Kitten update

Well, they have only gained in cuteness over the past few weeks. They are now 10 weeks old but still very small for that age. The little orange male, POTTER, is the only one who now weighs over two pounds. At least the three girls are now over one pound. Little TORTIE is the teeniest but she's growing too. All are now only eating dry kitten food, no more bottles for them.

They come out of their "room" every few hours for playtime and then it's back to either have a meal or just nap. All of them will be the best kittens when adopted. As soon as that's possible, after spaying and neutering, I'll post that so people can rush to the Park County Animal Shelter to scoop one up and give them a forever home.

Clean, clean, clean

Today, after their noon feeding, all the babies got a bath. They are messy little things so it was sorely needed. I also gave them a clean blankie and added two kitty boxes so the space not covered by their crate bed is now potty boxes. They're getting the hang of it but were missing from time to time so I'm giving them no choice but to use the litter.

As you can see, they're growing bigger. Hint: the one in the upper right is NOT a kitten, it's the tail off of a fake coonskin cap that they can either play with or cuddle up to. The oldest one (far left) loves to chase me around the floor and join me on my lazyboy for some TV watching.

Growing up

The kittens have been here since August 1st, joined by the fifth one who is about a week older, the next day. Today I made them a larger playpen, thanks to a washer box from Sears, so they would be able to get about and play with each other. The four are only about 2.5 weeks old and just starting to move about. The older one is quite adventuresome and loves to run around and follow the dogs.

Hopefully they will all figure out what those sandy beaches are for and start using kitty litter. They are all being bottled fed, not nearly ready for solid food, but that should happen soon. I've been so busy I haven't even thought of names for them other than Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo and Baby for the oldest one. Sure are cute tho.

They had a rough start with their mom taken away from them but hopefully they will now thrive.

Furry babies

Just when I thought it was safe to put the baby stuff away.....here comes four more. The shelter called me and asked if I would again take on fostering some baby kittens. These are much younger than the last two. These have their eyes mostly open. Apparently the rancher didn't want them so locked the mom out of the barn. And unfortunately the shelter doesn't even have the address so I can't get the mom to bring her here and raise them.

I've started them on KMR, all but the teeniest one drank readily. There are three girls and one boy. Hopefully they will all survive and find loving forever homes when ready for that phase of their lives.

Big Day!

Yes it is, today is SISTER's 19th birthday. She's been with me for all but her first 3.5 weeks, along with her sister, MUFFIN. We lost MUFFIN in May but she's with both of us in our hearts and minds.

Goodbye beautiful lady

Around the middle of August, in 1997, I was handed two wee kittens. They had been stuffed in a paper bag and left next to my neighbors car when they were at the local ball fields. The kittens were about 3 1/2 weeks old, barely crawling around, not eating or using a kitty box. I set up a large crate in the living room and started their education.

These sisters, MUFFIN and SISTER, have brought such joy into my life but the day is a bit dimmer now. At age 18 years, 10 months, I had to put MUFFIN to sleep today. About three weeks ago she started acting a bit weak and wasn't eating well. She was on a special diet for her kidneys but they apparently were going into complete failure. We tried medications but the disease moved very fast.

Today I decided to opt for quality and not quantity. To let her go and not keep her alive just to keep her alive. Her sister, SISTER, is just fine altho she is also starting to show her advanced age.

Foster babies

Today I picked up two kittens at our animal shelter. Mom had been killed and I had told the shelter that if they ever got in any wee baby puppies or kittens that I would foster them. The two little orange kittens are one female and one male. The little one is the boy. I believe they're about three to three and a half weeks old. They aren't nursing very well so I'll start them on some baby solid food. Now for some names.............

Her Majesty

She thinks she's a queen and she's now on her throne. MADDIE loves to sleep on a pillow so when I got a new one for myself I tossed the old one on the couch. She immediately settled her royal fanny on it.

Another first

Of this winter season at any rate. Enough snow came down last night to make a print of my MADDIE's foot this morning. It's very sunny out now so melting will happen quickly.

Sharing

This is an awesome photo of best friends. RICHIE is wearing the new jammies I made for him with an Olaf (from Frozen) pattern. He's sharing with his best bud, TOUGH. Altho the old one is blind he can still feel the soft fleece and enjoy the closeness. All the other jammies I made are now toast as RITA, a pit bull, loves to haul RICHIE around by his clothes.

As a Chinese Crested dog, RICHIE has hair only on his legs, head and tail tip. Hence the winter clothes.

Birthday girls

One day my neighbor came quickly down my road with two kittens she'd found in a paper bag next to her car at the local ball field. She said her cats would kill them and would I give them a home. I said certainly. I was surprised when I opened the bag to find the babies were only about three and a half weeks old. They didn't know how to eat solid food or use a kitty box. I set them up in a large dog crate in my living room and they became a part of my family.

Today those two "bag ladies", MUFFIN and SISTER, are celebrating their 18th birthday! I can't imagine life without them, they bring joy to my life, and sometimes frustration, every day. Other than being on a special diet food for their kidneys, they have been healthy and happy cats.

Mystery ???

The other day a friend was trying to catch an elusive mouse in her house so she put out a baited snap trap. As she has both a cat and dog she placed it where neither could accidentally get caught. Imagine her surprise when the next morning she found a very unusual creature in the trap. It's like nothing she'd seen before but apparently has a taste for peanut butter.

This is a completely new species of rodent, rarely seen by humans, very secretive in its habits so little is known about it.

Okay so it's not alive, certainly not after it was caught. Apparently MISS KITTY was pushing her mouse toy around and accidentally shoved it into that very same area where the trap had been set. One shove too many and it was caught. Thank goodness the snap must have scared her so she just left the toy where it was found the next morning. This is not a set up and no animals were hurt in the taking of this photo. Well, except for the rare zebra striped red eared mouse.

Nope....

She's not dead and this photo isn't upside down. But MADDIE is. I sometimes wonder just how she gets into these positions on the couch. As you can see, she's also made sure the pillow is in the right spot.

Trojan horse ?????

Nope, Trojan Kitten. I hadn't seen SAM for a few minutes so called his name. He knows it and usually comes running. Imagine my surprise when this basket slowly made its way into the living room...... If you look close you'll see his face behind the end of it. I had cleaned out my old ice box and saved some things to take to the Bargain Box. This basket among them. He apparently couldn't resist trying to climb inside and it flipped over. I sure wish I had a video of the whole episode.

UPDATE: SAM is in his forever home thanks to Nicole and her husband. This rambunctious kitten now has a big brother too. DIGGLESBY is a year old and I've received photos of the two of them playing on their climbing pole. He's still the King of Cuteness and I miss his presence in the house. My old cats, not at all.

Small and large

SAM has found a way to keep his feet warm, shoot, his whole body. He's been fascinated with my fleece lined slippers once he found them. I ended up cutting off the leather ties, he wouldn't stop chewing on them.

And then came his thinking he's really a huge lion in a teeny kitten body. He also found one of the dogs bones and decided to taste it.

He's growing up

SAM is about three weeks old in this photo sitting on Susan's shoulder.

Here he is today on my lazyboy with MADDIE. He was just about to climb down off the chair, I was lucky to get this shot. MADDIE is recovering from foot surgery hence the pretty collar.

SAM is getting cuter by the day and becoming very adventuresome. He's now able to climb up and down to get on my lazyboy. He also made a climb up to my bedroom which is a good sized step. He made a huge leap, caught his claws on the moulding and kept coming.

As cute as he is I won't keep him forever as my two resident cats are quite elderly and don't need the competition for my attention. They are getting better about his tagging along behind them but two cats are enough. If anyone would like to adopt this beautiful baby boy he will be ready in a few weeks. He's already had his first worming and will get the second next week. He'll also have his first shot. He uses his kitty box too.

New family member......maybe

He arrived after a phone call from a neighbor. Gerald said that he found an injured deer in his place who had apparently been hit by a vehicle. She couldn't walk so he called the WGF to come and euthanize her. At the same time a feral mom cat ran by and left this kitten in the grass. Gerald didn't know if there were others but the mom didn't come back so he called me. Remember what I said about "if they don't know what to do....."

I am now feeding this approximately two week old boy kitten on about the same schedule I used for Ms. PIGGY, the squirrel. This time it's a diet for kittens but the feeding equipment is the same. His eyes are open but he's very small. Oh yes, his name is SAM and he's sleeping in one of Ms. PIGGY's coonskin caps.

Smile!

My volunteer Sara took her dogs for a walk today and found out it was very windy. This is Rita, her female pit bull, facing into that strong wind, so strong her lips were blown wide.

Ready for anything

As most of you know, Cody has experienced a winter this year, first one in about a dozen years. Lots of below temperatures, snow and ice. Well, it's not just in Wyoming. My cousins, Shirley and Pete Repp, who live in Wisconsin, have also had their fill of the white stuff and cold weather. Here's a photo of WALTER, their wonderful little dog, all ready for his walk outside. You'll note he is very fashionable in his plaid coat and black boots.

Legless wonders

We had about a foot of snow last week, beautiful but not if you don't have very long legs. This is MADDIE, my corgi mom out playing in it. Not much ground clearance but she was having fun. Her daughter, SOPHIE, was in another part of the yard also buried up to her chest.

This photo is my contribution to my yard. We don't usually get snow that can be made into anything so when the opportunity presented itself I made my first snowman since moving here 32 years ago. Okay, it's only 10 inches tall but I still had fun as did the dogs when they spotted the little fellow.