Hi Ocho the black cat here, I just got back in town.

After a particularly rough Halloween season I took an extended vacation to Cancun Mexico. I didn’t get as much rest as I would of liked because they have this little mouse down there named Speedy Gonzales and he was at the same hotel as me. I see how he got his nickname, I never did catch him.

There is always something to spoil my plans, I must be jinxed or something,

Ocho the black cat

Look what we found under the porch

Luckliy we kept Pearl and her siblings were accepted down at the shelter where they were fostered, fixed and then adopted out.  That summer was full of many surprise kittens which the shelter helped us out with.

Here’s a photo of  Batley, an adopted dog.

Times are tough and so the small animal shelters need support .

I don’t have a lot of money either, but I am saving $240 from the sale of an art piece to buy supplies for our local no-kill shelter.

And I will do this once I get 1000 sign ups on the new Blastoff site. It’s free to sign up, it cost you nothing to basically donate to an animal shelter.

If you use the Mall part, it benefits you by giving you cash back when you buy something. You don’t even have to do anything with Blastoff at all, but there are some great games, you can watch Hulu and update your Facebook all on the one page.  At least take a look!

Here’s how you will know the supplies will go to the shelter.
1. It will be video taped and put on Youtube, and I will put it below.
2. The first tape shows the money being put in a sealed, distinct envelope.
3. I’m going to open the envelope on camera and buy actual supplies and video tape it being taken into the shelter so you know the money is going to be used properly.

The distinct envelope

I will keep an updated filled gauge here of how close we are to 1000 sign ups.

Why am I doing this?
1. I love helping the shelters anyway I can.
2. I don’t make money on sign ups unless people use the mall, but it would help me feel better to see some numbers. I’m sure you know how I feel.
3. This is a good way to hold me accountable to give stuff to the shelter.
4. I want people to see how fun the site is and that is can save people money.
5. It’s fun!

If this goes well I would like to do it again and again as I get more sign ups.

1. Perhaps next time take in some treats and toys in for the animals and workers
2. More supplies
3. A full starter pack for a new owner including food, supplies, paid fees, and paid 1st vet bill, for a fixed income person. Because what the animals really need is loving homes.

Please feel free to tell me of more ideas.

Every little bit counts

Video will be here shortly

The site is

i wasn’t sure i could find a thanksgiving themed video.
but, in fact, i did.

happy thanksgiving. in all things, give thanks.
me-ow.

A few weeks ago we were browsing Facebook, and we seen that Samantha’s cat had kittens recently. This was the perfect opportunity to get some very cute photos of 6 little kittens. Samantha was up for the idea and she brought them all over. It was quite the experience! Getting a photo of them all together was near impossible as they just wanted to move! But we did get some very nice photos of them and really seen the personalities that each kitten had. One would cry every time you touched them, another would try and run away, and another one would just sit and stare at you. They were so fun to photograph and I would love to do some baby animal photos again for sure!

View more of the Kitten photos here.

Despite any reservations I had about adopting a foster kitten (a necessary taboo if I want to keep doing my job), adopting Duck has been a great thing for the family. He’s improved the dynamic amongst my adult cats. Serra has someone to care for and to occupy her time. Wesley has a new playmate. Buttercup has had some of the pressure to be friendly removed from her so she can be the grouchy old lady she was always meant to be (but I love her for that).

It turns out that Duckie actually does have an evil side that isn’t induced by anesthesia. He is almost as bad as Serra about my yarn. If I leave it unattended, Duck will grab a whole ball or skein and run with it. While I am trying to knit, Duck will pounce on the working yarn with the singular focus only kittens have. Like his sister Lamb, Duck loves my handmade items. A few days ago he wrapped himself in a sweater he pilfered from somewhere so he could take a nap. He drags that sweater around with him on occasion as well. Good thing the sweater was just a practice piece, and not something I was attached to!

Duck is also very food motivated. Despite the fact that he does NOT get fed from our plates (as a matter of fact, he’s not had any people food yet), Duck tries to “help” me eat my dinner. This motivation does work in my favor, though. We squish Wesley’s blood pressure meds into a treat to make him take it without force, and Duck could not be more thrilled. Since I have the treats out, I make the cats do a few tricks to earn said treats. Duck now touches my fist to open it, he begs, he sits (but not patiently), he comes when called, he jumps into a chair, and he is learning to walk on his back legs for a few steps (Michael’s idea after watching Carisa’s rats do it).

Yet another fascinating thing I’ve learned about Duck is that he trusts me implicitly. I guess he figures that if I would go as far as I did to keep him alive, I’m probably not going to deliberately hurt him. He let me carry him into the shower (while it’s running) and he let me dip him in the bathtub. I was vacuuming the area around the litter box a few days ago, and, well, see for yourself:

No fear in that one.

I may have had a hard time being comfortable with the decision to adopt a foster kitten, but I can’t say I’ve regretted it.

It’s that time of year again…the leaves are changing colors, the weather is getting cooler and our thoughts are turning to parties, pumpkin pie, and peace on earth. Each year, before I begin my holiday shopping or plan my family get-togethers, I like to spend some time thinking about all the animals for whom I am thankful. You may recognize a few favorites from my Thanksgiving column last year as well as some new ones!

I AM THANKFUL for Miss Bella, my rescued British Shorthair kitty, whose early life in a “kitten mill” caused her to mistrust people. Throughout our years together, you have taught me that our past doesn’t determine our future. With gentleness and grace, you have shown a remarkable ability to forgive humans for their shortcomings and you’ve blossomed into a loving and trusting member of my family.

Miss B. gets comfy in her autumn-inspired cat bed!

I AM THANKFUL for my extended furry family—Axel, Bashful, Chaos, Felice Navidog, Felix, Hope, Java, Kung Pao, Mietz, Olive, Pasha, Ricky, Russie (R&R), Sandy, Teddy Bear, and Yum Yai—you are all love personified and I feel privileged to care for you when your human families are away.

I AM THANKFUL for the foster kittens who have allowed me to be their ephemeral “mom.” With your impossibly tiny whiskers and claws and oh-so-soft fur, you have wrapped yourselves around my heart and brought me endless joy and amusement.

I AM THANKFUL for the happy hounds who prance and play in the park. You bring a smile to my face and instantly transform my ordinary day into an extraordinary one. You are gentle reminders that life is meant to be lived in the precious present moment.

I AM THANKFUL for the blue jays, the sparrows, and the hummingbirds whose presence never ceases to add a bit of beauty to my garden. You add color, entertainment, and a symphony of sweet sounds to my day.

I AM THANKFUL for all the many furred and feathered creatures who serve as animal ambassadors at my “Compassion for Critters” classes so that children may learn more about you – for it is the compassionate children of today who will grow up to be the kindhearted adults of tomorrow.

I AM THANKFUL for the animal rescuers and animal shelter volunteers whose never-ending work to save abandoned and abused animals often goes unnoticed and unappreciated. You take the animals’ broken bodies and shattered spirits and make them whole again. You give them a chance to become someone’s treasured companion – a chance to live wonderful lives. I am in awe of you.

I AM THANKFUL for the many animals with whom I have shared my life. I am thankful for your unbridled joy every time I walked into a room—whether I had been gone for five minutes or fives hours. I am thankful for the late-night “therapy sessions” where I confided my innermost thoughts and concerns to you without feeling judged. Even though your physical bodies no longer exist, you will always be with me in spirit.

I AM THANKFUL for all the animals with whom we share our planet. Thank you for your willingness to be here to teach us, to guide us, to inspire us to be better people. I am thankful that you have allowed us to open our hearts and souls to you, for it is through your unwavering love and loyalty that we begin to understand that the connection between us is stronger and deeper than we ever imagined.

I AM THANKFUL for ALL of you.

Kitty Cup

Originally uploaded by DiemNoir

So last Saturday night was my 25th birthday (11/21) and I went to Benihana with a few friends and I got a free meal. Along with my meal, I paid $7 (with free refills) for this lovely kitty shaped mug. It’s weird, quirky and a novelty … I HAD to have it. It’s not your conventional mug because you have to stick a straw in the little hole in his neck … and yes, it looks like a tracheostomy tube … that you’re drinking from. How sick is that?

While it’s not Hello Kitty, I’ve come to enjoy this weird looking mug, cup, whatever you want to call it. Gotta looooove China!

Designe

Hallo, ik ben Designe, een tijgerkatertje van ongeveer 6 maanden oud (geboren rond half mei 2009). Zie ik er stoer uit? Mis! In feite (ik zal het maar toegeven…) ben ik een watje. Ik wil altijd bij je zijn en ben heel aanhankelijk. Vreemd in feite, want er is wel wat met me gebeurd. De politie bracht me met verbrande pootjes naar Rosette, een lieve poezendame. Ik weet wel wat er met me gebeurd is, maar ik kan het de mensen niet vertellen hé. Ik vraag me zelf af waarom ik de mensen zo vertrouw en zo lief ben. Nu zit ik bij mama Rosita, waar ik de beste zorgen krijg. Ik ben volledig in orde: ontwormd, 2 keer ingeënt en zelfs al gecastreerd. Misschien wordt ik best geadopteerd door mensen die me binnen willen houden, want ik laat me door iedereen oppakken…
Zóóóó lief ben ik!

Belle

Dag lieve mensen! Ik heet Belle, een zwart kattinnetje, geboren ergens in de zomermaanden. Zoals mijn naam het zegt: ik ben pikzwart, maar ik ben heel mooi, en mijn vachtje glanst als een spiegeltje! Er is één ding dat wat minder is: ik ben wat bang… Ik ben waarschijnlijk wat laat ontdekt door mensen, en kreeg als kittentje niet de kans om vertrouwen met de mens op te bouwen. Eerst hield mama Rosita mij in een kooitje om te wennen, maar nu mag ik spelen met mijn opvangbroertjes en –zusjes. Dat vind ik heel fijn, want ik ben speels zoals ieder gezond katje, maar als er iemand de kamer binnenkomt, spurt ik wel weg. Ach, misschien is er wel iemand met geduld, die het niet erg vindt dat ik niet op de schoot spring. Alhoewel, dat kan nog komen hoor! Is er iemand die zich over mij wil ontfermen? Iemand met veel liefde en geduld?… Ik hoop het! Mama Rosita liet me volledig in orde maken: ontwormd, ingeënt en gesteriliseerd.

Tigo

Hallo! Ik ben Tigo, een tijgerkater, ook volledig in orde: ontwormd, ingeënt en gecastreerd. Als ik in de spiegel kijk, vind ik me best mooi: een prachtige dikke vacht, als je het mij vraagt. Ik heb hetzelfde probleem als mijn zusje: ik ben nog bang van de mensen. Tja, we kunnen er in feite ook niets aan doen. Ik kom wel snoepjes halen uit de hand, maar maak me dan vlug onder de voeten uit. Is er iemand die een warm hart heeft en wat geduld, en een plaatsje voor mij?

I organized my closet and desk. I moved away papers that had lost their importance, and brought out pens flowing fresh ink and blank post-its. I tacked colored unicorns and drawn memorabilia to my bulletin board. I moved books I had read to the top shelf of my closet, and filled the left corner of my desk with new books I plan on reading sometime soon.

All for what? The holiday season is approaching and with that, coming gifts from loving family members and friends. All come appreciated and appear to be hand selected. Mine; generally come in the form of books, they are the quickest way to my heart no matter what genre or author. Books, books, books to add to my plethora of books.

With all the classics that have been on shelves for years, and the new books that are virgins to my reading eyes, I cannot help but think which books would please me best.

In the latest months, I have found myself venturing in to the philosophy section of bookstores. My latest purchase: The Symposium by the thinker Plato. Now, in somewhat of a switch, I think I would like to take a journey through some Charles Darwin, or Greek plays, maybe something more religious and controversial or possibly something more recent such as Under the Dome.

Every title I see provokes my interest in one way or another, I could argue any which one to the death of whether or not I would actually read it. It may sit, but the sitting and being unread is still a comfort in my heart. At least I have another book, I say to myself, and I love the gift thoroughly.

As I shuffled through my books, my two young cats wrestled beneath my feet with no idea of the compromises I was making in my head. I made choices of what books I was most likely not going to read anytime soon; these books feel to the deepest but still very fluorescently lit part of my closet. Other books built the foundation for mediocre piles of books I thought I might read soon. Through each decision, Oscar and Char continued to bicker.

Unconditional Love is a love this is not limited by any conditions or in any way at all.  It is Absolute.  It is True.  And…it sure makes you happy when you give or receive it, doesn’t it? 

For 13 years, I received the Unconditional Love of two very sweet animals…Shakespeare & Spencer…my precious persian cats.  Because I lost both of them this year, I am writing this article about them.  They truly did give me their Unconditional Love every day. 

I grew up with dogs as family pets.  We never had a cat.  And…until I was 36 years of age, I never had a pet in my adult life (except for fish in an aquarium).  I told myself that I was not going to have any pets.  And, I certainly did not see myself with a cat.  One day, I was on an appointment to place a house on the market for sale.  As we were sitting at the kitchen table going over the required paperwork, a Mother Cat came walking out of the laundry room with two little tiny baby kittens trailing behind.   One of the kittens walked right up to me so I had to pick him up to pet him!  He was the cutest thing I had ever seen, especially when he snuggled up tightly on my chest.  The owner of the home told me that she was selling the kittens and that they were peke-faced Persians.  The one that I was holding onto had a crooked tail, so he would never be able to be a “show cat”, I was told.  I said good-bye and left there with no intention other than selling the home as quickly as possible.  But…for the next few days, I could not get that kitty with the crooked tail out of my head.  He was the first thing that I thought of when I woke up each morning. 

So…I found myself driving back to my listing with a check in hand…to buy the kitty with the crooked tail.  I named him Shakespeare.  He was 3 months old.  He followed me every where I went and he slept at the foot of the bed, touching my feet.  Because I had never had a cat before, I bought a book that would tell me everything that I ever wanted or needed to know about having a cat as a pet.  It said that cats need the companionship of other cats, especially if you are not often home. 

When I had called the owner just to inquire whether or not she still had the other kitty (because I wasn’t sure that I wanted two), she said “I can’t believe you called me today!  We just found out that the people who had taken that kitty are abusing him.  So, we rescued him but now we are leaving for vacation and weren’t sure what to do with him.”

So…I found myself driving back to my listing with a check in hand…to buy Shakespeare’s brother.  I named him Spencer.  He was all matted and dirty and very clingy.  I just knew that seeing his brother again would cheer him right up.  Boy, was I wrong!!!  For three weeks, the two hissed at each other and steered clear of the other’s path.  I would cry “But, you’re brothers!  You’re supposed to love each other!”  And…I would call my girlfriends saying “What have I done?  They hate each other!”  One day, I came home and found the two of them licking each other!  From that day on, they were best buddies.  We were a happy, little family.

Over the next 13 years, they were with me through three moves, four company changes, three relationship break-ups, and the birth of a baby.  And…they always loved me Unconditionally.  Shakespeare always slept at the foot of my bed, touching my feet.  And…Spencer and I cuddled on the couch for the last hour of every night before I’d go to bed.  They were not your typical cats…they were very friendly.  If there were people around, they were right there!  And, Spencer would even play catch with a toy mouse!! 

They both died from a fast growing tumor in their mouth.  So, they did not suffer for a long amount of time.  It broke my heart to say good-bye to them on their final day.  And…it is very strange to not have them here.  I still find myself looking around for them sometimes and making sure I close the door so they don’t get out!

I am very thankful that I got to experience their Unconditional Love.  I will carry that lesson with me the next time I am in a relationship.  And…who knows?  Maybe there is another furry baby in my future.  For right now, though, I am content to remember the purrs and meows of my precious Persians, Shakespeare & Spencer.

In Memory Of…

Shakespeare – 8/9/96 ~ 5/21/09 ~and~ Spencer – 8/9/96 ~ 10/29/09

Here’s some pictures of them all. Well all except kitten number 3. He was down this morning but not this afternoon for food – will probably make up for it at supper!

!

Well seems like operation cat flap is a resounding success! They all slept in there last night, well mother cat sat on the houses roof, then went inside to sleep.

The kittens seems to like it in there, they’ll come out for a feed then go back in for sleep.And after all the worry we had about them not liking it and about how we’d get them to go in. Literally straight away they were in there. Guess it beats curling into a ball under a bush!

Well today, they’ve been fed 4 times up until now, had a total of 3 tins of food between them and some biscuits!

Today has been an exciting day, well kind of. Got a message on twitter yesterday asking if a local radio station could do an interview with us re the homeless cat and her 3 kittens. You can hear it tomorrow afternoon on Wirral Heart Radio 97.1 . Hopefully should bring along a bit more traffic for the cat and kittens in need!

Also went to the cash and carry to buy some more food – they’ve got through 24 tins of food in just over 3 days – hungry little blighters they are too! But at least they’re eating as it is very cold outside today.

I sat with them this afternoon to take some pictures as the ones we’ve got so far haven’t been very good. Just going to upload them now and give them their own post i think!

You know I really felt touched today, someone was talking about if it wasn’t for us two then they’d have no love or anything. We’re doing what any human being would do – or so I’d hope. Makes me really sad to think that some people just don’t care about animals at all.

Femke

Hallo, ik ben Femke, een erg lief kattinnetje. Ik ben geboren half september 2009, maar ik weet zelfs niet waar. Gelukkig vond een lieve mevrouw mij, samen met mijn 4 broertjes en zusjes, in een doos langs de weg. Ik kom vanzelf naar je toe, ben speels en strijk graag tegen je aan. Wie wil mij evenveel liefde geven als mijn opvangmama Rosita? O ja, ik ben ontwormd en al 1 keer ingeënt. Dus ik ben nog klein!

Felix

Dag lieve mensen! Mijn naam is Felix (hoe kan het ook anders!). Evenals mijn zusje Femke ben ik in die akelige doos langs de weg gevonden (geboren half sept. 2009). Dank zij de beste zorgen van Rosita heb ik het heel goed nu. Toch kan ik maar tijdelijk bij haar blijven, want ze moet weer plaats hebben voor andere sukkels al ik. Dit bankje is mijn lievelingsplekje. Net als Femke ben ik tam, speels en lief. Wie valt er voor mijn charmes?

Fonske

Kijk, ik ben Fonske. Ik ben maar op mijn tonnetje gesprongen, zodat jullie goed kunnen zien hoe mooi ik wel ben! Ik ben een schattig katertje, en ook een broertje van Femke en Felix (geboren half sept. 2009). Ook ik zit te wachten op lieve mensen die me een warme thuis willen geven. Niet dat ik wil bluffen, maar ik ben héél lief en aanhankelijk, en zit graag op de schoot. Vraag het maar aan mama Rosita! Vind je mijn zwarte staartje niet uniek, hihi!

Fientje

Ik ben Fientje, zusje van Femke, Felix en Fonske, ook ontwormd en 1 keer ingeënt (geboren half sept. 2009). Zien jullie graag een tijgertje? Of een witje misschien? Wel, ik ben er de perfecte combinatie van! Ja, het is waar: ik ben een geboren vleier. Omdat ik zo speels ben, lijkt het of ik soms wat ondeugend ben. Kusjes, likjes en kopjes geven behoren tot mijn dagelijkse favoriete bezigheden. Hou je eerder van een afstandelijke, koele poes? Dan moet je mij niet nemen hoor, want ik ben een lieve, warme meid, die graag geknuffeld wordt!

I have finally compiled the result of my kitten experiment.  After hours (ie. 45min) of rigorous testing, I have come to the conclusion that my hypothesis was correct, apart from one point.  Children in the company of adults didn’t speak directly to me, but instead directed kitten-related comments to their adult companions.  One drunk man did make a comment about the kitten, but only in passing.  The only other adults who spoke to me were those who also had cats, and were therefore cat people.  Comments about my cat were invariably accompanied by anecdotes about their own cats.  I feel that I have found sufficient evidence to conclude that even with a kitten, it is near impossible to elicit a reaction from strangers.

In other news, today I had to speak to an excruciatingly annoying creationist, who tried to sell me his book about dinosaurs.  The basic premise of the book was that dinosaurs and their fossils are not in fact as old as most people would assume, but instead roamed the planet at the same time as our human ancestors.  He stated some shoddy reasoning about how some dinosaur bones have been found with red blood cells still intact – and how if you bury a chicken or cow bone, there will very soon be no blood cells left within the bone, therefore dinosaur bones aren’t really all that old.  I told him I wouldn’t be interested in buying his book, and he said that the reason I’m “afraid” to read it is because I am a biologist, and apparently biologists are always afraid that their “fake atheist theories” will be refuted.  An interesting theory.

The advantage of a pure bred kitten is that they have fairly standard characteristics and temperaments and so it is much easier to find one that is most definately right for a particular environment and lifestyle. Buying a non-pedigree kitten means that the temperament may be more uncertain.
It is imperative that a thought is given to the breed suited to particular circumstances. A cat with long hair will require more grooming than a short haired cat, some types dont like being left alone for long periods and some are more suited to a house full of kids than others.
If any kitten is sickly it may mean indicate some genetic weakness or contagious illness which might be may be present in the the rest of the litter and so these are best avoided. The kittens should ideally be 12-16 weeks of age – kittens should not be sold younger than this.
Any kitten should be alert, bright eyed, curious with a shiny coat. It should be inquisitive, but not too curiousnot too nervous and not look aggressive Watch out for any kitten that has runny or sticky eyes, runny nose, sneezing, wet or dirty bottom, matted fur, seems lazy or does not have a firm body. Once a loving and appealing kitten has been identified, it is best to handle it in order to inspect it further and inspect its friendliness it is.
If looking at a cat that is older, perhaps a rescue cat, the same applies – look for one which is lively, friendly, curious with no signs of anger, with unmatted fur and bright eyes.

Ttthhheee ooonnnlllyyy ttthhhiiinnnggg bbbeeettteeerrr ttthhhaaannn Mmmaaarrruuu iiisss Mmmaaarrruuu iiinnn ssslllooowww mmmoootttiiiooonnn…

One day a Catholic Priest was walking down the street and saw a little girl on her front porch with a box of newborn kittens.

The little girl said, “Hello Father, these are Catholic kittens.”

The Priest said, “That’s nice, Bless you child.”

A week later the Priest saw the little girl again with the box of kittens and said, “How are the little Catholic kittens doing?”

The little girl said, “They are not Catholic kittens anymore, they are Athiest kittens now.”

The Priest said, “What happened?”

The little girl said, “Their eyes opened.”

Success!!!

They’re all inside the warm, waterproof box! Mother cat is sat on top keeping watch and all the kittens are inside.

Fab news – so made up. We were worried we’d struggle to get them to go in, but the box is obviously better than under the big bush.

We put a few big blankets in their too to keep them warm. Glad they approve!

Due to us feeding them, they’ve now re-located to under the laurel bush and the weather being the way it is, we thought we’d better lend a hand.

So me and Paul (Kates Dad) made a house! We decided to call it Operation Cat Flap.

A wooden box, which held all of our bits of paperwork for the restuarant, wrapped in plastic to make it waterproof – and we cut a hole in the front. I’ll post some pictures up when i can of it outside. It’s a little dark out there at the moment.

Put it outside, and they’ve all been in there for a nose. Mother Cat is currently sat on top as I write, and the little white fluffy kitten is inside. Whilst the other 2 are playing and legging it round the garden!

I get it. You think it’s adorable to take pictures of me doing silly things. And because you consistently provide adequate food and water, I humor you. To a point. But tread lightly owner, because let’s not forget who’s boss here. Need I mention the term “feral” to you…?

Godspeed, Holly E.

Dear Kitteh:  I’m glad you were concerned when I stubbed my toe the other night.  Was there a reason you promptly climbed on the counter and popped me on the head?

Oh! u r so ded! STFU u noob!!1!

This week, I’ve reached a new level of competence in my fostering.

Tiger developed a URI within 24 hours of being at my house. She was so congested that she couldn’t eat without choking on her food, so she just gave up. The consequence of her giving up eating was that she was unable to produce enough milk for her five kittens. I had to give Tiger a mouthful of food at a time with a syringe to keep her strength up. Between each bite she had to fight the snot blocking her nasal passages just so she could swallow. Additionally, I had to bottle feed her kittens a few times a day so that there was enough milk to keep them alive. It was a rough few days.

Just like with all the kitten ailments, this couldn’t have come at a worse time. I had to leave town for an overnight business trip with Michael. Normally, for a single night, my petsitter could watch the kittens (the shelter is cool with this, given that they are a kill shelter and it’s better to keep the cats in a home, leaving space for others to be adopted out). The catch was that the kittens contracted their mother’s URI, and they couldn’t breathe either. Additionally, mommy stopped caring for them in any capacity, effectively making her kittens bottle-fed orphans with a living heat source. I couldn’t leave a sitter to deal with that, so I sent the kittens to the shelter while I was gone.

I called once during the trip to check in on the babies. One of them had to be euthanized while I was away. The shelter staff found him bloated and unwell, and the vet thought he had an obstruction. The necropsy revealed that the kitten had a perforated bowel, a very unusual condition in a kitten who was only 10 days old. I believe that his mother stopped stimulating him to go to the bathroom, so it all backed up and basically burst on him. Poor guy.

I was able to retrieve the kittens on Saturday. Michael picked them up for me at the shelter so I could get a little more sleep before embarking on the full-time mommy thing. When Michael got the little ones home and into the kitten room, I prepared a bottle for them.

I should add here that I did name the kittens. The dark ones were Bard and Paladin, only distinguishable by their weights. Paladin was the one euthanized while I was gone. Two of the silver ones were of similar weights, but one had a white face. I named the dark-faced one Ranger, and the light-faced one Cleric. The runt, also a silver kitten, I called Rogue.

As I picked up the kittens to supplement their feeding, I noticed that two of them weren’t like the others. Bard and Ranger wouldn’t latch on to the bottle, and they were cool to the touch. The spark that I call life was missing. I knew these weren’t viable kittens, despite the fact that they weren’t in the active stages of dying. For the first time ever, I called the shelter and asked if we could please euthanize the two kittens who just weren’t there anymore. While the foster coordinators did feel that I knew better than anyone else did about these kittens, protocol required me to have them examined before the call could be made. The staffer who met me to make the final call recognized Bard and Ranger from her rounds that morning. “I had them scheduled to be euthanized this afternoon,” she said. “I was surprised to learn that they were back in their foster home.” She then took the boys away to give them some final peace.

These are all that I have left now:

You might notice that the kittens are in the bathroom cabinet. Their mother apparently didn’t feel that the carrier was a safe place to keep a nest, so she moved the kittens to a dark, quiet space. I was shocked, and I thought she was getting rid of them, trying to start over. Now I think that she noticed that kittens were disappearing, and she was trying to hide them to keep that from happening again.

I have been bottle-feeding the kittens and helping them go to the bathroom since they’ve been back. On Monday, I believe, mommy started nursing the kittens more regularly. Today, she started minimally cleaning them. I would say that this was a good thing, except that now it is apparent that I am going to have to ask the shelter again to euthanize a not-quite-dying kitten. Rogue can’t find a nipple even when I pick it up for him and put his face right on it. He isn’t gaining weight. He won’t latch on to the bottle anymore. I also think he has aspiration pneumonia (fluid in the lungs due to inhalation of milk, in his case) because I can hear him breathing with a crackle. It’s bad, and I think it’s his time.

My plan is to call the shelter in the morning if Rogue makes it through the night. In truth, I kind of hope that the poor little guy just dies in his sleep so that I don’t have to make the decision. I now know that I can do the right thing, no matter how much it hurts: I just don’t like having to. The what-ifs will plague me, regardless of the fact that someone else will have to agree with me to make it happen.

It’s appropriate that I leveled up on this litter, the ones with Dungeons and Dragons class names. I’ve lost all of the party except the healer. One the bright side, Cleric is clearly robust. He eats well with me and with his mother. He’s gaining weight. Now, it’s just a matter of finding him some traveling companions.