So, the Spice Girls went off to Petsmart yesterday, and as of this minute (12:30 pm) none of them have been adopted. They were a bit nervous on the way to the store and at the store, but they weren’t terrified, they mostly had little cartoon question marks over their heads, all “What is going ON?”
“Robyn,” you are saying. “You mean the Spice Girls AND Ciara went to Petsmart, right?”
SIGH. (Note: don’t worry, there’s no bad or sad news in this entry. There’s also NOT “We’re keeping her!” news in this entry, either.)
Wednesday afternoon, when Fred got home from work I told him that Ciara had been sleeping a lot during the day. She purred when we petted her, she ate and drank and seemed okay, so we just figured she was having a sleepy, quiet day. Then Thursday, I got so caught up in burning baby pictures to CDs and packing little bags of toys to take to Petsmart with me on Friday that I didn’t think to really check her over until bedtime Thursday night. When I petted her, she gave me the “that hurts” meow, and she felt warm to me.
Friday morning I petted her some more and got the same reaction, so I decided to take the Spice Girls to Petsmart and get Ciara in at the vet. I called the vet as soon as they opened and they told me I could drop her off and they’d work her in during the day, because they were full up with appointments. I packed Ciara in one carrier and the Spice Girls in another, and headed out. I drove up to the vet’s office in Tennessee and dropped Ciara off. Then I drove to Petsmart and got the girls set up in their cage.
I ran some errands and went home, and mid-afternoon I called to check on Ciara. The vet told me that Ciara had a 104 temperature and was definitely feeling tenderness on her left side. They’d given her an anti-inflammatory and antibiotics and thought that the next step would be x-rays, which sounded good to me. Possibilities for what could be wrong with her ranged from her having swallowed a foreign object to pancreatitis to having an issue with her internal stitches (from her spay) dissolving and causing some issues.
They did the x-rays and didn’t see anything, though she had a lot of gas in her intestines. She had perked up a little bit, so the vet told me she thought it would be okay for me to bring Ciara home with antibiotics and see how she did over the weekend.
By this time, Fred was home from work, so I made him go up to Tennessee with me. Ciara was very glad to see us, and meowed a good part of the way home. Once we got home, she shot right out of her carrier, immediately sharpened her claws on the scratcher, went in and had some food and water, and played a little.
Last night, she was all over me, all night long. Clearly she was feeling better – today, so far, she’s been acting like she feels completely fine. I’ve vigorously petted her side and tummy, and gotten no reaction at all aside from loud purring.
We’ll keep her on the antibiotics, of course, but assuming that she doesn’t start acting sick again (the little faker), chances are good that she’ll be, y’know. Going. TOYTOYTOYtotheplaceTOYTOYTOY FOODFOODFOODwherethespicegirlswentFOODFOODFOOD. On iday-Fray.
(Obviously I need to speak in code from here on out, lest the little faker get wind of what’s coming.)
Naturally I got a ton of pictures of the girls Thursday and Friday to share with y’all!
I will tell you guys that if anyone from this bunch of kittens (and I’m considering Ciara to be a Spice Girl at this point) was going to become a Permanent Resident, it would have been Clove. She is just the coolest girl.
Cori makes herself at home on top of the bookcase in the front room.
Cilantro and Clove on the cat tree in the front room.
This is a particularly sweet litter, but Cilantro’s the sweetest. I can absolutely see her becoming a kitten-loving Charlene Butterbean type.
It’s tiring work, is what it is.
Clove and the Ears of Annoyance.
I don’t know what caught their eye(s), but that window behind them is a disgrace. Someone oughtta clean that window. Any volunteers?
“HEY. SHE SAY, ‘ANY VOLUNTEERS?’ THAT WINDOW AIN’T GONNA CLEAN ITSELF!”
I can only look at this picture out of the corner of my eye because it makes me want to go to Petsmart and snatch up Clove and bring her home. We refer to this as the “catfish carry”, because that’s totally how you’d hold a big ol’ catfish you’d caught and wanted to show off. Clove is so very laid back that she’ll let you do anything to her, and she just purred and purred while Fred was holding her like that.
The face, the arched back, the casual way she’s got her front and back legs kicked out just KILLS ME DEAD.
It was super difficult to get them into the carriers yesterday. I had to (sigh) GET the carriers. And then I had to (groan) CARRY the carriers into the computer room. And THEN I had to (whine) OPEN the carriers. And then I had to waaaaait around like I’ve got NOTHIN’ better to do than WAIT, and after a lonnnnng 30 seconds, Ciara flopped down in this carrier and Clove followed her about five seconds later. Will my work EVER be done?
This morning, Ciara was feeling well enough to give me the Ears of Annoyance.
“When they leaving, Mom? Because it can’t be too soon.”
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Previously
2010: Morning sunshine = Bookworms fightin’ time!
2009: “Wah! Make him stop messing with my taaaaaaaaail!”
2008: So Fred said “Well, they can’t ALL be your favorite, and besides we agreed we wouldn’t be keeping any of them.”
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
I am so gonna miss the Spice Girls! What beauties they are! I hope they get adopted two by two…well, you know.
I’m SO GLAD Ciara is feeling better. It’s the worst when you don’t know what’s wrong and they can’t find anything because clearly something isn’t right. So she gets to stay with you for another week…hmmmmmm, yes, speaking in code is probably a good idea.
I bet the Spice Girls will be adopted lickety split!
I can hold Teen Baby like a catfish carry, and I held up Dorothy that way the other day. Luanne doesn’t like it so much, and Oliver doesn’t like anything. My ex-husband and I used to hold up our cats like that and parade them around and go “How much for this one?” 😀
You are very funny! Looking at pictures of cats is a pleasure in itself, but your comments just make it even better.
I am so glad you do not live closer because I would have come and snatched up Cori. I think she is gorgeous. Also, on a completely different note – I heard that cats that are colored like Miz Poo are the most difficult to get adopted – true in your experience?
Awwww big big hugs to Ciara!! Glad she’s doing better now!!
I shall truly miss the Spice Girls – I hope hope hope hope that they get adopted very soon – how could anyone resist, they’re beautiful!!
Just read Suzy’s comment about torties like Miz Poo being difficult to adopt out – I think it’s black kitties who are the least adopted, followed by torties. WHY is beyond me. But I do know that here in the UK, black kitties in animal shelters tend to stay un-adopted for longer. Poor things. 🙁
Take care
x
That second picture of Clove in the catfish carry — it looks like she’s posing, to be judged, head up, toes pointed. So cute!
I’m glad Ciara feeling better, even it does mean she’s off to you-know-where soon.
Do people ever keep the names that you give the kittens? They always seem “just right.”
I for one can’t imagine Clove as anything but Clove. Her coloring, her button nose is just like a clove!
Thanks for all you do!
I’ve had a few Ciaras in my tenure of fostering. They just don’t seem to want to go and get the sickness to prove it. I hope she gets the “TOYFOODTOYFOOD” soon and finds her “FOODFOODFOOD” right quick
Sorry to hear they didn’t get snatched up last night, but glad to hear Ciara’s feeling better. As for this new Fred Anderson carry technique, I’m not even going to try. I tried the one arm Fred Anderson carry on my smallest cat and got scratched for my trouble!
They don’t have trouble with conventional carry techniques, just these radical new-fashioned Fred Anderson ones!! 😉
Hope all goes well for the little ones at Petsmart and that Ciara finally finds here FOODFOODFOODFOOD!!
GO. GET. CLOVE. Just sayin’. Don’t let ‘er get away!!!!! :-)))
I can so see that happening Cynthia…
Poor little Ciara — fingers crossed for her, the Spice Girls, and all kitties in need of a home. Thanks for the update and the lovely photos.
*snicker* I see cat-butt magnets on that fridge 😉
Yes, but can you hold Clove by her back legs and just hang her upside down? Haaa??? I can do that with my Sammy, you know! Well, you better go get Clove and bring her home and see if she can do the upside down hanging flop and the arms under her back lay back and a complete stretch out in mid air pose and the…what? she could have a furever home by now? mumble…mumble…sigh – fine! But if she doesn’t…
As For Ciara, hope someone snatches her up LOOKLOOKLOOK when she gets to TOYTOYTOYFOODFOODFOOD, you know where…
Ears of Annoyance, ha-ha and Clove with her big round ears in her ‘hallo shweetheart’ photo…she back yet or what?
Your catfish carry is what we call “superman”. They look like Superman flying through the air! 🙂
Any smart kid knows to fake a stomach ache on the first day of school!!!!