8-7-15 Friday

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I may have missed it, but HOW did Pattypan get an abscess at so young an age??

Honestly, I have no idea. When Eva got the kittens on Thursday, she immediately noticed the swelling on Pattypan’s leg and got her right to the vet. I imagine it started from a bug bite or perhaps their mother was too rough when moving them – something like that?

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Wow, those videos at Petsmart are nice to see all the room they have to play. I frequent a Petsmart near me with an adoption center, but not that huge amount of space for playtime and toys. I do go in every time I visit the store, just to socialize with the kitties. There is barely room to open the cage doors fully.

I’ve often wondered how you keep up with who is who when you let them out to clean cages. Especially the ones who are not your fosters. Do they have kitty mug shots so you can get them back to their own cage? Now I’m just amazed with all that space they have.

Way back in 2005, when I first started volunteering for Challenger’s House at Petsmart, we weren’t really able to let the cats and kittens out to run around – there was a gap under the cages, where a cat could go through and get out into the store. Eventually, one of the other volunteers built “drawers” that fit under the cages, to block the gap under there, so that the cats could run around and get some exercise. They’ve added a cat condo and scratchers in there, and now it’s really become a place where the cats can race around and have fun while their cages are being cleaned. So while I always hate it when my fosters go off to Petsmart, I am SO grateful to the volunteers who spend time with them and let them stretch their legs – and get lots of love!

All the cats are microchipped, so the volunteers can always scan their microchips (the numbers are posted on their cage cards) to be sure the right cat is in the right cage.

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Is that stripes/spots I see on Zuke? A black tabby? He is sure to be gorgeous in the sunshine.

He does have stripes and swirls, but I think you’re actually looking at Ambercup’s body – she was flopped atop Zuke, because she believes that siblings are meant to be beds. 🙂

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(By the way, your tub is so clean it sparkles! Mine does that for a max of 15 min, and only right after the cleaning lady (me!) is finished.)

That tub is only so clean because I scrubbed it before the kittens got here. Usually it’s not quite so clean, because I HATE cleaning the tub.

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Poor Pattypan, how do you warm compress something so wee? I’d be worried I’d be burning her matchstick arm, it’s so thin!

It’s a two-person job – Fred usually holds her while I (gently) hold the compress against her little arm. It doesn’t seem to bother her – honestly, the part that scares me more is rewrapping her arm, I’m always afraid I’m going to wrap it too tight.

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Glad you had such a good time – did you listen to audiobooks in the car? I love doing that for long drives, but I can only do it if I am alone-no one else in the family enjoys them like I do.

Maine is on my list of places to see – it looks so beautiful.

I listened to podcasts. I thought about listening to audiobooks, but I have the tendency to zone out and I’m afraid I’d lose track of what was going on. So I switched back and forth between podcasts and my ’90s music playlist (and occasionally, when stressed out by the road construction, I turned everything off and listened to nothing at all). Thank god for iPods!

Maine is absolutely gorgeous, and I highly recommend vacationing there.

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OK, so here’s a very weird question for Friday. All the outdoor cats in my neighborhood know they can come to my house twice a day for meals. Most of them are very skittish, but sometimes I can pet them while they’re busy eating. I have one mama cat who *was* very pregnant who suddenly became very friendly to me. By that I mean, she came around to my side of the food dish (which she has never done before) and didn’t run when I started scratching her pack and stroking her tail. My first thought was, “wow, maybe motherhood is making her nice!”, but then I saw her go after some of the males in the group, and I think she was after some lovin’, if you know what I mean. The next day she shows up, and she’s no longer pregnant. So I guess my question is, do mama cats look for a little lovin’ to move the process along?

Connie said: The intact male penis has barbs on it that rip the lining of the vagina, so I am guessing that sex was not on her mind. if she was ‘going after’ them, it might have been the hormones telling her to make them go away to protect her kittens.

Human mamas might do that to get the process moving along, but it doesn’t sound like kitty mamas would want anything to do with that (and who could blame them)!

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What happened to all your roosters?

They packed their bags and went off to freezer camp. We really only need one rooster, and they tend to fight a lot, so in the interest of harmony in the chicken yard, I decreed that it was time for the other roosters to head off, and Fred made it happen.

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I had no idea there were Cucumber Bugs (cute) or Squash Bugs (less cute). This fascinates me! I think we need a dedicated ‘Bugs of Crooked Acres’ post (without spiders please). Is the striped bug also a Cucumber Bug and are they really called that?

I think I might have to hide a Bugs of Crooked Acres post and link to it with a warning! Yes, the striped bug is also a Cucumber Bug, and they really are called that (or I guess maybe they’re actually called Cucumber Beetles. Same difference, right?). And they did some DAMAGE to my cucumber plants – when I left for vacation, my cucumbers were doing great. When I got back 2 1/2 weeks later, they were almost completely dead.

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I know I’m very greedy but do you have any photos of Mama carrying any kitten.

Unfortunately I never got any pictures of Lucy carrying a kitten. Probably because the only time I actually saw her carrying one is when I was handling a kitten who started complaining, and Lucy stomped over and grabbed the kitten away from me. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a picture of any of my mama kitties carrying a kitten, now that I think about it!

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Finally, FINALLY, I got the Sugarbutt header everyone’s been talking about — it’s perfect. I hope you’ll keep it in the rotation!

It is absolutely going to stay in rotation – that’s one of my favorite pictures of Sugarbutt, and it makes me smile when I see it.

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Did you see the post over at Itty Bitty Kitty Committee? {{wipes tear}}

I can’t believe I haven’t linked to this yet, though I did share it on Facebook while the challenge was going on. While I was on vacation, IBKC had their yearly fundraiser, which I – along with a lot of other people – look forward to every year. Wonderful readers Lisa and Stuart offered up a matching donation challenge wherein they matched each dollar donated up to a $300 cap. The challenge was met, and so in honor of Corbie, Miz Poo and Sugarbutt, $600 total was raised for The Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County. That is an absolutely wonderful way to honor their memories, and I appreciate it so very much, Lisa and Stuart. Thank you so very much!

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You know, the tummy shot has two heads on her belly, but it also has a spare black ‘foot.’

I completely missed that “foot”, that is so cool!

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Teresa sent me these pictures of Belushi at Petsmart. He is such a nut!

She said he ate like this for a long time, she was able to get several pictures of him. I would deny that he learned this particular skill at my house, but I AM giving Jake the side eye. It’s totally something he would do!

And here he is, showing off for River.

What a flirt!

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The girls, tussling. I think Ambercup was flopped out on her back, and then Calabash decided to pick a fight.

Look at those smug little faces!

Calabash always keeps an eye on me.

Milling about.

And now Pattypan’s rolling around on her back. These kittens, so stressed.

Checkin’ out the litter box.

Calabash REALLY likes to be kissed. I mean, they all do, but she especially enjoys it.

Wahhhh! She’s da BAYBEE.

Pattypan, having had her bottle, conks out.

Sisterly smooches.

“What?”

You may have already seen this on Facebook – this is Zuke, getting a bottle after he got a bath the other night. Turns out that when Fred doesn’t HAVE to help me bottle feed the kittens, he likes to help out occasionally – especially when they’re as easy to feed as these guys.

I think, since they’re able to go overnight without a bottle, I’m going to move the kittens into the foster room later today. They’ll still be confined until I know that they’re getting the hang of the litter box, which hopefully won’t be too much longer. So far, I’ve only seen Pattypan use the litter box, but everyone has checked it out and have watched her use it, so I think the lightbulb will go on over their little heads soon enough.

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“Whut.” Maxi, in her favorite summer spot – the rocking chair on the front porch.

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Previously
2014: Chomping on one of the spring toys they love to carry around.
2013: Even mostly asleep, Scorch has something to contribute to the conversation.
2012: However, lest you think that he is simply an athlete, he would like you to know that he is also a scholar.
2011: No entry.
2010: No entry.
2009: Sam and his Paw of I’m the Boss.
2008: Kara & babies.
2007: ::licka::licka::licka::
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.

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