Tigger Thursday

Just in case you missed it... We're famous!  Connie at Tails from the Foster Kittens included us in her series "Interview with a Fosterer" yesterday.  Click the link to read all about it.

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Mother Jefferson made the trip to the vet Wednesday to be spayed.  I learned a few very important things about her throughout the experience...

The first thing is that she apparently was an opera singer before the kiddos were born.  She had quite a bit to say along the drive, but it was all quite musical and pleasant sounding.  I hope her forever family will encourage this talent and help her get back into the business.

The second is that our kind sweet Mama remains a kind sweet Mama even under the stress of a veterinarian's office and surgical procedure.  She shocked the techs by refusing to give them "tortie tude" even once during the day.   She purred coming out of the anesthesia and was interested in playing and eating almost immediately.

The third is that our Mama wants to be a Mama, no matter what.  The vet recommended that we separate Mama from Lionel and Willie Rae for a couple of days to allow her to recover in peace, so we relocated the babies into the main house (allowing them some wandering time, but putting them in a bedroom for the evening).  Mother Jefferson, ignoring her physical condition, spent her first few hours home at the glass door to the foster room.  She meowed loudly, knocked on the door, tried to paw her way out, and bounced as if she were riding a pogo stick.... right up to the moment that we gave her babies back.  Lionel and Willie Rae ran to Mama, who gave them both thorough inspections and baths.  She flopped over to nurse them and then they settled into a cat bed to sleep through the night.

She is such a good Mama.  

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With Mother Jefferson gone for the day, I opened up the door to the foster room and allowed Lionel and Willie Rae to have their freedom.  After a few shaky, fraidy cat moments, they blossomed into brave adventurous kittens.  They ran and jumped and played for hours.  After a few hours, Willie Rae went back into the foster room and called loudly for Lionel.  When he arrived, they cuddled up in a sunny spot and took a nice long nap.

I didn't take pictures yesterday because I was having too much fun with the babies.  But there was a song running through my head all day that I thought I might set to pictures....

Oh, the

wonderful thing about kittens

is kittens are wonderful things!

Their tops are made out of rubber.

Their bottoms are made out of springs.

They're bouncy,

trouncy,

flouncy,

pouncy,

Fun,

fun,

fun,

fun,

FUN!!!

But the most wonderful thing about kittens

is that there's always another one!

Always..... another one!

The earworm

You're welcome

Tuxies on Tuesday

Hold on... Hold on... I know you're all excited to get to the Teeny Tiny Tuxies, but first we have TONS of news and a quandry.  First the news....

BENNY GOT ADOPTED!!!!!!!

"Who? ME?"

Our sweet lover boy Ben got a home of his very own on Sunday afternoon.  After coming in runner-up to three different families on Saturday (who obviously didn't deserve him anyway), Ben charmed his way into a lovely lady's heart and went home with her.  He has older kitty siblings and a new Mama who is obviously very smitten.  I got there just in time to smother Benny with goodbye kisses (which might have made the new Mama just a tad bit jealous... but he was just as happy when I turned him over to her)

Have a wonderful life, my dear sweet boy.

AND AN UPDATE...

Penny's new mom and dad report that they are completely over the moon about their new calico princess (as if there was any doubt).  The phrase they used had something to do with giving her up over their dead bodies.

"You were worried that I would somehow disappoint them?  Pfft.  I've got them wrapped around my little toe bean."

AND MORE NEWS...

Henry and Porter made the trek to Petco on Saturday.  Henry moved right in, found a bunch of playmates, and basically took over the joint.  He wowed a couple potential adopters within the first hour.  Our Henry is going to be just fine.

"Well, duh..."

Sweet, timid Porter had the opposite reaction.  He crammed himself into the back of the carrier and needed to be pulled out.  He shook like a leaf in the arms of anyone who tried to hold him.  Our rescue director Paula even took him around the store to look at the fish and birds... he still trembled and wanted nothing to do with the place.  She tucked him into a comfy bed in the the display and covered most of him with a soft blanket (where he stayed and hid).

But something remarkable happened... Eloise (who had her own issues with being at Petco and was still a bit bothered by the whole thing) was in my arms when she saw Porter being put into the cubicle.  She suddenly became exceptionally determined to leave me... clawing, climbing, leaping to the wire door that had Porter on the other side.  We put her in with her brother, where Wheezy started purring immediately, curled up in Porter's stomach, gave him a few kisses and then went directly to sleep.  Porter, who had only arrived an hour earlier, was still scared but relaxed considerably with Eloise as a companion.

I'm thinking that I would like these two to be adopted together and I do have final say as to whether they are adopted separately or with a partner, and which partner they go with.  On Sunday when I came for a quick visit, it was free play time for the boy kittens (who were on the loose in the room behind the display).  I was greeted by a much more confident Porter... happy to see me, wanting a hug, tail high in the air.  But then Henry got a much more interesting game going and Porter needed to go play with the guys.  Eloise was happy to see me, too.   Miss Crankypants demanded that I let her out of her cubicle and snuggle her...  with a great big purr.

I checked in on them again on Monday (told you I was a worrier).  They're doing better and better.

AND EVEN MORE NEWS... AND A QUANDRY...

Um... How shall I put this politely?  Our Henry has become a man.  His integration at Petco was quick and easy... and then he decided that perhaps his sister should be a little easy?

"You wouldn't BELIEVE what Henry tried to do to Eloise!"

Our Petco shelter display usually allows for free roaming throughout all of the cubicle for all of the kittens.  Let's just say that our babies are now segregated by gender while we wait for the vet clinic to open again on Tuesday.  The plan is for Henry, Porter, and Baz (all of the remaining unneutered boys) to visit this week.  Which brings me to our quandry...

I volunteered to collect the boys and taxi them to and from the vet.  I was also offered the chance to bring them home again for a night or two to recuperate after their surgeries... which I desperately want to do just to be able to snuggle my boys for another couple days.  But I am concerned about Porter's reaction if he gets to come home and then has to go back to Petco.  Any suggestions or gut reactions?

Let's see... What was I forgetting?  OH!  The TUXIES!!!

Two terrific tiny tuxies.  One gray, one black.  Both fabulous.

Itty bitty baby gray tuxie Hudson is a fluffy powder puff of love.

When he isn't snuggling with his stuffed puppy mama substitute, Hudson can usually be found somewhere near his sister Malibu.

Snuggling or kicking butt... Hudson and Malibu stick together.

Sweet baby Hudson always manages to look surprised at the day's events.

And yet he keeps a slender little belly stripe surprise mostly to himself.

(He was here for almost a week before I saw it!)

Black tuxie brother Bentley is, how can I say this kindly, a character.  He might be best explained by letting you in on the fact that Bentley is the Henry of the Adams litter.

Bentley is the first to greet you at the door, the first to climb in your lap, and the first to...

Chomp... fingers or toes, it doesn't really matter.

But Bentley really likes fingers.

Stay tuned tomorrow for Womenfolk Wednesday... and ANOTHER update.  ;-)

And Away They Go...

Thursday was a gut-wrenching, roller coaster type of day here at Teeny Tiny Tabby Town.  We spent our morning getting ready to say goodbye to some of our first foster kittens ever.  Three kittens were determined ready to make the trek to Petco.

We always knew our Benny would be one of the first to go.  Handsome, outgoing, strong, and healthy... Ben exudes confidence and was more than ready.  He did not disappoint.  Benny entered the kitten area in the store as if he had always been there... had a snack and used the litter box within the first few minutes before meeting the ladies in residence without a single issue.  Our floofy boy is ready and calmly waiting for his forever family.

Surprisingly enough, Baz went along for the ride.  He had become Benny's shadow the past couple days, so we thought it might be worth a try to send him on the same day.  Baz the Tasmanian Devil went back to Petco calmly and sweetly.  He didn't make a fuss when he first arrived, or when I left him there, or when I came back for a visit that evening.  He's a different cat than when I met him on Monday.  ((That being said, I am on call this weekend to return for him if he goes back to his devilish ways))

This one hurt the most.  Little baby Eloise also said goodbye.  It was the right thing to do and it was the right time, but she didn't make it easy on me.  I would have wished that our sweet, demure princess waved goodbye and confidently took her first steps toward finding her forever home.

Miss Eloise Crankypants made the trip instead.  She hid in the carrier and had to be pulled out.  She hissed and growled at the other kittens at Petco (even Ben!).  She picked a comfy bed and trembled there until I left.  I worried about her so much that I went back after dinner to check on her.  She seemed a bit better, but still was decidedly unhappy.  I'm hoping that when I bring Henry and Porter to join the party on Saturday, my Wheeze will be adjusted to her new surroundings.

Yep... two more goodbyes this weekend.  Sigh....

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But When You Give Your Fosters Back, You Get More...

I just wasn't expecting it to happen right away... Meet Clyde (quite possibly the most incredibly gorgeous hunk of man cat I have ever seen)

When our rescue received the call about Clyde, we were told he was a six-month-old kitten who belonged to the neighbors that moved... and left him behind in the backyard.  Our director had the callers drop him off at our vets to be checked, vaccinated, and neutered so we could bring him straight to Petco.  Imagine our surprise when we learned that Clyde is closer to 2-years-old instead.  This created a problem since the current adult cat in residence at Petco will tolerate kittens but not other adults.  So...

Clyde is a short-termer, living in my family room until a spot opens up for him at Petco.

He brought his fox-tail with him.  I can't be sure, but I think his tail might account for half of Clyde's nearly 8-pound weight.

He is a trusting lover boy who enjoys human companionship and is happy to be here with us.  

I'm glad he's here too.

Hey... I gave up three kittens and only took in one more cat.  That equals TWO steps in the right direction.

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And Last, But Not Least...

Our final kitten of the Adams litter... Here's Shelby (named for the Shelby Mustang)

Shelby is our confident and chatty conventional calico baby.  Our girl always has something to say.  Shelby attempted to leave the foster room yesterday and met Charlie in the doorway... and I'm still kicking myself for not having the camera ready.  85-pound dog gently sniffing a palm-sized kittens, who refused to don her floof suit... ridiculously adorable.

I'd say those words just about sum her up perfectly... ridiculously adorable.

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Have a great weekend, everyone.  I'll be back on Tuesday with two more goodbye stories (sob) and lots of new stories about the teenier set.

Oh yeah... and Tuesday's the first day of school too.

Why yes... I am the parent that dances down the aisles while shopping for school supplies.  It's been a long summer.

Pardon the Interruption

Okay... so as you all know, Friday was supposed to be Henry's big day on the blog.  As seems to be the case each and every time that it is our Henry's turn, life intervened in a big way to make the expected somewhat more difficult and the unexpected the big news of the day.  With so much news to share, I humbly beg Henry's forgiveness as we will be postponing his featured spotlight day until Monday.

"Henry is beginning to feel... unloved and most definitely not the favorite.  It is a very good thing that you lock Henry in a separate room while you sleep."  

(If Henry only knew how I really feel... He might talk me into never letting him go)

Thursday afternoon was the big vet appointment that we've all been waiting for... you know, the one where all of our kittens were declared totally free from the dreaded ringworm and healthy enough for adoption.  Well.....

WE ARE RINGWORM FREE!!

WOO HOO!!!!  100 PERCENT RINGWORM FREE... SAYONARA, SUCKER!  DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU ON THE WAY OUT!

Photo re-blogged from Oso de Madre, who re-blogged from Piss and Vinegar

But....

UM.... HOUSTON?  WE HAVE A PROBLEM...

4 kittens may be ringworm free, but we do not have 4 kittens ready to leave our nest yet.  One, and only one, kitten was cleared to go to Petco this weekend... and it's not the one you might be expecting.  They are all adoptable and will all be added to Petfinder on Friday and made available for adoption, but due to various issues cannot be exposed to the Petco crowd for a while.  I may or may not be doing a secret happy dance at getting to keep my babies around for a bit longer.

Before you get the specifics, let's recap our adventure...

Four kittens loaded up and made their way to our fabulous veterinarian's office.  Three kittens decided they were interested in seeing the outside of the carrier.  One chose to stay where he was, thank you very much.

Kitten craziness pervaded every corner of the room.  They showed off their incredible floor-to-counter and counter-to-counter leaping ability.  Ben thought about trying a counter-to-ceiling jump, but thankfully thought better of it.  Porter remained in the carrier, thank you very much.

He eventually came out, but only if I promised to hold him.  ((If this photo had been taken a split-second sooner, you would see two back feet on the table, two front feet wrapped around my neck, and a kitten head buried in my chest... Oh how I love my timid boy))

THE VITAL STATISTICS WE ALL CRAVE

Ben     6 pounds, 2 ounces

Porter     6 pounds (even)

Henry     5 pounds, 10 ounces    

Eloise     3 pounds, 1 ounce

I was thrilled today that MY vet was there.  You know how it is to have a vet that you connect with and completely trust?  Well, she wasn't in the office on the day that I brought my kittens home (July 2nd)... and she was in the surgical suite on the day I brought the babies in for their ringworm diagnosis (July 5th)... and she wasn't in the office 2 1/2 weeks ago when I took the kittens in for their upper respiratory infections.  She has been there for me every step of the way (offering immense support and advice between visits) but she had never even seen my babies yet.  She came to a few interesting conclusions...

Conclusion #1... Probably not sister and brother (at least not by blood)

A. Their sizes are just too far off and always have been.  We were going on the word of a hoarder that didn't keep good records.  Chances are that our Eloise was switched with Tika (the Henry look-alike at Petco).  And I am not sorry the mistake was made.

B. Henry's dental development when compared to Eloise's makes him several weeks older than she is.

C. When they were rescued from the "rescue" in July, we went on the assumption that Henry and Eloise were littermates and only Feline Leukemia tested one of them (Henry).  Eloise had her own test this afternoon and came out blissfully negative.

Conclusion #2... None of them are the ages we thought they were and their birthdates are (probably) a mess.

Our original thought about the fearsome foursome's birth order (again, going off the records of a hoarder/"rescue") was Porter as the oldest, Ben a few weeks younger, and Henry and Eloise two weeks younger still.

After examining their teeth (over and over again to be sure), the vet questions ALL of this.  True, kitten teeth develop at individual rates just like human teeth.  But also, just like human teeth, there is a general pattern and usual pace and order to their dental development.  If we were to go off their teeth, HENRY is the oldest kitten in the bunch and might be older than we thought.  He is the only one with all of his adult teeth.  

Ben is still considered the second child, with Porter and Eloise taking up the rear.  In fact, our little Ellie Belly might be so much smaller because her teeth place her as being roughly three weeks younger than the first vet thought she was.

"See??  There's a reason I'm so teeny.  I'm just a BABY!!!"

Conclusion #3... One of them is still fighting an mild upper respiratory and needs to stay home with me to finish another ten-day round of antibiotics.

I'm not one bit upset that my love staying with me.  I am upset that our Henry started wheezing again on Tuesday.  The vet decided he's big enough to try Batril this time, which should knock the last traces of this illness out of him.

Conclusion #4... Two of them are still fighting a goopy eye and really shouldn't leave for Petco until it clears up.

Shocker, huh?  I am happy to keep Porter, as was the original plan, to work a bit more on friendly hand touches.  This does get more challenging, however, when I need to dose him with Tobramycin drops three times a day.

"Where's the other goopy eye kitten?"

That would be you, Ben.  One more week of kitten snuggles for me!

Conclusion #5:  Our one and only kitten cleared to go to Petco is the wee baby of the family.

She's not going either.  We're going to wait until Porter and Ben are done with their eye drops and send the first pair then.  Ellie's not going by herself and that's all there is to it.  So they are all still with me for another week... and I am ever so happy to postpone the tears that I know I will shed when it's time to send them to their forever homes.

If someone finds them on Petfinder before they are ready to go to Petco, they will be made available for adoption as long as the adopter is willing to medicate and keep the kitten(s) separate from their own animals for the time being.  But I'm trusting that the karma that keeps stalling kittens at my house will work for another week or two.

IN THE MEANTIME...

The kittens are sleeping off their new round of vaccinations. 

"Henry thought he put out the Do Not Disturb sign."

We indulged in lots of stinky cat food.

We broke out the new kitten beds to celebrate the end of ringworm.  Hooray for no fungus among us!  ((Henry was the only one willing to try it... brats!))

No pictures of it, but Eloise got the all clear to roam the house for a short time Thursday evening.  She sat on my shoulder during Project Runway, watched the fish swim, played with a few cat toys,  tried to climb into the fireplace, and was thoroughly sniffed over by Charlie.  Not one hiss, from her or the adult cats.  The boys are j.e.a.l.o.u.s.

Have a great weekend, everyone.