2015: State of the Kitties

Patient Zero, budding artist

Patient Zero
Status: Adopted
Now named Subzero, this feisty little guy was my first catch of the year. He now owns a human named Angel and is appropriately worshiped.


Number One and Caramel
Status: Adopted
Under the new assumed names of Sable and Carmy, these two cuddled their way right into Sue's heart, her bed and pretty much everything in her house. It's actually their house now, but they let Sue stay because she gives good snuggles, has thumbs and is experienced at opening cans.


Cheeto and Dorito

Caramel, Isolde, Scully, Cheeto and Dorito

Status: Adopted
These ginger brothers were rather hard to tell apart, so it's good that they went to a new home together. They now live with a nice lady who found her house to be devoid of cats. The boys have fixed that.


Isolde
Status: Adopted 
This tabby darling is now the sweetheart of a boy named Tristan. But, it's not going to work out like in the story, because that would be weird.

Edgar Allen and Montressor

Status: Adopted

Edgar and Montressor came from the Halloween trio of black kittens who all won themselves Poe names. This pair of brothers was adopted by a pair of sisters and collectively, I imagine they are plotting some world domination or maybe eating tuna and finishing homework, respectively.

Annabel Lee and Lenore

Status: Adopted / Returned / Adopted Again

Both of these girls had a rough time before they were fostered. Annabel so underweight that we really concerned for her health and Lenore with a tail so broken that it had to be amputated. Their first home didn't work out because they helped their new dad rediscover his asthma. After a brief stint back at the Kittenasium, a home was found for them that was just right. Annabel can live on Jennifer's face and chest while Lenore can chill with Justin. It's working out nicely.

Catherine Earnshaw and Linton

Status: Adopted

Catherine and Linton were a sibling pair that just would not be parted. Thankfully, they found a family who was totally ok with that.

Heathcliff

Status: Adopted

Mina and Dorian

Now known as Jake, this little ginger fella is enjoying life with his new moms. He is being spoiled rotten with a ton of new toys and is working on winning his way into the heart of his older adopted sister kitty, who still isn't too sure of his intentions.

Mina Harker and Dorian Grey

Status: Adopted

The inseparable pair of siblings arrived and left together. Mina was aggressively friendly and like to hang out on faces. Dorian was cool just hanging out next to humans. Thankfully they found a new mom and dad who adopted them together so they continue their madcap adventures and hardcore naps together.

Allen Quatermain... waiting

Allen Quatermain

Status: Fostering

This grey and white little fella isn't too sure about people still, but he came from the mean streets behind a 24 hour Checkers. We're still trying to convince him that people are swell and have nice food for him. Right now, he really likes it under my bed.

Scully

Status: Foster Failure / Adopted 
After taking the professional name of Scully, the kitten formerly known as Rolo decided she liked Kristen the Cat Lady rather a bit and wanted to keep sleeping on her pillow. So, there she stayed. Seriously, she's still there, on my pillow. I think the whole bed may be hers now, but she lets me sleep there... for now.

Kitler

Status: Back from Meowschpringe

Hopefully for good this time. This cow kitty needs to stop falling out of first floor windows. He's still pretty sure everyone is going to murder him, but he now contemplates his paranoia in the same room as guests. People now can believe that Kitler really exists.

Neville

Status: King of his Castle

Neville is large, in charge, and as friendly as can be. I see none of this changing.

Overview: By the Numbers

• Housecats at beginning of 2015: 2
• Housecats at end of 2015: 3
• Fosterlings: 17
• Fosterlings adopted: 16
• Remaining fosters from 2015: 1
• Litterboxes: 5
• Toys on sticks that survived the year: 4
• Toys on sticks that did not survive the year: 3
• Happy Kristen hearts: 1

Holiday Adoptions

Mina Harker and Dorian Grey

Mina and Dorian have been adopted together and will be picked up tomorrow by a lovely couple. I am so very happy this bonded pair of siblings will get to stay together.

Until then, Mina is busily spending as much time as possible on my face and overlapping my personal space. I'm fine with this right up until the time she puts her nose inside my nose. Currently, she is sitting on my shoulder like a terrible parrot while I type this.

This makes it pretty hard to type, you know. I put up with a lot.

Heathcliff

Heathcliff was adopted and picked up by his new moms today. He's settling into his new digs and even sent me the following 'letter' and selfie:

Hey foster mommie! I have had a full day...lots of new places n sounds. I am a lil skidish but am being a good boy. I just had dinner and played with a fishing pole toy n gettn used to my new digs. I will keep u posted. I hope u arent sad!

Well, this may be the first time I have received a letter from a cat, but I do hope it isn't the last. This little fella was such a sweetheart and I can't even begin to say how happy I am that he has such a loving new home.

Happy holidays!

Friday Night Vet Night!

It was a action packed adventure night for Madam Lenore and Mr Edgar Linton. Lenore was already scheduled to visit the fine folks at Westchase Veterinary for a post-op check and Linton got a unexpected trip right with her.

Here's the run down of my hot Friday night date night:

Lenore

Lenore is awesome. She's happy. She purrs like a motor and her wounds are healing just fine. She's also an escape artist who can untie a double bow and take off her own collar. Seriously, it's like she has thumbs. She gets to spend a few more days in the Bathroom of Chill before returning to Gen Pop.

Linton

Linton came from a litter of kittens that had a rough start. However, since intake his siblings are thriving, whereas he is not. All three kittens came in with diarrhea but after intake medications were applied, his siblings got better. Linton, not so much. He also was favoring a paw and limping, but it was thought that might be a slight sprain and I was told to let it heal for a few days and see what happened. Well, it didn't get better.

So, with bloated belly, diarrhea, a limp and and extremely inflamed anus (which, might someday make for a solid punk band name), Linton got the go-ahead to get a checkup. In short, he's a sick kitty. He's dehydrated, likely has an infection lurking in his digestive system, has a joint that might be permanently damaged, and for the time being he has a very ouchy backside. I'll be kind and not include a photo of that.

This has won Linton a private, all expenses paid, convalescent retreat in the middle of beautiful Tampa, Florida. His quarters include a snuggly afghan, a private bath and private dining quarters. He will also enjoy toys that shall not be stolen by his siblings and he shan't be pounced upon by a soul until he is feeling a bit better.

His luxurious quarters are the inside of a very large dog crate in my living room. Additionally, tonight I learned that disposable lasagna pans make decent insta-litterboxes.

Linton's treatment plan consists of:

• Sub-cutaneous fluids administered at the vet office. I got to watch a kitten leak extra fluid. That was... unique.
• Metronidazole (anti-diarrheal medication) and Albon (sulfadimethoxine, an antibiotic used to treat coccidia infections which are a common cause of severe diarrhea) mix, administered twice daily in .5 ml doses.
• Buprenex (pain medication) administered one every 12 hours in a .3 ml dose.
• Rest
• Snuggles

Blessedly, both medications are delivered by oral route, so I don't need to make him more miserable by shoving solid objects down his throat or... inserted by other means. 

Linton goes back in 7 days for a re-check where we'll also culture up a stool sample and see what's cooking in his insides. Hopefully, his inflamed wrist is also a result of infection and the swelling will be reduced by then so we can figure out what is going on in the joint. 

Wuthering Heights and the Joys of Foster Kitten Intake

So, intake is not my favorite part of fostering kittens. Many of our kittens come in as strays and from feral colonies, so they are not in pristine condition when they arrive. The reality generally is that you open a carrier to find a bunch of filthy kittens that are infested with fleas, have swollen wormy stomachs and stink of urine and feces. Yay! They are also generally terrified which makes the process of intake even more "exciting".

Last night I did the full intake for the new Wuthering Heights Kittens, thankfully with the help of several friends. Doing an intake by yourself is hard. It is also way more stressful. Having someone you can hand off the kitten to when you finish bathing it is really, really helpful. They can dry the kitten and you can dry yourself.

So, here's a bit about these kittens and then an overview of my intake process for new foster kittens.

On the Naming of Cats: The newest fosters are a litter of three kittens who don't look like they go together. Approximately 7 weeks old the new kittens are:

• Heathcliff: Orange and white male tabby. Very active. Not food aggressive, but very vocal while eating. Some stray and feral cats growl while they are eating, not as a sign of aggression, but more as a sign of enjoyment. This can really freak people out because they make some crazy sounds. He was hissy and growly at first, but is socializing nicely.
• Catherine Earnshaw: Brown medium hair tabby female. She's gorgeous and very floofy. Slightly timid at first, but now when I open the sliding glass door to the Kittenarium, she is the first one trying to jam her way inside. She has a very wildcat look about her. 
• Linton: All black male with some medium length fur. He's the most timid of the bunch but is well mannered and fairly gentle. This kitten is very observant and is very interested in human activity. He currently has a bit of a limp and may have a sprained or strained ankle. If it isn't better in a day or two, he'll get looked at by a professional.

Here's how intake generally goes:

• Step 1: Get the kitten. Fish a squirming kitten out of a box or carrier without scaring it overmuch and without too many new wounds to yourself. Do not smell the kitten.
• Step 2: Triage. Give the kitten a brief triage style exam, looking for obvious problems. Mostly, I call it checking the holes- checking the status of all openings that are supposed to be there and looking for openings that at not supposed to be there.
• Step 3: Make a plan. Based on triage, what does the kitten need.
• Step 4: Bath time. Bathing a kitten that has just been received is a process that can be rewarding in the end, but is often pretty revolting and stressful. There will be a lot of stuff on the kitten that shouldn't be there and needs to be washed off. The kitten is not down with water. I usually recommend having a human buddy for the first bath. I try to keep my goals simple: don't drown the kitten, rinse until the water runs clear, use water temps that won't cause hypothermia or scalding, try to keep the kitten in the sink, try to get soap on most of the kitten and try to get soap off all of the kitten when you are done. Additionally, keep flicking fleas that are climbing onto the kitten's head to avoid water into the drain. 
• Step 5: Dry kitten and administer forcible loving. Wrap that kitten like a burrito or swaddle it like the Christ child. Keep all legs inside the towel. Rub gently, snuggle often. Aim for purring and a mostly dry kitten.
• Step 6: Medicate. Apply flea treatment and dose with Tape Tabs, Pyratel for worming and Marquis Paste to prevent Coccidia (protozoa that causes diarrhea).
• Step 7: Naptime. Put the kitten into a nice clean place with a litter box, food, water and a den for sleeping and hiding. The kitten will likely partake in all of those activities immediately.

Paint me like one of your French kittens