I wonder if having frequent visitors at this stage of life would be a useful approach? Perhaps giving kittens more exposure to different people would help when they go to Petsmart and move to their new homes?
Every time we have a litter born here, I swear that I’m going to take them out of the house and expose them to being out around people regularly (I always think a quick visit to Petsmart during adoption hours so the adoption counselors can handle them), and I never do. More frequent visitors would be useful for the kittens, but I don’t think frequent visitors would be useful for my introvert husband. 🙂
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(Unrelated, but until reading this story I had no idea you had any children!)
I do! She’s in her mid-20s and she lives in Massachusetts with her boyfriend and their dog Koshinto.. and no cats! (But she’s a cat lover, for sure.)
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I love the judging Sugarbutt banner…is that one new? It is adorable!
and
And for an added bonus, I got the new Sugarbutt header. If I had been drinking coffee when it came up, I’d be looking for a new computer now… What a riot!
That Sugarbutt banner is indeed new. I don’t usually make banners using the permanent residents (not that I really think anyone would object!), but that picture needed to be used. I just love it so much – I expect it’ll be Sugarbutt’s calendar picture next year, too.
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So did Belushi end up biting Lucy’s whiskers and making them shorter? It kind of looks like it, but I can’t tell for sure…
I think he bit off a few whiskers, but he left most of them intact.
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Robyn, how is Lucy doing diarrhea-wise? Poor thing is so thin with the kittens sucking the life out of her!
The diarrhea is continuing, so I’ve gotten serious about keeping her separate from the kittens. I’m hoping that once her milk dries up (and she doesn’t have those kittens piling up on her), maybe the diarrhea will improve. Nothing is showing in her fecal, and changing her food isn’t helping, either. At least she isn’t losing weight! She still gets to come out of the foster room several times a day and see her kittens, but to be honest I think they’re more interested in seeing her than she is in seeing them!
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Does Skelton still got his baby blue eyes? They look bluer than his siblings anyway 🙂
They’re still more blue than anything, but I expect that they’ll change eventually. They’re turning gold around the pupil, so I’ll be curious to see if that color keeps spreading, or if they stay this pretty blue-green color.
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The Fools meet the Loon.
Rickles got all floofy.
And Carlin thought Jake’s tail was FUN.
Then Carlin went and hid behind the bag, while Jake tried to keep an eye on him.
Louis got all hissy again (and Jake didn’t care none).
Skelton got a little bit worried.
Then Belushi thought he’d go ahead and climb that awesome cat tree.
Roseanne caught sight of Jake and was ~INSTA~FLOOF~
And Shecky was like “Hi, Mister.”
Then he was all “I BELIEVE YOU ARE A STRANGER TO ME, SIR.”
The cat tree bore fruit.
Rickles decided this was the best way to get up on that platform.
Carlin thought “My lord, does this woman NEVER clean a window?!”
Rickles said “This lamp is awfully tippy. I might need to give you a ticket for this. Let me ask my snoopervisor for a second opinion.”
“Yep,” said Head Snoopervisor Belushi. “This is far too tippy. A ticket it is!”
Shecky came LEAPing over to see what the what.
Then Belushi went exploring while Gilda watched from the cat tree and said “I don’t think you’re supposed to be doing that.” (And then I put down the camera and went to get the stepladder, removed him from up on high, and took down the curtains!)
Except for Carlin, everyone got their rabies shots yesterday. This means that they are ready to GO. They’re not all going to go at once, not only because there’s limited room at Petsmart, but also because Carlin can’t have his rabies shot for another two weeks, and I don’t want him to be lonely (and also don’t want him nursing from Lucy, otherwise I’d just let her be his companion). We’ll start with four of them going (most likely the girls, Belushi and Rickles or Shecky) and then the others will go as adoptions happen.
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Miss Alice Mo, the smuggest cat EVER. Do you think she loves her daddy?
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Previously
2014: Throw Back Thursday: Dennis!
2013: Pardon me, Puff, your giant head is taking up the whole frame.
2012: “I can haz kissin’?”
2011: No entry.
2010: No entry.
2009: All three kittens are inordinately interested in sticking their heads in our mouths
2008: Poor Miz Poo
2007: It’s his default expression.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
“The cat tree bore fruit.”, Carlin window cleaning comment and Belushi walking on the curtains…. LOL {{snort}}
A Cat Tree in full bloom is a beautiful thing
I read the first question and immediately answered, “That would kill Fred” before even seeing your response. Hee!
you can shutter him away in his office.. no one would be coming to see him anyway 😉
Louis, Roseanne and Shecky! Jake looks so concerned, lol. “That’s Sir LOON to you, kiddo.”
“(And then I put down the camera and went to get the stepladder, removed him from up on high, and took down the curtains!)”
Lol. I took down the curtains in 1992 and haven’t put them back.
Tell me about it! All of the curtains in this house are valances, and meant to hide the tops of the blinds, but I think I’m just fooling myself that I can have curtains in this house. And actually, both Fred and I noticed that taking down the curtains makes the room look a whole lot brighter, so I’m not sure they’re ever going to go back up!
I clicked “Random Post” just for the fun of it and got the story of Stephan being half feral. Even more humor for the day!
Oh yeah, he’s one feral dude! 😀
Are your curtain valances new because I’m really surprised no one has tried to climb/tightrope walk them before! And I’d have to put them back up later just to see if other litters tried it, too.
No, I’ve had them up there for… oh, three or four years! I’m surprised no one’s been up there before, too – though the previous cat tree wasn’t that tall. But that tree’s been there for over a year, so other litters have had a chance. Belushi is apparently a visionary. 🙂
So here I am at a big scientific meeting in Chicago. Am I nervous about giving my talk to doctors and nurses? Heck no, I have Love & Hisses on my iPhone so I have kittens and cats and friends right here with me! Hope everyone has a good weekend.
If you lose your place in the middle of your talk, blind ’em with kitten pics, Elaine! 🙂
Hahaha. I have already located the fellow cat lady and the lady with an alpaca farm and another lady with a rescued Westie. And we have shared our pictures over dinner. We always find each other. Makes talking about breast cancer less awful.
🙂
I had to laugh at the introverted husband comment. I rarely see Fred when I come to visit. I hear him sometimes. Or catch him at the downstairs desk and get that look like Oh shit can I had now. LOL He’s just like some of your cats that disappear.
I’m imagining him hiding under the couch like Jake! 😀
cat tree in full bloom 🙂
maybe having visitors would help socialize Fred too (hahaha)
Excellent idea! I think the whole L&H community should come over for a potluck! 🙂
I would LOVE this…although I’m rather introverted myself. I’d say hello awkwardly to everyone, and then hide in a corner with a cat or two. Preferably Newt.
Carelin is such a character. Love how he with Stefan’s attitude and Jake’s cool dude vibe.
And the curtain walk! Bad kitty! Bad! Bad! that’s not adorable at ALL! No, really, it’s not.
I didn’t realize Fred was such an introvert, but I can totally relate to that look that Lisa described (“Oh shit, can I hide now?”) because that’s how I always feel when my husband’s friends come over to see him.
UNRELATED — I’m needing to tap the collective wisdom of the L&H community re urinary tract infection. My 15-year-old girl cat has one and the vet wants to put her on antibiotics. I’d prefer a natural, holistic approach but my vet only knows to treat with antibiotics (Baytril or Orbax, I think she said). Also, this cat is hard to medicate (doesn’t matter if it’s a pill or liquid — more ends up on the floor than in her).
BTW, she had her annual physical the same day that the UTI showed up, and it isn’t caused by anything else; her bloodwork came back perfect and nothing else turned up from the physical.
I found in my cupboards a homeopathic product called PetAlive UTI-Free. Does anyone have any experience using it? Is it effective? These are little granules, so I’ve been a little more successful getting these into her. The directions say the initial dosing should be one small pinch every 30 minutes up to six times. I wasn’t able to do that when I started yesterday, and I’m wondering if that makes any difference. I’m also wondering if I can sprinkle it on her wet food… It says after the first day, to give 2-3 doses for seven days and then maintenance of 2 doses daily.
Thanks for any advice about any of this!
I have used a transdermal antibiotic treatment for my difficult to pill girl. I don’t know if it is available in your area. It is basically the antibiotic in a cream. It is loaded in a syringe (no needle). You express the prescribed amount on your gloved finger and apply to the inside of the cat’s ear. You wear gloves to prevent you absorbing any of the medication. This worked really well for us. The cat thought we were rubbing her ear. It is still antibiotic but the ease of use is great and I was sure she got the med and did not spit out the pill in the heat register
The heat register…LOL! Yes, it has been the receptacle for many pills and small cat toys (wadded up balls of tinfoil and the like).
Did you get the transdermal antibiotic from your vet? Mine did not suggest this as an alternative, so I might have to ask around to see if it’s available here.
Thanks so much for this option though. It sounds so easy as I’m always massaging my cats’ ears.
Hi Charlene,
I had to think a bit about how we got the med but I believe we got it from a local apothecary that carried vet meds as well but your vet might be able to provide it , I would ask just in case.
It may also be possible to have it compounded at a compounding pharmacy and shipped to you – the vet Challenger’s House uses has metronidazole compounded at Roadrunner Pharmacy in AZ and it’s shipped to them.
I’ve had good luck with antibiotics personally. Yes the medication has been an issue but I like getting the liquids.
I can fill up the syringe, and then inserting it behind the big canine on the side, even if their mouth is closed. Then squeeze and watch your cat manage to jerk their head away.
that way, even if they’re jaws are practically wired shut, the liquid goes on their tongue and down their throat.
I guess I’m just not as adept as you in getting the liquid meds into their mouths. And I just hate the fight that it always is, even if I am successful….
I had horrible luck until I learned to put the syringe right behind the canine, even with their mouth closed you can inject the liquid.
I’m going to be annoying and ask if there is an actual infection. Did they do a culture and sensitivity to see which bacteria it is? All too often vets call all urinary issues UTIs when there are no infections.
I have no experience with that product, in fact I have no real experience with recurring infections, but because crystals are often called utis, I’ve learned..
Keeping her well hydrated will help flush the bladder more frequently.. so no more dry food. Keeping the urine acidic will also help as it will hinder the growth of bacteria.. you do that naturally with meat and not plants so again dry food is out.
in humans cranberry is good to help prevent bacteria from colonizing on the bladder wall, but in cats cranberry has other nutrients that aren’t as cat friendly, so it is recommended that you go with d-mannose – the part of the cranberry that prevents the bacteria from colonizing. You can find it in most health food stores since a lot of humans use it. Corn Silk are good for strengthening the bladder as well. Marshmallow root is good for the mucus lining of the bladder..
oh yeah, as an introvert myself visitors are not welcome…especially strangers…unless less they are cats or dogs…love these exploring photos…even if you did get a ticket!
More Jake! Love it! He always seems to get to the kittens early. But I’m surprised Uncle Dennis wasn’t seen with them immediately. Is he all been there done that with new kittens?
Curtain walkers would freak me out! Even though he looks totally comfortable and at ease up there.. If there are blinds under there, I won’t be surprised when Belushi tries to walk on those too!
Dennis has had some interactions with the babies, and even asked to go upstairs and hang out with them a few times. They’re still a little hissy toward him, which he doesn’t like (it doesn’t scare him, but he doesn’t like it!)