleville when she married my dad, and lived there in the same house for 52 years, and raised five children.  Chester is 13 miles from Steeleville.  She moved up here to O'Fallon, MO, 11 years ago after we did to be closer to family.  The closest of her kids lived over an hour away.  I was two hours away.  She sold her house quickly   In a small town, when the word got out that Mary was selling her home, the calls started.  Mom sold her house to someone she knew, Pat, but then, she knew everybody.  I went to school for 12 years with Pat's sister, and mom was good friends with Pat's aunt.

I'll never forget taking her to the realtor's office to close and sign the paper.  THE paper.  It was one typed page.  It said Mary F is selling her house at 509_______  for $______ to Pat _______.   Sign and date it.

We've bought three houses in 40 years and I've never seen a one-piece-of-paper house sale.  There was no loan involved, so that cut down considerably on the paperwork.  But, still!
.
Mom's always had a piano and played at our grade school when there was a program of some kind.  She never played the organ at church, but played a piano at other places. All us kids took piano lessons from Margaret Bergman. She was the model for the Wicked Witch of the West.  Well, she should have been.  What a horrible person to inflict on children!  We had an intense mutual dislike for each other.  I suffered through four years of lessons with her and shed buckets of tears before mom let me quit. 

Mom's also always wanted a grand piano.   About 5 years ago she bought one.  Her living room is a long living/dining room combo, so plenty of room for the piano.  It won't fit in her apartment, but she bought an electric piano that sounds like a grand piano. 

Not nearly as impressive, but the sound is awesome.  I told the salesman she needed something very simple.  It has an on/off button and a volume dial.  There's a few other buttons, but she'll never need or use them.  The piano store she bought it from is selling her grand on consignment at the store.  They brought her new one out and picked the old one up.  They take a big cut for selling it, but it's a big headache I don't have to deal with.

Mom plays every day.  Her Elvis song book is one of her favorites, but Hunk O' Burning Love does lose a little something in the translation. 

Elsa's Kittens at Nine Days Old

I've been bad about posting the kittens for a few days.  Although I'm doing very well since my eye surgery Friday, it's still a little different seeing out of just one eye and is a little difficult typing.

The kittens are nine days old today and most have their eyes open.  They're all growing and thriving.  I haven't had to bottle feed any for several days, now.  Mom's either producing more milk or the kittens are getting better at sucking.  Or both.  Their little tummies are always round and full.

 Sometimes the kittens are all huddled together when I check on them, and sometimes they're scattered around.  There's a heating pad under the towel, so it's always warm.  Kittens can't regulate their body temperature until they're about three weeks old, so they need the extra warmth.  Otherwise, they'd be huddled together with mom to keep warm.  Most of the time I go in to check on them, mom is laying on the cooler floor outside the box, but she never leaves the nursery to go into the bedroom.

 Mama jumps in the box and all the kittens gathered around to eat.  Elsa's not at all concerned about who she lays on when she flops over to nurse.  I usually have to pull at least one out from under her.  I know they've all made it all the other times when I'm not around, but it sure is tense for me when I see it happen.

There's usually two layers of kittens when they nurse.  Sometimes, they'll change or trade positions.  The ones on the bottom usually want a spot on top, but the ones on top are happy right where they are.

 They're only a week and a half old, and they're already fighting for space at the table.  It doesn't take long watching them to see two bitch-slapping and pawing at each other.  It's so funny to see.  Mom is eating two or three cans of food a day,  3/4 of a cup of formula, and some of three different kinds of dry food.  I can't imagine how they're all going to fit for the next six weeks.  I'm going to have to start a "Feed Elsa" fund drive.  A scout troop did a fund drive for Heartland and will present their donations at a Saturday adoption at Petsmart in the next week or two.  Maybe I can beg a few extra cans cases of food for mama.

 For comparison, this was taken six days ago when they were three days old.  It's amazing how fast they grow.

 This is a little out of focus, but I didn't have the right setting to take a close up.  He doesn't look very happy, does he?


















This is a darker kitten today.

This is one of the buffs at three days old.

Isn't he just too cute?  In another week, he'll barely fit in my hand.