The Kitten Mama

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2010-01-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

Hello! Welcome to The Kitten Mama!

I started this blog in July of 2009 when I my husband and I unexpectedly ended up caring for a litter of four day-old kittens (Spock, Magnus, Tabitha and Napoleon). You can read their full story HERE.

By visiting the "Blog Archive" and "Labels" sections to your right, you can see the pictures, videos, and stories from my journey with these kittens.

A few of my favorite posts are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

As the kittens began to find homes, yet another kitten showed up on my doorstep! You can read all about Buick's story HERE.

By December of 2009, all five kittens had found wonderful forever homes!

I couldn't have been as successful with this kittens as I could have been without the help of the
Carol Manos, Jolyn Clark, Stephanie Meaney and the entire Carol's Ferals team.

Carol's Ferals does wonderful work for cats and kittens in the Grand Rapids community. I am thankful to Carol for setting me up with food and meds for the kittens, to Stephanie for all of the advice and assistance -- she is the TRUE kitten mama having raised hundreds of kittens herself! And to Jolyn for her assistance in socializing the kittens and helping me get them adopted.

You can learn more about Carol's Ferals HERE, HERE, and HERE.

It took me a long time to figure out what to do with this blog once the kittens left, and I considered shutting it down altogether. I've decided to leave it here as a resource for others, and to provide the very occasional update to those who have followed the kittens since the beginning and are interested in how they're doing now.

And of course leaving this blog up means that if I end up taking in more kittens this spring, or any time in the future, I'll be back in action here at The Kitten Mama, sharing my stories with you all.

Until next time, thanks for reading!

Updates!

2010-01-07T12:27:00.000-08:00

All of my fosters are settling in / continuing to do well in their new forever homes!

Ozzy (formerly Magnus) is having a wonderful time with new parents Anthony and Nicole -- and growing into a big boy! 5.5 pounds at his November vet appointment I believe - so I'm sure he's even bigger now!

Spock continues to enjoy life at my parents' house with his new best pal Felix. Spock enjoys climbing into boxes, sleeping on my Mum's sewing table, knocking over trash cans, and snuggling. He's a long and lanky cat with an extra long tail!

According to new parents Dick and Joyce, Mac and Cheese (formerly Tabitha and Napoleon) enjoy watching the birds and the squirrels through the window at the bird feeder, watching TV, and playing with the computer mouse and with each other. Mac is Dick's best bud and follows him around everywhere, while Cheese is Joyce's girl.

Although still a little skittish around new people, Xena (formerly Buick) is turning into quite the lap kitty with new parents Karen and Chuck. She is very affectionate with them.

It's so nice to hear about happy endings! I'm expecting photos of several of these feline friends soon - and will share them if / when I get them! : )

Happy Endings for Tabitha, Napoleon & Buick

2009-12-06T05:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday all three of my remaining fosters went to the Carol's Ferals adoption event and all three found homes!

Buick enjoyed hanging in a cage with her buds Jola and Cristal (seriously - have you ever seen a cuter picture?!)...

...before she headed off to her forever home with new parents Karen and Chuck. Buick is going to be the single pet... and I think that will suit her perfectly. I have a feeling she is going to be spoiled rotten!

I was so thrilled that Tabitha and Napoleon found their forever home yesterday - and they got to go together! While I think they would have adjusted to being split up, it's a best case scenario for them to stay together because they've been two peas in a pod for so long. They will love living out their lives together.

Their new parents and Joyce and Richard - who are newly retired and looking forward to having "his and hers" kitties on their laps! They have lots of time to spend showering love on Tabitha and Napoleon and all of us at the event were thrilled to know what a great home they are going to have.

I was proud of myself for holding it together when Buick got adopted. I think because I didn't have her for very long and because she'd been out of my direct care for a few weeks it helped make goodbye easier.

It was tough to say goodbye to Tabitha and Napoleon though - that's for sure. Both Travis and I loved them very much. I'd be lying if I said I didn't shed a few tears!

But the thing that outweighs any sadness is the assurance that all three of my babies went to WONDERFUL homes today. I couldn't have asked for better adopters! Thanks so much, Joyce, Richard, Karen, and Chuck! Please keep me updated! I (and The Kitten Mama followers!) would love the occasional update!

So now, what's to come of this blog?! I have a few ideas I'm mulling over -- stay tuned in the next few days for an update... : )

Travis is NOT a cat person...

2009-12-01T05:43:00.001-08:00

... obviously! : )

Adoption Event - Carol's Ferals

2009-11-28T16:28:00.000-08:00

Today all three Buick, Tabitha, and Napoleon went to an adoption event held by CAROL'S FERALS at the Centerpointe Mall in Grand Rapids, MI. Sadly, none of them found their forever homes today - but there were a lot of people interested in them!

Tabitha and Napoleon adjusted to the bright, noisy mall very easily and greeted people through their cage, while Buick had a bit harder time and spent most of the time curled up sleeping!

Although Buick, Napoleon and Tabitha are still searching for the right homes for them, FOUR other cats and kittens were adopted today. Hooray!

Carol's Ferals will be holding another adoption event this upcoming Saturday (December 5) at the same location, from 10-5pm. Come see us and all the wonderful adoptable cats and kittens!

Bye Bye, Buick!

2009-11-19T08:45:00.000-08:00

Great news!

My girl Buick is over her upper respiratory infection, is round-worm free, and is heading to Carol's Ferals & Friendlies' adoption program today! She'll be in the kitten room with many other little furry friends to play with and keep her busy until she is adopted into her forever home.

Ironically enough, I ran into the gal who helped me rescue Buick that day a couple of months ago at a local coffee shop today! I gave her this blog address so she can see how well Buick is doing. Hi, Sierra! Thanks so much for helping give Buick a second chance!

Buick sure has come a long way since we first found her in the engine of a car... what a little ragamuffin she was!

For a couple of weeks there it was really hard to see her feeling so unwell. That upper respiratory infection really got her down and she'd just want to lay in your arms, purring her congested sounding purr all the while. Poor thing.

Now she's all better and has character for days. She's super active and LOVES people. She's the most vocal kitten I've ever known!

So with a little sadness I say good-bye to sweet Buick today - but know that she will be well-cared for, and (hopefully soon!) be a wonderful feline companion for someone. She is a special girl!

We love you, little Bu-ster! : ) We're so glad we were able to help give you a second chance!

Buick meets Bella...

2009-11-17T07:42:00.001-08:00

A note from Ozzy (formerly Magnus) and his new humans!

2009-11-12T07:21:00.000-08:00

Hey Joanne...

Lots of new stuff to tell you. Ozzy went to the vet for his first visit there. All of the nurses fell in love with him. He got a clean bill of health and found out that he weighs 4.2 pounds!! He's getting SOOO big!! He goes back to the vet on the 19th of this month to get his next shot :)

Ozzy now has run of the apartment when we are gone. The bedroom doors and bathroom doors are still closed, but the rest of the apartment is his. He's been such a good boy too. No problems, accidents or torn up carpet or furniture. It appears that he sleeps the majority of the day and keeps us up all night. We've let him have run on the bedroom at night as well, although this might change soon. He has this great game he plays at night called "pounce on Anthony's head". He does it because he can hear him snoring and Ozzy thinks that Anthony is playing with him. I got him a bed to sleep in, but he doesn't seem to want anything to do with it.

What else...OF COURSE!! Buddy and Ozzy. On the weekends, Ozzy goes to my parents house. Ozzy LOVES to pounce, bite, and paw at Buddy. At first, Buddy was not happy about Ozzy being in HIS house, but now they seem to play quite nice together. Ozzy has this game where he hides on my parents chairs at their kitchen table. Buddy will walk by and Ozzy jumps off of the chairs onto Buddy's back. He then rides the back of Buddy like he's a horse. He loves to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house and play with Buddy on the weekends :) Grandpa is so in love with little Ozzy too!!

Ozzy seems to have an OBSESSION with the bathroom. He was in one for the first few weeks that we had him when we were gone, and now he won't leave them. We have to close the door otherwise Ozzy will spend all day and night hanging out in the bathtub! He doesn't seem to mind water too much. He doesn't like to be IN water, but he loves to go and explore the bathtub after someone has gotten out of the shower. The other night I gave him his first bath here too. I got a wash cloth and got it wet with some soap and gave him a scrub down. He seemed to not mind it too much, but he did groom himself for at least an hour after trying to get himself dry.

He's been so much fun!! Never a dull moment with him and he loves to greet me when I come home buy jumping up on my leg until I pick him up. I'm 100% sure to get lots of Ozzy kisses first thing when I come home and I look forward to it every day!

-Nicole, Anthony and little Ozzy-

Ozzy loves to sit on our window and look at all the ducks outside. I'm going this week to get him a window perch (my parents have one for Buddy and Ozzy will sit on it for hours and look outside)

Ozzy thinking about how to pounce on Buddy :)

Ozzy and Buddy behind the couch. Ozzy looks like a boxer and is having a blast taunting Buddy.

Anthony and Oxzzy on the couch sleeping.

Spock Update

2009-11-10T15:44:00.000-08:00

Spock, the first of my kittens to be adopted (by my parents, no less!) is doing WONDERFULLY!

Here he is (above) with new best friend Felix, just relaxing in my parents' living room.

My parents report that Spock and Felix are almost always together... and that Spock has an unbelievable amount of energy that wears 2 year old Felix out sometimes!

What a great match this was between my parents - Felix - and Spock! I can't wait to see Felix again for myself in just a couple of weeks!

Drumroll Please...

2009-11-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

... Buick tested NEGATIVE for feline leukemia and FIV! Woo hoo! Her spay surgery went well and she recovered very quickly.

Unfortunately though, she has round worms. This isn't a huge deal, just means she needs to rehab with me a little longer until the worms are taken care of and she can be in contact with other kittens.

She is an incredible little girl - and I can't wait to find her to find her forever home! If you are interested in adopting Buick, feel free to e-mail me (joanneroehm@yahoo.com) for more info.

Sorry it's taken me so long to update - and thanks for those of you who have been thinking about Buick! This week I hope to have updates on Spock and Ozzy (formerly known as Magnus) and some great news for Napoleon and Tabitha. Come back soon!

Buick Update #3

2009-11-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

For real this time, Buick went for spay surgery and tests today. Here are a couple of shots of her as we were leaving. Fingers crossed all goes well and that she checks out okay. I'll be picking her up tonight!

PS) I swear I'll be back with Napoleon / Tabitha news soon. Those two crazy kittens! : )

Buick Video Update - October 30

2009-10-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

Pardon the Interruption...

2009-10-28T08:01:00.000-07:00

... I've been hit with a nasty flu bug and have been in bed for the last few days. I hope to return to blogging by the end of the week...

I did want to let you know, however, that while Buick was too sick to go to intake and undergo surgery as planned, she is doing MUCH better and showing great improvement...

We're BOTH working on getting better!

Buick Update #2 - A Snotty Mess

2009-10-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

Poor baby Buick. She is not having an easy time.

After he mucous-y eyes cleared up quickly after starting eye drops and antibiotics I was feeling positive about her progress. Unfortunately, it hasn't been smooth sailing since then.

After a couple of different bouts with diarrhea, her stool is consistently normal at least. That's a good thing.

Her eyes have been super weepy, just clear drainage though not mucous. And her nose has been draining constantly and she's been sneezing all over the place. WAY more than when I first got her.

I did talk to kitten expert Stephanie, who does a lot of kitten fostering for Carol's Ferals and worked with me when I was raising my litter of kittens, who said that clear drainage is much better the mucous, and that the antibiotics will cause the mucous to break up and drain out, and that she has to sneeze it out.

This makes perfect sense. A lot like a human cold, right? You have different stages.

So I'm hoping that the antibiotics have been working and that this upper respitory infection is just running its course. The boor baby SOUNDS like she has a cold. Her purr is all raspy and stuffed up.

She's also had a hard time eating and drinking the past few days.

I just feel so bad for her!

Good news is that tonight she FINALLY gets to go to the vet! So please, send good karma and thoughts Buick's way tonight. Let's hope with all our might that she can get treatment she needs, checks out okay on other fronts, and after rehab-ing (with me, of course) can go into Carol's Ferals' adoption program. She is SUCH a sweet girl and I'd love nothing more than to see her find her forever home. She deserves it after all she's been through!

Video Blog - October 21, 2009 - Adopt these kittens!

2009-10-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

Napoleon and Tabitha are three months old! I need to find them forever homes... please feel free to e-mail this blog / link to anyone who may be interested. All inquiries to me at joanneroehm@yahoo.com. Thanks for helping me find good homes for my babies!

Napoleon & Tabitha's New Toys

2009-10-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

Trav and I were at our local pet store this afternoon and picked up a couple of new toys - one each for Tabitha and Napoleon.

In a true testament to their character... Napoleon promptly lost his new toy. I mean seriously, I can't find it anywhere!

Tabitha, on the other hand, picked hers up in her mouth and carried it around the room with her. She played and played with it and wouldn't let it out of her sight. Napoleon had forgotten about it and moved on to other things as soon as it left his sight. Typical male! : )

I'm still looking for homes for these lovelies. Are you, or is someone you know, interested in giving them a forever home? E-mail me at joanneroehm@yahoo.com

Buick Update #1

2009-10-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

I hope that my regular followers don't mind me including little Buick on this blog... I think it's appropriate, don't you?

Buick had a rough first day with us. She had horrible diarrhea (which she would then lay in) and it was just an awful mess.

The good news is that the messy poop is a thing of the past and she's eating and drinking like a champ. She MUCH prefers dry kitten food to the wet stuff which is more than fine by me.

I gave her some de-wormer yesterday and have been giving her some eye drops twice a day. I think her eyes are looking a little less goopy in general - but usually in the morning's they are crusted shut with mucus and I have to pry open her eyelids and clean them up. Poor baby!

Today she got her first real bath - and she was such a trooper! To give you just a little idea of how dirty this little girl was... check this out...

Yup, that's the water after we were done. Gross! I think it's going to take at least two or three more shampoos until we get her truly clean - but this bath made a huge initial improvement. Look!

She's starting to look like a real kitten instead of a dirty little vagabond! : ) I think she's actually going to be quite pretty...

I can't stress to you how super friendly this little girl is. All she wants to do is curl up on your lap and purr away. She really likes being close to people. I couldn't get a photo of her on the ground because she kept jumping up into my lap.

Later today we'll be cleaning ears and clipping toenails - one thing at a time! Bad news is that Carol's Ferals' vet is out of town this week so she won't be able to go to intake until next week. I'm not too worried about her health wise - I think she'll make it just fine until then. That does mean that she's our house guest for a week now... but at this point I can't give her to someone else until after she's seen the vet and I know what's in store for her.

More kitten news coming later today, including updates on Tabitha and Napoleon. Both babies are still looking for homes and need to find their forever families ASAP. Anyone have room for a kitten? : )

These kittens just keep showing up...

2009-10-16T14:05:00.001-07:00

.. is this a sign of some sort?

Today Heather and I were running around town doing some erranding after our morning workout when we ended up in the Cherry Hill district of town.

We saw a little bit of a commotion and realized that there was a little kitten running down the street.

We pulled over and jumped out to see what was going on. Essentially this kitten was roaming around by himself, looking a little worse for wear, and no one was able to catch him.

A girl who was particularly concerned and myself tried to catch the little one for at least twenty minutes. It involved him running under a gate into a fenced off parking lot with "no trespassing" signs and the girl hopping the fence to try and get him. No luck.

Suddenly he ran back under the gate across the sidewalk and under a car. I thought "Yes! We'll get him now!" we immediately looked under the car and he was gone - vanished! And then we heard purring.

The kitten had climbed up into the body of the car.

Yikes!

Now I COULDN'T leave. I mean, I had no idea where the cat was in the car and what would happen if the owner came and started the car with the kitten in there.

Heather and the girl went into all the surrounding restaurants and businesses trying to find the owner of the car with no luck.

We went to a local deli and purchased some stinky tuna to try and lure kitten out. No luck.

Finally (at least an hour after all this began!) the owner came back. She popped her hood and there sat our little friend among the engine parts.

Phew!

Heather grabbed him and we wrapped him up in my coat and headed to Brooknelle (rehab facility of Carol's Ferals) to clean him up.

Although very skinny, goopy eyed, with matted fur and flea dirt - the kitten appeared relatively healthy and social. She purred as Heather held her.

Yup, I got a chance to find out that the kitten was a "she" at this point. At least I'm 99% sure she is a she. I don't have a 100% track record on this (poor Napoleon - he was a girl for the first five weeks or so of his life!).

I brought her home and bathed her and fed her and she's contentedly living in my craft room for the weekend.

On Sunday she'll head back to Brooknelle to be checked in at intake and will head to the vet for an exam, and if she's healthy and heavy enough, to be spayed.

Assuming she's healthy - she's be put up for adoption.

I figure the worst case scenario is that - if she DOES have disease for which she would have to be euthanized - at least she would pass away peacefully, after being loved on, rather than in the engine of a car. Know what I'm saying?

So there you have it - another crazy kitten story. Why does this keep happening to me?

Keep your fingers crossed for our girl "Buick" (named after the car she was rescued from... obviously!) and I'll be posting updates here as well!

Ozzy (formerly known as Magnus) Update!

2009-10-15T07:13:00.000-07:00

I got a great update from Ozzy's (formerly Magnus) new Mom Nicole last night and wanted to share some of the photos and stories she sent. ENJOY! I'm so happy he's settling in so well, Nicole!

Ozzy is doing so great here and has really made himself at home. He's investigating everything!! My parents came to see him yesterday and they fell in love with him too.

He loves to chase balls (I have some with feathers on them that he LOVES because he can pick them up and take them to wherever he wants). He is so curious about everything. He was a little scared the first night of all of the new noises that he was hearing (the furnace kicking on, the water running, washer and dryer going, etc) but has gotten used to almost all of them. The only thing that he's still a little leery of is our sliding door opening and closing (not a lot of that going on with how cold it is though). The thing that amazes me about Ozzy is that when he hears something that scares him, he runs....but comes right back to investigate. He's VERY brave!!!

During the day when one or both of us is home, he loves to sit in the living room and play, play, play. Sometimes he wants you to play with him...he makes this quite obvious by jumping up and biting at your fingers. He has a small cat cube that has a scratch post and balls hanging from it and I put the "fishing pole" in the top of the cube and he plays with it for hours at a time. I wish I could bottle up some of his energy!!! He plays and plays, but once they get under the couch he goes on to another toy. I guess the under part of our couch is the toy graveyard until I go under there and bring them all back out to play with again. I brought out a big paper bag that he loves to play with too...not to mention boxes :)

I will say that he's the perfect blend of spunk and love!! He loves to play, but he also loves to be loved. Last night he fell asleep on my chest :) Occasionally he will jump up and just want to be pet and loved. He LOVES music and goes right to Anthony when he's singing or playing the piano. I was out yesterday with my parents in Frankenmuth and when we came home, Ozzy was curled up on the couch next to Anthony listening to classical music just as content as can be.

Ozzy also has a fascination with the fireplace and the television and computer. When I'm using the computer, he comes running and jumps up and walks all over the keys to see what's going on the screen. He bats at the cursor on the screen and just cocks his head to the side and stares at whatever is up on the screen. Same with the television. He just sits and looks at it trying to figure out what it is. The fireplace is something that he's not really figured out yet...but he's really trying.

Magnus Update!

2009-10-14T08:07:00.001-07:00

A full Magnus (who has been re-named Ozzy) update is coming soon once I get all the scoop on his antics in his new home. I just had to post this photo though - I was so pleased to see that being raised in a musical household rubbed off on him and he is maintaining his musical skills in his new home... : )

Magnus' Adoption Day!

2009-10-11T18:20:00.000-07:00

Today Magnus went to his forever home with Nicole & Anthony. I couldn't be more pleased!

Anthony came by this evening after work to pick up Magnus and take him to the east side of the state where he and Nicole live. Magnus will be their first and only pet together and I just know that he is going to be spoiled silly!

The photo above is of Anthony with Magnus as they were getting packed up to go. Sorry for the poor picture - it was dark. I'm sure Nicole and Anthony will have new and better pictures for a Magnus update soon! In the meantime, here are the new kitten parents (at Trav and I's wedding last year!)...

Congratulations Magnus, we love you! We know you're going to be a WONDERFUL addition to Nicole and Anthony's lives!

Video Blog - October 10, 2009

2009-10-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

Bella & Magnus Playtime

2009-10-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

Bella LOVES the kittens - even if she DOES have a funny way of showing it! I think, in a way, they love her too! Check out the antics of her and Magnus, for example...

PS) Thanks for all of you who have forwarded on the info about Napoleon & Tabitha to your friends and family - and thanks to those of you who have contacted me with interest in adopting them. It's been an AWFUL week for me so I haven't had a chance to get in touch with you all yet with details - but will do so soon!

Adoption Update

2009-10-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

MAGNUS...
Great news! Magnus has found a home! In the next couple of weeks Magnus will travel to the Ann Arbor area to live with his new kitten parents - Anthony & Nicole. I'll be sure to post photos and an update when his official adoption date arrives!

SPOCK...
I was at my parents house this weekend and got to see first-hand how great Spock is doing and how famously Spock and his feline brother Felix are getting along!

Big brother Felix...

Close up of Spock...

Nap time on the dining room chair...

Bathing / cuddle / nap time on my Dad's lap!

NAPOLEON & TABITHA
Still no adoption news for these cuties (photos in post below). I'll be sending out an e-mail to everyone I know this week with pictures, a link to the blog, and a request for them to forward to e-mail to everyone THEY know as well. If you're following this blog and would be willing to send a copy of the e-mail out to your cohorts - do drop me a line at joanneroehm@yahoo.com

I named these two kittens together, a little tribute to husband and wife hip hop choreographers Napoleon & Tabitha D'umo of So You Think You Can Dance fame. It would be so appropriate if someone wanted to adopt these two kittens together and take them home to dance around their house together!

Can we come live with you?

2009-09-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

It's official - it's adoption time! My three remaining kittens are ready to go to forever homes.

Kittens have been spay/neutered, tested negative for feline leukemia, and have had three rounds of dewormer and their first round of distemper vaccine.

Kittens are ten weeks old, currently on Science Diet Kitten dry food, and are fully litter box trained.

Kittens will need to see your vet within one week of adoption for vaccinations and general check up. Current medical records will be provided to you.

Adoption fee is a minimum $25 donation made payable to Carol's Ferals - the organization who provided me with food, low-cost services, and resources to raise these kittens.

If you, or someone you know, is interested in adopting one of them please e-mail me at joanneroehm@yahoo.com.

MAGNUS (male short hair black/brown tabby)

Magnus is the leader of the litter! He has always been the biggest and strongest. Magnus is highly energetic and loves to run, play, chase, and wrestle (with anything - other kittens, his bed, toys, food dish - you get the picture!) He has a lot of charisma and spunk, but loves to cuddle when he's all tired out from playing.

NAPOLEON (male short hair grey/white patches)

Napoleon is a little lover. He has the loudest purr of the bunch and loves being picked up and held. He loves toys as much as any kitten - and is a super fast runner! He enjoys a good head scratch and belly rub and will be the first to greet you when you enter the room.

TABITHA (female short hair grey tabby)

Tabitha is the only female of the litter and is quite the little princess. She's a beautiful tabby with a sweet face and although she too loves to run and chase, I would consider her the quietest of the bunch (is there really such a thing for a kitten?!) She loves to curl up in your lap and is very tolerant of her brothers!

Kitten Video Blog - September 30

2009-09-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

And then there were three...

Quick Spock Update

2009-09-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos, courtesy of my parents, of Spock settling into his new home and getting to know his new sibling Felix. The pair have been getting on famously without a single growl, hiss or arched back - even upon first meeting! Clearly they are destined to be best buddies!

Spock Goes Home!

2009-09-27T11:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend my parents came into town and took Spock, who they are adopting, back with them to their home.

Spock is heading to their house in Tecumseh where he will live with my parents and his new feline brother, Felix. He is going to have such a great home and since he's with my parents - I'll be able to see him for the rest of his life! So exciting!

Before they headed back to the East side of the state we snapped some pictures...

The first picture of me with all four of my babies! They're so big!

Magnus wanted to be the center of attention.

Me and Spock with his new collar, all ready to head to Tecumseh.

Adopters Susan & Philip Eversden with Spock.

I would be lying if I said I didn't shed a tear after they left! I'm not sure why I got emotional - I am VERY happy for him to be going to my parents' and I will see Spock next Friday when I head down there for part of the weekend. I guess it's just a little hard to see the babies go! This is one of the reasons I couldn't be a kitten foster all the time - although I suppose it would get easier over time!

Stay tuned for more Spock updates, and for more kitten adoption news!

D-Day

2009-09-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

Today was the day that I have been waiting for / dreading / excited about since the day the kittens came into my life. It was the day they were ready to be spay/neutered. Today was daunting for a variety of reasons...

1) WEIGHT: Remember how little they were? Remember how behind they were? It felt like they would never, ever reach the 2lb mark - which is what they need to be before they can undergo surgery. The fact that they made it to that weight (truth: Tabitha is still 1.8lb, but that's close enough in my book for right now!) is staggering to me.

2) SURGERY: Okay - this is melodramatic of me - but I always have this fear whenever ANY of my pets have been spay/neutered. You hear horror stories of pets dying during it. It's not common, not at all, but you know me... I'm a little neurotic...

3) Feline Leukemia / HIV: This was the big one for me. You see, cats/kittens with either of these two FATAL diseases don't have a lot of options. It is not uncommon for these cats to be euthanized. From what I know (and I'm no expert!) it is passed from nose to nose contact so could easily be spread from a non-vaccinated mother to her kittens. Grand Rapids is lucky enough to have a sanctuary for these cats - and they can, in fact, live in a home with other animals as long as the other cats' vaccinations are kept current. Regardless of the options - I knew that if they were positive that it would be a whole other ball game. To come this far, with every kitten living through extroadinary circumstances I would have been nothing short of devastated if they had had a fatal disease. When I walked into the vet today to pick them up and saw a sticky note on their paperwork with NEGATIVE highlighted I almost cried. Honest!

The kittens have just done so well today. Here they are all crated up and ready for the ride to the vet this morning...

Tabitha

Magnus and Spock (hard to see I know!)

Napoleon

I picked them up this afternoon and other than being a little groggy, they were in good spirits. Now they are back in the kitten closet, and you know the first thing they did when they got home?...

Yup! They stuffed their faces! And you know what - after all they have been through today, and in their little lives so far - they deserve it!

So now we can move forward. I am so thrilled that they are all healthy and ready for adoption. I feel like I have 100% succeeded in giving these kittens the chance at live they deserve.

Video Update - Setpember 23

2009-09-23T11:17:00.001-07:00

Escape Artist

2009-09-17T06:17:00.001-07:00

Magnus shows me that he's grown out of the box. Like I didn't already know!

PS) My favorite part is when Magnus comes face to face with my big cat Oliver - and is all of a sudden not so confident any more!

PPS) Spock has learned how to escape as well - I just didn't catch him on camera! : )

Crazy Kittens!

2009-09-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

Phew! These babies are NUTS! : ) To say that I have four mischievous and energetic kittens on my hands is an understatement!

Now weighing between 1lb 8oz and 1lb 10oz each (just 6-8oz to go before they hit 2lbs!) they are little bundles of crazy! They LOVE to run, play, wrestle, and climb. Just like little monkeys!

Still living in my bathroom for now, they get lots of free roaming time during the day, but go back in their box at night to stay safe. This morning I woke up, walked into the bathroom, and Magnus was tightrope walking along the edge of the box wall! I put hm back in, only to go back in minutes later and find him sitting NEXT to the box looking up at me as if to say "take that!"

Travis and I have been debating over the past week or so where a better place to house them would be. It's hard having three other animals, and lots of STUFF that kittens can get in to (the particularly like any kind of cable, and garbage cans!) We really couldn't think of a great place to put them.

And then it hit me!

We live in a beautiful 1920's house and both bedrooms feature HUGE, long closets. While we obviously have lots of clothes in our closet, and use it frequently, the closet in the spare bedroom is well... full of junk...

It's about 6 foot wide by 24 foot long... it's actually bigger than my office, with sloped ceilings, a window, and hardwood floors. It's going to be the PERFECT kitten room! So... after we get this weekend out of the way (Travis is in a wedding and our house will be full of human guests) the closet will be cleaned out and the kittens will be moving in. It's going to be great!

Come back and visit soon for photos of the new kitten room - and more kitten updates!

Kitten Video Blog - September 11

2009-09-11T15:06:00.001-07:00

Enjoy! Have a great weekend, and thanks for checking in with the kittens!

Adoption

2009-09-10T07:33:00.000-07:00

(the kitten mama and Napoleon)

This weekend will mark the kittens' eighth week in this world! Time has just flown by. They are getting stronger, bigger, and more mischievous every day and although this experience has been tough at times it is so rewarding to see them thriving.

They are expected to be about 2 lbs at 10 weeks old. Assuming they hit that goal, they will be taken to the vet to be spayed/neutered (all done at low cost courtesy of Carol's Ferals), checked for feline leukemia, etc. Assuming all of THAT goes well, they will be ready for adoption the week after that (first week in October)

ADOPTION! Can you believe it?

I can't!

I'm equal parts thrilled/excited and sad about it. Don't get me wrong - I'm so happy to have these little guys and gal go off to new homes and human families where they can live long and happy lives and much loved pets. At the same time though, I will be sad to say goodbye.

This is why I couldn't be a kitten foster-mom on a regular basis - I would get far too attached! I'm glad that this opportunity came into my life - it taught me a lot and in a way it saved me when I was going through some tough times myself. I can't say I'll never do it again - but I sure couldn't do this all the time. My heart and thanks go out to those of you that DO do this all the time!

I know for sure that my parents are taking a kitten, so that's one taken care of. Travis and I are still deciding if we are keeping one or not. On one hand, I can't imagine NOT keeping one. But on the other hand - we have two cats and a dog already. Our dog is still a puppy, high energy, and in much need of returning to obedience school, and our cats are a little older and stuck in their ways. If we DID keep a kitten - we'd want to be 100% sure that all of our animals could adapt to each other so that we can all live together harmoniously.

Beyond my parents and I, there have been several of you who have expressed interest in adopting one of the kittens along the way. I guess (sob!) it's time for me to see who is still interested, and gather some information from you.

While I am not SELLING the kittens, I am going to ask that adopting families make a donation to Carol's Ferals. A minimum donation would be $25 for boy kittens and $40 for girls - this would cover their spay/neuter. Of course, if you want to give more I would be honored. It is such a great cause. Find out more by hopping over HERE. Making a financial donation shows your commitment to this new addition to your home - after all, they are going to be with you for a long time! : )

If you're interested, drop me an e-mail at joanneroehm@yahoo.com and we'll chat some more about the details. If you're interested in a boy/girl specifically or if there's a certain someone who's caught your eye do let me know.

How wonderful for these friends to go to new homes! I hope that their adoptive families will keep me updated so that I can post a few follow ups to this blog once they leave me for good.

And lastly, speaking of adoption, if you're in the Grand Rapids area I'd love to see you at THIS EVENT. Carol's Ferals is having a HUGE adoption event and it's going to be fun for the entire family! So please, support Carol's Ferals and come meet some of the sweet kitties up for adoption!

Thanks for stopping by and checking in with the kittens! : ) Video update coming soon!

Quick Update!

2009-09-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

I am so swamped today with my work for Carol's Ferals, setting up my new Stampin' Up business and grad classes starting tonight, but I wanted to give you a super quick mini update...

THEY ARE GROWING LIKE WEEDS!

Seriously, it's pretty exciting! Spock, Tabitha, and Napoleon are all weighing in at 1lb 4oz while Magnus is almost 1lb 8oz!

Here's a couple of quick picks while the kitties were lounging around this morning...

Napoleon (at top), Tabitha (in middle with food on her nose!) and Spock (upside down)

Magnus!

They've sure come a long way since this photo was taken... don't you think?

(taken the day we found them, at approximately two days old)

Kitten Video Blog - September 2

2009-09-02T14:37:00.000-07:00

It's been a good two weeks since I posted a video blog, I'm so sorry! I have so much to update you all on, so stay tuned the rest of the week. For now though, here's the much anticipated video. I'm a little rambly (is that even a word?!) in this one, I apologize!

PS... If you're keeping up with the kittens and haven't added as a follower yet - please do! Head over to the right hand side of the screen and click "follow" - I'd love to know who is following our journey! Don't be shy!

"On the Road Again..."

2009-08-30T16:21:00.000-07:00

The kittens traveled across the state with me this weekend to visit my parents... where they got a LOT of attention! All being well, my parents will be adopting one of the kittens when they are ready. Here's a good shot of Napoleon and Magnus in their traveling cage... the other two are behind them just out of sight. More updates tomorrow!

Good Morning, Bella!

2009-08-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

As the kittens waited in the bath tub for their breakfast (it's a lot easier to clean up if I feed them in the bathtub - they make SUCH a mess when they eat!) Bella came in to say hello...

Bella desperately wants to be friends with the kittens - she just doesn't understand how much bigger than them she is!

Good news on the weight front - Magnus is now weighing in at 13oz while the other three are weighing in at 11oz. That's a 9oz gain for Magnus and a 8oz gain for the other three in just over two weeks! They have each gained 3-4oz since last Thursday alone!

Let's remember, according to Alley Cat Allies...

- Four-five weeks: (8-16.75 oz) Running, playing, digging, and pouncing occur often. Kittens will start to wean and will be able to lap up formula, eat soft food, and use the litter box by themselves. Eyes have fully changed from blue to their adult color.

This is all true! While I would like to see them be at the upper end of the weight scale - everything else seems to be coming along nicely! Today we start LITTER BOX TRAINING! Wish me luck!

Feeding Frenzy!

2009-08-24T19:25:00.001-07:00

Over the past four days, the kittens have essentially said "enough with that bottle already, mom!"

Since their introduction to solid food (wet cat food mixed with formula) last Thursday they have become harder and harder to bottle feed. Today I gave up the bottle altogether and here's how we did...

Looks civilized enough, right? Think again!!!

"I'm swimming in food!" -- Napoleon

"I eat like a lady" -- Tabitha

"I could get used to this" -- Magnus

"What do you mean there's something in my hair?" -- Tabitha

"I'm saving those bits on my head for later..." -- Spock

"Mom... I made a mess!" -- Tabitha

And while the transition to solid food is going great... with more solid food comes LESS solid STOOL. Um, yeah, you get the idea. LOVELY! Aaaah, the joys of being a kitten mama!

Video Update!

2009-08-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

Looking GOOD!

2009-08-20T06:56:00.000-07:00

I am absolutely thrilled to report that as of this morning - all four kittens weigh just about 8oz each! Some are a little under, around 7.5oz, but for the most part they are all there! I am just SO excited! Granted, I think they are still underweight for their age, but they have gained a lot of weight and look so much better than they did even a week ago! Yea!

With their added weight has come some notable developmental differences... particularly in their eyes. The pupils are pretty much completely formed and their eyes are changing from their bluish color to their adult color. They are really starting to look like little kittens now!

Every evening this week we've brought a kitten downstairs, one at a time, for about 15 minutes each, while we watch TV to sit with us. We're really trying to get them socialized as best we can and used to being held and petted. Travis has been awesome this week - he's been very involved in our evening kitten time. I think he has a soft spot for Magnus... : )

Tonight a "real" kitten foster is coming over to check in on the kittens and see how they are doing. I hope I get a good report!

Video update coming tomorrow! Happy Thursday!

Morning snuggles after breakfast...

Cute Kitten Faces!

2009-08-18T20:52:00.001-07:00

Hi! I'm Spock! I'm the tiniest of the litter, but what I lack in size I sure make up for in character! This isn't the best picture of me... I haven't quite grown into my huge eyes and ears yet, but I'm such a lover!

I'm Magnus, and I'm the biggest and strongest of the bunch! I'm ready to run and pounce and play, I'm just waiting for my brothers and sisters to catch up with me!

I don't have a name yet... but I'm awful cute! We just can't decide on the perfect name for me. I purr a lot, I was the first of my siblings to do so!

I'm Tabitha... but you can call me Tabs for short. I'm a little snuggler, and love to cuddle!

Gaining Weight!

2009-08-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

The kittens are continuing to gain weight. Wahoo! It's a slow process, especially since I am overly sensitive to it and want to weigh them and check in on them all the time, but they are getting there.

Since I first posted about their weights a week ago Monday, they have all gained 3 to 4oz each! Magnus is the big guy (always has been!) who is weighing in at 7oz, while the other three babies are each coming in at 6oz each.

The website I've been referring to, lists the following information on how to determine age of a kitten, and their appropriate weights. I have highlighted in red all of the items I have observed in one, or multiple kittent thus far:

- Under one week: (3-8 oz) Eyes are shut, ears are folded down, and kittens are unable to walk. They can purr and make tiny noises. The umbilical cord may still be visible.

- One-two weeks: (8-11 oz) Eyes start to open (they are blue) and focus. Ears begin to open and movement is improved to crawling, snuggling, and kneading.

- Three weeks: (7.5-14.5 oz) Eyes fully open and ears are open and standing up. The kitten will start to respond to noises and movement. The first wobbly steps are taken and baby teeth start to come in.

- Four-five weeks: (8-16.75 oz) Running, playing, digging, and pouncing occur often. Kittens will start to wean and will be able to lap up formula, eat soft food, and use the litter box by themselves. Eyes have fully changed from blue to their adult color.

- Eight weeks: (2 lbs) Kittens look like little versions of full grown cats. This is the best age at which to begin the socialization process.

In the four-five week category, I have started to see beginnings of playing, wrestling, etc. I have also noticed several of the kittens using their tongues to lick, lap and clean themselves from time to time.

If you look at the weights listed for each category, they are a little confusing to me. According to the chart the kittens are quickly approaching the low end of the three-four-five week ranges. I can only assume this is good news!

Feeding is going really well. I've switched from a syringe to a kitten bottle (yes, they make such things!) and not only is it easier for me, but less messy for them. They got the hang of the bottle really quickly. I've upped the food to the amount listed on the formula container for their weight range - but they still seem ravenous all the time! I think I will increase a little more still over the next few days.

And you know what? I can't believe how much I have thought and worried about kitten poop over the past few weeks! Gross, yes, but necessary. In case you're wondering - pooping is going very well. Nice work, kitties!

More pictures and videos coming soon - thanks for checking in on the kittens!

Video Blog & Weight Update

2009-08-14T09:25:00.001-07:00

I am VERY pleased to say that the kittens are putting on some serious weight! In just a few days of upped food they are fattening up nicely... : ) Magnus is now weighing in at 6oz while the other three babies are weighing in at 5oz each. That's a 1 to 2oz gain for everyone. Yeah!

Enjoy the latest video update - and check back next week for more kitty progress!

PS) Have you added as a follower yet? Please do! (Look to your right for a button!)

Weighing In

2009-08-10T08:00:00.001-07:00

I'll preface this post with reiterating that I have NO IDEA what I'm doing when it comes to these kittens! I mean, really, I'm winging it!

Figuring out how much and how often to feed the kittens has been quite confusing to say the least. Everything I've read and everyone I've talked to has had slightly different ideas. I guess just like there's no handbook to raising a kid, there's no handbook to raising kittens either - and a lot of it seems like trial and error, and situational dependent on your kittens.

I was feeding them 2ml of kitten formula every three hours - but I was told to dilute the formula with one extra part water to help them digest and avoid constipation. All was going well (except for my nights sleep - of course!)

Yesterday we went out and purchased a cheap kitchen scale, since we didn't own one, because I wanted to get the weights of the little guys and gals. We came home and I got to weighing. Here's what we came in at:

MAGNUS: 4oz

SPOCK: 3oz

GIRL #1 (Pink? Chloe?): 4oz

GIRL #2: 3oz

I checked a weight chart I found online at Alley Cat Allies and was horrified to find them at about HALF the weight they should be for their age. Yikes!

Now, I have to take this with a grain of salt because I'm sure there are resources all over the web with different ideas of weight vs. age etc. but at the same time I had a mini panic attack. I looked at the recommended feedings on the formula container and according to that I am definitely not feeding them enough - especially since I'm diluting it further.

Soooo... I'm upping the food. I don't know if that is right or wrong but we're going to see how it goes. I'm doing 4ml - no extra dilute - every four hours. I'm also leaving them over night (feeding right before bed and first thing in the morning) since almost everything I've read says that kittens this age can start being fed 3-4 times a day and go for 8 hours overnight. I don't want to feed them TOO much because they are so little and have little bellies - but I want to make sure they are getting the nourishment to grow - you know?

We'll see how this goes, huh? I figure with this up in nourishment, if they can handle it, they should put on weight pretty quickly. I'll weigh them again later in the week.

The good news is that they are very active, and vocal, so I think other than being soooo little they are doing just fine.

Wish me luck!

Video Update - Sunday August 9

2009-08-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

The Naming

2009-08-05T10:02:00.000-07:00

"Come and gather in the meadow

In the meadow, in the sun
Come together everyone
Now the naming has begun

Leave your burrow, field, and furrow
For the meadow and the sun
Come and gather everyone
Now the naming has begun
The naming, the naming"

The Naming, from Children of Eden

I was super hesitant to name the kittens at first. Since they were so little and vulnerable, and expected not to live, I didn't want to get attached.

Although we're not 100% safe yet, I feel like these little guys and gals have made it through a challenging first two weeks of life, and deserve names of their own. At least for now! Once adopted, they'll get brand new names I'm sure (from what I hear there are name lists in progress in the Hillman household!) but at least for now I think they'd rather be called something other than "grey one" don't you think?

So here's where I need some help from you. I've got names for two of them, but not the others. I grabbed some photos of them all after bathtime today. Yes... I did say bathtime...

The pictures aren't the best - but they are SO hard to take photos of right now! They are so squirmy! : ) So, meet our little friends. And if you have a name idea for the two baby girls - leave a comment!

Meet MAGNUS!

Meet SPOCK!

Meet GIRL #1

Meet GIRL #2

PS) If you look really closely... you can see their pupils starting to form. So exciting!

Welcome!

2009-08-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

I decided that since there was just so much kitten-ness going on in my life right now, and so many people wanting almost daily updates, that I would begin a new blog dedicated just to them, rather than clog up my personal blog with nothing but kitty news.

So for those of you that have already been following the kitten story - thanks for hopping over here! And for those of you that are new - welcome, welcome! DO take a moment to add yourself as a follower on the right hand side of this page.

Let's start with a recap, shall we? To hear the story from the beginning, head back to this post.

And here, for your viewing pleasure, are the first three kitten video updates...

I plan on updating this blog every couple of days or so. So please, check back regularly to see how we're all doing!