6-26-13

Posted on by Robyn

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I have an update on Kate!

Anette says: Just wanted to give you an update on our new family member, Katherine (Kate). She is settling in very well. Our dog Gus and cat Mario (a.k.a. Sergeant Black Ops) are getting used to her. They have all been nose to nose without any bad things happening. Kate stayed in one room for a couple of days, then she went there only over night and by now she has free range of the whole house at all times. She enjoys laying on the screened in porch and watching the birds in the backyard. Kate eats well and the fur on her belly is growing back nicely. She is becoming more affectionate with us every day and we look forward to many happy years with her. We will take her to be introduced to our vet in July, when it is time for the other cat to go for his shots.

Thank you for saving this beautiful cat and bringing her where we could find her.


Gus at Graduation.


Mario (Sgt. Black Ops)

Don’t you love a good-news update? I’m glad Kate is doing so well (and I’m not surprised!) Also, Sgt. Black Ops looks an awful lot like our own Tom Cullen!

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Sweet Miss Ember is just SO kissable, isn’t she?


That basket was a BIG hit for about two days, and now they won’t look at it twice.


The whole family! In one picture! This was not easy to engineer, believe me.


Pardon me, Puff, your giant head is taking up the whole frame.


“You better back off from the tail back there, child, or I’ma give you what-for.”


When they get going they’re all pretty wild, but Ruth is the wildest of ’em all.


He might be the biggest of the bunch, but Scorch is the gentlest of the bunch, too.


A little confused, Ruthie?


“You go ‘way, lady. I gots to put myself to bed.”


He’s such a little flirty pants.

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So, last Thursday I took the Dragons up to the vet in Tennessee so they could have their test for Feline Leukemia and FIV. As I mentioned last week, they came back negative (yay!). I was waiting for the results on their fecal test, so I was standing in the reception area of the vet’s office chatting with the shelter manager.

A woman came in, carrying a plastic container. Susan (the shelter manager) went over to see what she had in it. When I heard that it was kittens, I went over to take a look and saw three tiny kittens. The woman said that the mother cat – a feral – had abandoned them. There were originally five kittens, but one of them had died. She didn’t know where the 4th kitten had gone, she’d only been able to find three of them.

Oh, were they CUTE. I gave Susan the puppydog eyes, and she mouthed “You want to take them?” and I nodded furiously.

I got home with the three kittens, set them up in the downstairs bathroom (since the Royals were still with us for another day, the upstairs rooms were both full), and fed them. While I was feeding them, the phone rang – Susan had the 4th kitten and was bringing him to me.

They were about 10 days when I got them – which makes them a couple of days over 2 weeks old currently – and oh, they were such a sad mess. Loaded with fleas, and in desperate need of baths. They were tiny, all four of them just over 5 ounces. The reason I waited to tell you about them is because I wasn’t sure they would make it, being in such rough shape. They’re doing beautifully, though, and are all well over 8 ounces now. They’re vigorous, they eat really well, and I expect they’ll continue to do just fine.

Some of these pictures are from before they got their baths. After they got their baths, they looked approximately 1,000 times better.


The day I got them.

Let me introduce you formally:


You’ve met Jon Snow. He looks white, but I think he’s going to have an orange tail and possibly orange ears.


Brandon (a boy, obviously).


Arya (girl). A teeny calico; she’s got an opinion and isn’t afraid to tell you about it. She has the distinction of being female foster #100! (Including this litter, we’re at 118 males.)


Hodor (boy). Buff and white tabby.


Brandon again, having just finished eating and ready for a nap.


They’re still in the downstairs bathroom – across the hall from my bedroom – because I feed them for the last time between 11 pm and midnight, and I’m afraid that they’d wake Fred up if they were in there being fed (or screaming to be fed). Eventually I’ll move them into a cage in the smaller foster room upstairs, but for now they’re okay in the bathroom, in this carrier. When I feed them, I give them plenty of time to crawl around and explore the bathroom (and climb into my lap).


They are the sweetest, fluffiest, most kissable kittens. Oh, they just kill me.

The first few days with bottle babies are so frustrating. These guys had never eaten from a bottle because obviously they were accustomed to nursing from their mother like the good lord intended. I tried different nipples and syringes and eye droppers. Finally, they got the knack of latching on to the bottle, and now they all eat like little champs.

We were actually going to try to introduce Khaleesi to the Starks, because I thought she could probably do a better job of feeding them than I. But after two days, they were doing so well that I just didn’t want to take the chance that they could give her something and make her sick.

Oh, and the names – if you didn’t already know it, they’re from Game of Thrones. (When I was having a hard time getting them to latch onto the bottle and was frustrated, I told Fred I was going to name them Melisandre, Ramsay Bolton, Walder Frey, and Tywin Lannister, and call them The Terrors.)

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Stinkerbelle keeps an eye on me while warming herself in the sun.

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Previously
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.

Comments

50 thoughts on “6-26-13”

  4. Sgt. Black Ops sure is handsome! I am soooo happy for Kate! What a great home she has!!!
    Oh those little dragons are soooo gorgeous! I really would have a hard time choosing but I think I would weaken for Ruth and Puff. But…Scorch…and Ember…and Norbert…I WANT THEM ALL!

    Oh the Starks. I got a bit excited when I saw a calico. Love the calicos!!! They are going to be lovely cats! Thank you for taking such good care of them. 3 ounces already! Fabulous!

    Stinkerbell, you are soooo pretty…I would want to snuggle you but alas, I know I would end up bleeding. Unrequited love…

  5. Yay Katie the kitty! *ahem* Katherine. XD Oh my gosh those Dragons are cute, cute, cute. I know this and I can’t even see! Is Khaleesi still a super lovebug kitty? I hope so!

    Oh wow, hi teeny Starks! A meezer! A calico! XD I don’t get the name references, but I do like the name Brandon. Incidentally, what color is he? So very glad Susan got the fourth kitten in that bunch – which one was the fourth?

    1. Khaleesi is a total lovebug. We discovered that she LOVES to be held on her back like a baby, so we do that as often as possible. She is just the sweetest. 🙂

      Brandon is a gray tabby and white and he’s adorable! (They’re all my favorites for different reasons – Brandon’s my favorite because he latches onto that bottle and he doesn’t unlatch ’til he’s done. There’s no having to convince that boy to eat, he’s happy to do it!)

  7. I swear, Norbert’s ears are going to be the death of me. THE DEATH OF ME, I SAY!

    Those new babies are so WEE. I’m sad their momma left them but so happy that lady was paying attention and scooped them all up so they could end up with you (us).

    I still say Khaleesi’s dragonbrood is the bestest ever, but methinks this new bundle juuuuuust might come close to 2nd place.

    When I say these things, keep in mind that the #1 single kitten ever will always be Stompers. He set the bar and I doubt anyone will ever cross it. FYI – Norbert is #2.

        2. Oh, I agree – one of these days I’m going to do an updated header. It’s only been on my to-do list for two years now. 😉

      2. I think it was about this time last year that the infamous “Inspector Stompers” made his debute! Of course, his coffee mug sits on my desk “not judging” me everyday (except when being washed – I get demerits when he doesn’t get washed). 😉

  8. OMG killer cute in today’s post. Loves me some Ember. <3

    And so glad those wee tiny kitteh's got saved! Bottle babies are a TON of work, so bless you for taking them on.

  9. Aww, Robyn..those new babies are soo beautiful. What a variety of colors. You are such an inspiration caring for all these kitties in your home. I know how rough it is to get these young ones to eat, keep them clean, keep track of who did potty, then transitioning them to eat on their own. Mother cats are so important for kittens to thrive but we know these babes are in good hands.

    We had a black foster kitten once that had ears like Norbert. My hubby always called him Batboy. He is so cute and will grow into those ears. LOL.

  10. Aww, poor little peanuts! But so lucky to have ended up at Crooked Acres.

    So a quick story. I’m a Latin teacher at a private school in Brooklyn, NY, and apparently I’ve developed a reputation as the school’s resident cat lady. A week and a half ago a senior (actually, an alum at that point) whom I never taught emailed me to ask me what he and a friend should do with a kitten they had just rescued from the street. A student I HAD taught told him that I was the person to ask. I credit (blame?) you, Robyn, for this! You inspired me to get involved with this whole rescue business a couple of years ago. I didn’t anticipate having to field emails about stray kittens from graduated seniors less than a week into my summer vacation, though. Seriously, I’ve only ever fostered two kittens and we’ve (only?) had three cats, but I guess that’s enough to get me on the “crazy cat lady” list, according to my students. 😉

    (Yes, I was tempted to take the kitten myself, but I also have a 7-month-old human depending on me and I just can’t manage both right now, so I gave them the names of some local no-kill shelters and told them what they needed to do in the meantime while they looked for shelter assistance.)

  11. What do you do when such wee kittens have fleas? Just a regular Advantage type treatment? Ever worry about an outbreak in the house? When we were fostering, we had a huge outbreak in one of our (older) litters and it was awful to fix.

    1. I used just the tiniest bit of Advantage – not much more than a drop on these little guys. Then I waited 24 hours and gave them a bath, using Dawn as the soap. Dawn does a great job of killing fleas, but I didn’t want to put them through a bath the first day.

      I don’t worry too much about an outbreak in the house because everyone is treated religiously with Revolution (the permanents) or Advantage (fosters) once a month. We’ve never had a flea issue (THANK GOD) and hopefully we never will.

  12. Hey Robin, Any updates on Stompers? I usually check the “one year ago” when I check the daily, and all the Stompers pics are re-killing me with the cute.

    I’m sure he’s extraordinarily well loved wherever he is, but I’m curious about what he’s like as a grown-up 🙂

  13. HODOR!!! Hodor Hodor Hodor!!! Okay… I’ll stop Hodoring… Hodor. 😉

    If Arya is opinionated and feisty, then you definitely gave her the best Stark name.

    So glad Kate has such a terrific new home with such cool siblings. 🙂

    1. Isn’t Arya the perfect name for her? Fred asked if I was going to name her Sansa. AS IF. (And there will neverrrrrrrr be a Joffrey. Though I should probably never say never. Does he turn into a good guy in Book #3? No, don’t tell me! Heheh.)

      2. I have no idea what you are talking about… AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! There are 6 billion people ahead of me on the waiting list at the library for these videos.

      3. Actually, for reasons I shall not go into for they are of a spoilery nature, don’t quite count out naming a kitteh Sansa just yet. 😉

  14. Where in Tennessee is the vet you took the kitties. Me and David met Lisa McDowell in Manchester, TN when we brought the Peppers. David Anderson has since passed away but he was so grateful to all involved in helping his kitties. Their mother Scarlett is with David’s brother and living a good life. I go on Flickr very often to look at those sweet babies. Thank you again for what you do for all unfortunate kitties. I am totally in love with Ember.
    Edna Bowman

    1. It’s in Ardmore – I usually take the kittens up there for testing and for vetting when the need arises.

      The Peppers were such lucky babies to have you and David to care for them and to pass them on to us. They were an exceptionally sweet and pretty bunch. 🙂

  15. good for you….those bottle babies are adorable but hard work (I did it once and that was enough thank you very much). I did wonder about Khaleesi, but don’t blame you for skipping it if they are eating well for you….will be interesting if she is able to hear them at some point. 🙂

    So want to kiss Ember!!

    OH – and the vet is in Tennessee?? I may need to pull out a map…. hmmm

    1. Just barely in Tennessee – actually, I don’t know that the vet is located IN Tennessee, but if they aren’t, you could throw a rock from their front door and hit Tennessee! 🙂

      I’ll be curious to see if Khaleesi’s reaction to hearing the little ones would be “Oh babies, I must mother them!” or “Keep those babies AWAY from me!”

  16. Robyn-you are so wonderful. #100 females and #118 males is an incredible number of fostered cats over the years. This new bunch look like mini-dragons. You’ve got a calico,gray/white,and a buff to match. No black but the Royals had 2 and no white. So I think everything is still even. 😉

    1. I emailed the shelter manager when I noticed that the Starks kind of mirror the Dragons and told her that if any tiny orphan Tuxies showed up… 🙂

  17. Hey, I’ve been thinking about how you said you love the name Lunk for a cat- how about a mobster themed litter?

    Bugsy
    Lunk
    Babyface
    Duke
    Sharpie
    The Knife
    Mumbles
    Junior Lollipops
    Mush
    Vinny Carwash

    Okay, so maybe, just maybe, these are a bit much for little kittens, but surely you can always use more kitten nicknames, right? What’s better for nicknames for a bunch of unruly kittens than mobster names? Plus, reading through the names is hilarious (“George from Canada” was an actual mobster’ nickname).

  18. NORBERT!!! *le sigh* dude, you need to be a bit less of a lover and a bit more of a poser.. for those of us who love you..

    I have a feeling Brandon is going to be my new obsession 😉

  20. I am so happy that Kate’s landed in a good forever home with caring people and animal siblings to keep her on her toes. Very glad to hear that she’s putting on weight and is enjoying the human contact.

    I am just bewitched by Scorcha’s coloring. Buff? Summer butter? Whatever it is it’s adorable. And seriously, I believe that Ferrari is behind Norbert’s ear to head ratio.

    Oh, and YEA that the dragons had a good vet visit!!!

    Hodor’s orange gloves crack me up. And a hair style only the Heat Miser would envy. I could get addicted to this new batch.

    On the other hand, you seem to be he kitten addict yourself.

    1. OMC! Hodor totally looks like Heat Miser! I will be singing that song for the rest of the day now…kinda appropriate since it is hot and humid and we’ll be hitting the 90’s this week.

      Oh, wouldn’t a “Christmas in July” themed litter be fun?

  21. What a fantastic post !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SQEEEEEEE !!!!! Two calicos, the lovely Miss Stinkerbelle, itty bitty Arya, and of course one that has calico tendencies Miss Ruth. My heart is happy 🙂

    My bottle baby Ladybug was calico. She looked a lot like Arya. You can see some of her pictures on my Flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/8707083@N07/

    So glad Miss Kate is doing well in her new home.

    The picture of Ruth with Norbert, you can really see what she will look like as a full grown cat.

    I have to go and look at all the pictures again.

    Please give extra kisses and snuggles to ALL the kitties in your house. I know you really don’t want to do this but I do insist!!! 🙂

  22. Oh, Jon Snow’s little face! They are all so cute (but then, what little kitten isn’t?).. 😀 Robyn, you (and Fred) have Karma points up to the moon and back for all the good things you do for the little babies.

    I’m glad to see Kate is having such a good time in her new home, too!

  23. Oh my, what a cute bunch of new kittens. I can just imagine all of the arm-twisting that went on to get you to take these babies home. Seriously, bless you for taking on these bottle-babies and am keeping my fingers crossed that they are free of any of the bad stuff. Looking forward to watching them thrive there at Crooked Acres.
    Don’t have a favorite yet… still madly in love with Norbert.
    Thanks for the update on Kate. Glad she’s doing so well in her new home. She deserves it (as they all do).

  24. Hodor’s not a Stark. He’s the help, lady. Now he’s going to have Bran climbing all over him! And Joffrey does not turn into a “good guy” but i am happy with how things go for him. Couldn’t happen to a nicer product of incest. Ha!

    1. So I’ve recently dived into the whole “Game of Thrones” thing with both feet. I’m reading the books, and since we don’t have HBO, the DVDs of the first two seasons are in our Netflix queue. I was looking through the IMDB pictures of the series, and stills from the show are interspersed with photos from promotional events, showing the actors in regular street clothes. One notable absence is Jack Gleeson, the young man who plays Joffrey. I wonder why he doesn’t come to these events? Is he afraid someone would punch him in the face?

  25. I had a long, frustrating day at work – I actually managed to get to Love & Hisses once, but then didn’t have time to look at it. Although several times during the day, I thought, “Robyn has baby kittens!” I’m actually kind of glad I waited until I got home so I could really look at them.

    The Starks are gorgeous – Arya is going to be beautiful, and Hodor — why is it that I’m suddenly so taken with the buffs?? Actually, they are all gorgeous! And I am very happy that you chose the name Arya and not Sansa!

  26. So happy to hear Kate is doing well! She’s such a beautiful girl and a good Mama. She deserves a wonderful life.

    There’s no doubt that the Thrones kittehs will do well and thrive with you on the job, Robyn!

    Norbert and Ember’s little faces are just killing me dead.

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