I don’t think calling her Castaway is doing her any favors and blame it on my over-exhausted mentality of late. I am thinking of calling her Jedi. I want her to have a strong name one she can live up to and hopefully grow old with.
We finally had poop yesterday but it wasn’t easy. On the advice of my feline specialist- and I love…love…love Dr. Vicki Thayer! I gave Jedi a small enema (2 cc’s of warm water twice daily) After that she produced poo for me but it didn’t look or smell normal. But fingers are still crossed and prayers being said that Jedi will make it through to her first birthday.
She has finally gotten the hang of the feeding procedure. The bottles- they do not make nipples that are newborn kitty friendly at all- so I was using the small feeding syringes. She is now eagerly taking the food from me.
Petco contacted me the other day and I am now in their database! They have a wonderful program where they collect donated items from the customers and divvy them up between the non-profit groups in the area. I get to go in every Tuesday and collect cat food! Along with every can of food is a cat toy and I am so relieved. Sometimes I wonder what in the world I am doing here? Especially during kitten season when everyone gets hits so bad with abandoned kittens, mismanaged litters, stray cats, toms, increasing the load on the resident cats, the finances, the mental stability of the rescuers. Who would even choose to do this? But this is my path and this new contribution of food will help so much on some of that load. I understand now why when you shop at Petco or Petsmart and they ask you if you want to “round up” or donate a can of food to an organization where it all goes.
Here was the first donation. The box is quite deep and I am smiling at the amount of cat food and other goodies hidden in the depth
God Bless Petco!
I also want to thank those of you who voted for me in the shelter contest. I know sometimes it was a bit of a struggle because the website seemed to be having issues, but thanks for hanging in there and doing your part. I will let you know if I actually win anything at all.
Also wish to express my thanks to those of you who contribute in other ways to my cats. The private emails when I am at my wits end, the dollars donated when the “Kitty” is going broke. Words cannot express the gratitude I feel for all of you in so many different parts of this nation helping me out.
Glory Bee was adopted over the weekend and there are a few hits of interest on Google who jumped off the kitten train yesterday and got spayed. It is always interesting that some cats respond so differently to the drugs they are given. She was supposed to stay quiet, not jump, run around- but no one told her. I put her in the cage when she got home and she pitched such a fit! She was even gnawing the bars of the cage to get out! So, I let her out otherwise she would have broken her teeth and she ran around this house like a miniture hurricane for hours! Dr. Vicki said that sometimes the drugs effect kitties this way. But now that they use lasers to open the skin and dissolving sutures the spay area is less likely to be infected. She is fine this morning. Seems to bear no ill will towards me for doing that to her, and she is still running amok a bit. I’d rather have her that way then lethargic and immobile which would have meant they missed a bleeder or something more ominous.
Jedi gets to go traveling today. Mike has doctor appointments the first in many months and I can’t leave Jedi behind as I have no idea how long we will be. Brandy is her new best friend so they can snuggle up in the kennel in the truck.
Be kind to each other and if you see a cat in need- please find a way to help it. Especially this time of year, there are so many of them hitting the ground that should have never been born-
My Paul and Mary were less than 2 weeks old when they came to live with me. We went to the laundry mat, doctor, dentist, bible study, church and my job with me for weeks until they were old enough to fend for themselves with my other cats. I used to have vendors come by just to visit with them! They are now 9 years old and while it was sometimes a hassle I often miss those days. Jedi is very lucky to have an adopted mom like you. All of the cats are.
Marian in Houston
Things are looking up for you! It’s about time…
We have a vet visit tomorrow morning for Muggle. He’s been vomiting after every meal, so we’ll check for parasites, etc. He’s such a fast eater that it may just mean that we have to limit his food at mealtime. He has also been chewing on a houseplant which we have now moved outside, so it may have been that instead. We’ll find out. I’ve read other blogs that recommend letting your cat eat grass and I know our outside cats nibble grass now and then. What’s your take on that? Does it mean their stomachs are upset and the grass soothes it or will it make them vomit up any hairballs? I don’t want to give Muggle anything that will make him vomit…
one of my cats was always getting sick after eating. he eats fast and seems to always be eating. I switched to Blue Buffalo for sensitive stomachs and it worked. no more getting sick, well maybe once in a blue moon but rarely.
It could be the food, because face it, most cat food on the market is sub standard. You might talk to your vet about getting some barium. It works both for digestive upset and also hairballs and so much better than that sticky ointment Laxatone. You can also elevate the food dishes and move the water a bit away from the food.You probably don’t have the food near the litter pan but if you do, you will need to move it as litter flies and lands in dishes and can make cats pretty ill. I would also check and see if that houseplant you moved outside is toxic to cats? There is a list of toxic plants on the ASPCA website.
We’re all purrrrring for the Jedi Night. If Marlow only has four functional nipples, she just might have decided that she couldn’t save them all. Sadly, the runt usually loses out in a case like that.
Mary Anne, do you use commercial Kitten Milk, or do you mix up a kitten glop formula? Just wondering.
It depends on the kitten and the situation. Sometimes it is easier on the kitten to put them on Kitten Glop- other times the canned stuff KMR works. I have all the different brands of KMR both powdered and liquid and learned the hard way years ago you CANNOT freeze either product or it goes rancid!
I am thrilled to report that Jedi Night is now lapping her formula from a small baby food jar! I knew black kitties were smart- but at 3 weeks old she caught on quite quickly.
She did good for her first visit to the doctor, though we got thrown out of the doctor’s office! I had her inside a cloth bag, and I brought her out to feed her. People were of course noticing and oohing and awwing- when a nurse came up and told me quite rudely that I had to leave because the doctor was allergic! TO A THREE WEEK OLD? That’s a hell of an allergy! LOL I left and just went to the car and ran the heater to keep her warm- but really? Was that really necessary to remove a 3 week old kitten tucked into a bag of rags and warming pads from a waiting room yards away from the door to the clinic?
I am so happy to hear of Petco’s donation(s)! Wonderful news!
Was that the veterinarian who was allergic? You should have told the nurse that he made a heck of a career choice, being allergic to kittens.
Great post! Love that Jedi has a new strong name & at 3 wks, she scared the crud out of a Doc. Good for her! Be strong & fight, kid. Well, at least until you’re past the scary young age. Wet FOOD. Glad the pantry is full. Our TNR wild kitties get wet food once a week (I splurge) and wow it’s a party! Adoptions & spays. Yup, Good news all around
Heh heh. Like a Cheshire Cat in the box, the CPU and hardware seems iiisnvble until something goes wrong. When you smell his fur burning, you know something’s awry (one has to possess a few legacy boxes to recognize that odor, perhaps).