Ultra Quick Health Update

*** Henry, Tika, and Abby are home.  All have upper respiratory, but Henry is a wheezy, sneezy mess.  He is grumpy and less than thrilled that I gave him medicine.  (Picture his face in the "Put Me Down" photo and you'll know what look me gave me at medicine time) At least it's only once per day.

Okay... so I went and found the "Put Me Down" photo instead.  It was this look, except on a bigger face.  The boy is nearly 7 pounds now!

*** The girls were spayed on Wednesday and were running around the family room like maniacs less than 12 hours later.  I have pain meds to give them every two days, but they hardly seem like they will actually need it.  It is virtually impossible to tell the girls apart.  We've put a spot of green nail polish on Abby's ear, red on Tika's.  Except we can hardly remember which girl got which color... ;-)  They are feminine versions of Henry and I believe more and more that they are litter mates.

*** After vacuuming and flea treating my house twice a day for three days, I think we're about done (but whenever someone scratches, I tend to lose my marbles).  I haven't seen a crawler in over 24 hours.  Charlie, Norman, and Simba get a "just in case" dose of Capstar on Thursday followed by another crazy vacuum session.  At this point, I'm just holding out until a week from Friday when I can Frontline all of the adults again.  Just as long as the Adams don't get anything, I can stay sane.  They need to move to Petco on Saturday.  

*** Mother Jefferson and the munchkins continue to do well and are unfazed by any of the craziness outside their bathroom door.  And today... while I wasn't looking... their ears boinged up to the top of their heads.  I am honestly too tired to walk back upstairs with a camera, but I will have take a photo tomorrow and have it for you on Monday.

I'm off now until Monday.  (I know I said that before, but I figured you would want the Henry report).  Everything is fine... unless I see an f-word.  Then I might be saying the f-word, a few hundred times or so.  ;-)

The "Oh Boy" Update

Hey All...

I'm going quiet until Monday.  Things have gone a bit nuts.  Before I give you the details, just know that everyone is okay (or will be okay shortly).

A wave of serious upper respiratory swept through our rescue's facility at Petco.  We've got some pretty seriously ill kittens on our hands, including Henry :-(

He has a pretty high fever and is at the vet's office for the next 24 hours for medication and rehydration.  When he is okay to be released, he is coming home to me for the duration of the healing process... along with Tika and Abby (who will be spayed in the morning if their fevers are down and their conditions are under control before coming to our house).  They will be moving into the family room when they arrive.

Good thing my husband is gone, as he wants fewer kittens and not more in the house.  There will be fewer on Saturday morning... five fewer to be exact.  Petco is being bleached and sterilized daily between now and Saturday when the Adams kittens will move in during adoption hours.  (Of course, this is dependent on everything being healthy and ready for them... which we are anticipating will be done.  I will not leave them if there's a doubt... promise!)

We've re-shifted the Jeffersons back to the upstairs bathroom.  It's just easier to work around the bigger numbers with them up there for now.  They will get possession of the foster room when the Adams leave for Petco.

I'll take lots of pictures in the meantime, but I need the rest of my time/strength/sanity to deal with my kids' schedules and sick kittens.  If there is news to be shared, I will do so on the Facebook page and in updates at the end of this post.

I plan to be back on Monday with a super-size edition to get you back up to speed.

Kelly

PS--- R-word results remain negative until we hear differently (which I do not expect at this point).  F-word situation is much improved.  Kittens show no signs.  Big guys received Capstar and I've vacuumed/sprayed/laundered the bejeebers out of our surroundings for the past two days.  If they're not gone, they will be soon.  :-)

PPS--- I've been promised a major break when the dust settles (and only the Jeffersons here after Henry and the girls are healthy).  So this is just a ten day push to make sure my baby has a place to heal.  It's worth it to make sure he is okay.

Cruzie Tuesie (Well, Kind Of...)

As you'll recall, our Miss Mally had issues with Cruz cramping her style in yesterday's Mally Monday post.  So little brother took matters into his own hands for today's post.

Seems to me that I remember another brown tabby who insisted upon chomping on the camera lens...

Dear Henry Washington had similar tastes.

And speaking of the Washingtons...

Eloise and Porter were adopted over the weekend!!!!!

Our teeny tiny tabby princess Eloise was adopted on Saturday.  

After weeks of waiting at Petco, Eloise finally met her match.

"When will they ever come for me??"

Wheezy's new mama brought in her two sons, 10 and 13 years old, to pick just the right kitten for their family.  The boys spent close to an hour carefully handling and interacting with the girl kittens (it had to be a girl) and thought our Eloise might be just the one.  They spent another hour alone with Eloise... petting, playing, snuggling, cuddling, and falling in love.  It was a done deal.

Bye Bye, big girl.  Don't forget to write.

Our sweet baby Porter (aka Porkchop) went home on Sunday.

Our gentle little lamb found the perfect new mama.  She's an older lady who lives alone and was looking for someone special to keep her company.  She found two special someones.... Porter's new buddy Danny from Petco went home with him to be his new kitty brother.

"I hope their feet smell better than yours do, Lady."

Porter's new mama lives very close to Paula, the lady who runs the rescue.  She has already invited us over to visit Porter whenever we like.  I'm sure we'll be hearing more about our boy in the future.

I can't wait to see more of him as he grows.

That just leaves one Washington at Petco...

What on earth is taking Henry's family so long to find him???

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Health Update

The Adams kittens visited the vet on Monday for their 8-week-old vaccines.  Thankfully, they were all big enough to get a dose of Capstar while they were there (okay, Hudson was technically one ounce too small but they fudged it).  The dreaded f-word should be on its way out of our house now.

Right before we left, I sanitized and sprayed down their room with a flea treatment.  We stayed gone until the Capstar had done the deed.  Each one of the kittens appeared to be clear of hitchhikers on Monday evening.  Think good thoughts that the spray keeps the bugs away.

After coming home, I vacuumed/sanitized/sprayed the rest of the house room by room.  Beds have been stripped, sheets washed in hot water, animal beds and toys washed and freshened.  The spray says it kills fleas/eggs/larvae on contact for seven months.  I'll settle for a couple weeks when everyone can have another dose of Frontline.  Just in case, I plan to sprinkle some diatomaceous earth into the carpets, upholstery, and litter boxes in the morning to keep any new friends from visiting.

The permanent residents have been on regular Frontline since late winter, so they should be in the clear.  Mother Jefferson and the midgets cleared a round with the flea comb.  Good news is good news.  Just hope the news continues to be good...

Tuesday Morning Edit

I should have thought to give an r-word update while I was typing last night.  The fungal culture that the vet's office is running on Norman and Charlie takes 7-10 days to produce an accurate result.  I'm told that the r-word generally grows quickly and that most positive results become clear by day 3 or 4.  We are on day 8 and the test still reads negative.  The vet says he is inclined to believe it will remain negative, but will not feel safe to call it an absolute negative until the end of the week.  In the meantime, Norman's spot is growing its fur back (which would make me believe it's negative).  Charlie's is not yet, but the swelling is going down and the skin color has returned to normal (another good sign).  I'm just hanging on for another few days...

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Moving On Down...

Mother Jefferson and the kittens left the upstairs bathroom Monday evening... and moved on down to the master bathroom instead.  (They will be moving into the front foster room once I'm certain that all of the bugs have checked out of the hotel and that the Adams clan is clear to move to the family room).

The kittens started by exploring a Charlie bed, lining the floor of the open shower.

Mama Isabel wasn't certain that she approved of this set up.

"No... This won't do.  It won't do at all."

Apparently 3-week-old kittens can climb out of a Charlie bed on the floor of the open shower.

It didn't take Mama long to relocate the babies.

You've got it... they're on the floor of the linen closet.

Willie Rae had all sorts of complaints.

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Tuesday appears to be a long, interesting day.

The kids have the day off from school for a teacher professional development day.

(I know... on a TUESDAY???)

I've promised to spend part of the day shopping for a 10th grader's dress for the Homecoming dance.

Dear Lord, help me to return with most of my marbles.

The rest of the day will be at football practice and a soccer game.

If I don't make it back to post tomorrow, here's a video of Mama and the munchkins to tide you over...

  

Mally Monday

Princess Malibu of the Cat Tree

 Shows off her dainty, slender neck

 And her beautiful striped stockings with the long, white toes

"AHEM... Did someone say 'Cruzie Monday'??  You just slither back down that post, Mister."

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Our Sunday?  Well, it sucked.

The vacuum sucked and sucked.  The carpet cleaner sucked and sucked.

We found young fleas on the Adams kits again.  Much fewer numbers (I could count them on one hand), much weaker fleas, but fleas none-the-less.  I have not found them on the Jeffersons or the permanent residents, but I'm still frustrated.  Everyone got a bath with Pert Plus and an extending combing session.  We're back to the vet on Monday for their 8 week shots.  I'll demand a dose of Capstar for those who are big enough for it.

I'm also thinking of expanding the weapons in my repertoire.... Anyone out there have hints as to where I can find food-grade DE?  (Never mind, I found it online at Home Depot and my local store has 9 bags.  Guess who will be stopping by after physical therapy this morning?  If you know a cheaper/better source though, I'd love to hear about it)

This postpones our plans to shuffle the fosters around the house.  Mother Jefferson will stay in the bathroom instead of moving into the foster room while we get things under control.  

ARRRRRRRRRRRRG!  I know fostering isn't supposed to be easy.  But can't it just be easy once?  

My husband is gone this week and my kids are going non-stop as the fall sports season rumbles along.  If I disappear from the blog for a day or two, don't worry.  I haven't run away.  I've just contemplated it 46 more times than usual, that's all.

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And upstairs in the bathroom...

No trace of fleas (hallelujah!)

But we do have ears starting to move

On kittens who are starting to move

And would like to be out of the linen closet, thank you very much.

Just ask Lionel.

Mother Jefferson is doing a wonderful job raising her babies.  They are fat and happy and apparently pest-free.  The changes from day-to-day are dramatic.  Over the weekend, the kittens went from mewing little blobs who were only interested in eating and sleeping to curious little creatures who want to know what's going on whenever I enter their room.  They crowd the "gate" (otherwise known as the side of a produce crate) and peer over the top to see me.  It's awesome.

The first sibling-on-sibling wrestling matches have occurred, although it's hard to get an all-out three ring circus going in a linen closet.  

Also, there's real blue in their eyes and I can see the differentiation between the pupil and the iris of their eyes.  It's like they've graduated from five baby furballs to five real, live kittens.

Monday is their 3-week birthday.  Hard to believe they've been with us for so long.

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QUICK UPDATE (With a longer, more detailed one promised for tomorrow)

I received word this afternoon that Eloise and Porter were adopted over the weekend!!!  Not together, as I would have preferred, but both to fabulous homes.  I couldn't have wished better for either of them, knowing how it ended up for them.  I'll have the in-depth report on Tuesday.

Five for Friday

Also known as "The Misadventures of Trying to Get Five Kittens to Cooperate for Photos"

Willie Rae, Florence, Clay, Lionel, and Roxie line up for a family photo.

We start with 4/5 of the family kind of looking in the right direction...

And then it all goes downhill from there.

Nope...

That won't do...

Not quite...

Lionel, get off your sister.

This isn't what I had in mind.

This either.

Hey.... it's not naptime yet.

"Lionel wanted to take a nap!"

Umm.... Clay?  Where are you going, Clay?

Florence?  You and Clay need to get back in line, please.

Well, now this is really getting out of hand.

I'm tired just watching them.

No wonder Mother Jefferson keeps trying to escape.

Goals for This Weekend:

1.  Get more photos of Mother Jefferson

(who is always too busy rubbing on my legs to be bothered to pose)

2. Shuffle the fosters to get the Jeffersons out of the bathroom.

3.  Take a nap

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Oh Look, It's a Basket!

You know I'm tired (make that mentally and physically exhausted... big shout out to back-to-school complete with THREE school open houses, fall sports season, and life in general) when:

A. I fall asleep on the sofa at 8:30 p.m. and continue to sleep there until 6 a.m. the next morning when my husband turns on all of the lights and starts yelling at the kids to get out of bed (Hmmm... I wonder when they actually went to bed last night.  I'm just not asking that question)

B. I mentally compose an entire post about the Adams kittens discovering Eloise's basket yesterday afternoon and spent quite a bit of time taking pictures of them enjoying said basket (you remember this one, right?)

And then when I upload the photos to Blogger at 6:30 on Thursday morning because I took a really long nap last night, I discover that it's not the same freaking basket!!!

So anyway.... here's a bunch of pictures of the kiddos in a basket.  Enjoy :-)

"Hey Look, Shelby.... It's a basket!"

"Bentley likes this basket.  Bentley claims this basket and will call it 'Bentleyland' "

"Hi Lady! Please focus your camera better next time. The picture will be much cuter."

"Bentleyland, Schmentleyland.  Hudson will sit in the basket if he wants to sit in the basket."

"Excuse me, pardon me... Shelby's coming through."

"Hudson will teach you to walk all over him while he is enjoying a basket.  HE GET YOUR TAIL!"

**chaos ensues**

"NOW look what you did!!!"

"HEY!  What happened to Bentleyland?"

"Bentleyland??  I thought we were calling it Shelbyville."

"Possession is 9/10s of the law."

"And I'm not getting out, so there."

"Cruzie isn't getting into this argument."

"Cruzie will, however, have a snack.  This basket is delicious."

The following morning when the Lady wakes up from her several hour long nap on the sofa, she spied something through the door.

It appears the kittens have reached some sort of agreement and, perhaps, have learned to share.

A basket full of tuxies!

Everything's better with a brother.