This has been a crap year

This year has been so hard on my heart. Last year I had such great success with kittens I felt confident this year would be the same. Sadly that just isn't so. Last Monday Jack started to get sick so we went to the vet and got a/b for him, Lexi and Krissy. While there the vet mentioned that someone had called the day before asking about 3 kittens they found in their yard. The vet told them who to call and what to do but they did nothing. We got their info from the vet and phoned them, they brought the 3 babies to Mary's and I picked up about 4:15pm. 3 beautiful long haired kittens wailing at the top of their little lungs. Weighed them all, all were under 200G, gave them a bottle and settled them in the infant boxes. 2 hours later, Alex a little black girl was lying on my kitchen table dying. Alex died about 6:50 that night, just over 2 hrs of being on my care. Harper was a funny looking kitten she had a white body, but a calico head, she also was dying, though I did get her though the night and the next day, but she died early Wednesday morning. I went from 6 kittens to 4 in 2 days. Had the people who found them done something, even given them water, they might have survived, but they did nothing and left them paying in the hot sun for 2 days. Deyhrdation set in and organ failure started and I wasn't able to repair it, sometimes you can, sometimes you can't it depends on how far along failure is. Jerry another little black boy was just beside himself, he wasn't ready to go with the others and wouldn't stop screaming, I called another rescue who had a litter about his age so off he went. He is doing well according to an e-mail received today. yesterday morning, Lexi didn't want her bottle, she is weaning and they drop bottles so I wasn't concerned. Later that morning I noticed that she was having some breathing issues. So off to the vet we go....they took x-rays of her wee lungs and the vet explained that x-rayed lungs appear dark. Little Lexi's were white. She was diagnosed with FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) she was given less than a 20% chance of survival, she was working so hard to breathe she had no energy for anything not food, not purring, not anything. It was decided that my sweet Lexi should be put down as she was suffering. I am devastated. Just the night before I took a pic of them eating and playing all 3 of them, had I known that would be the last night I would kiss her head before going to bed, I would have held her a little longer. She was the sweetest little girl and I admit she had some anger issues, she was fiesty and demanding and expected to be treated like the little princess she was. She was snobby, prissy and loud, but OMG she was adorable. I couldn't go with her to put her down, I save kittens I don't help in their demise, So another rescuer Michelle was kind enough to take her for me, I bawled like a baby, never have I cried so much over the loss of a kitten, I still cry today thinking about it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not cold and heartless, the other losses bother me, but Lexi's was different and I don't really know why. I asked my 9 year old how she felt if I didn't do rescue anymore, she helps me sometimes and it affects her life as well. I expected her to say "ok" or something similar, but she didn't..she said "you can't quit, the babies need you" When I told her that the deaths were all so sad and heartbreaking she said "maybe for the rest of the year 100 million will live and only 1 more will die and that will make it better". The logic from her was pretty amazing, she is a special needs kid so coming from her that statement was huge. So again I wrestled with not doing it anymore, but as usual I will carry on, and maybe she's right, though I hope I don't have a 100 million kittens this year. very few kittens survive bottle feeding, so the fact that I have only lost 9 out of 44 in the last year isn't really bad. 36 kittens have lived, thrived and done well, so if I look at it that way it makes me feel more accomplished. I just honestly don't think I can handle one more death, but I know it happens, sometimes love just isn't enough, sometimes their bodies have been thru so much before I get them and sometimes they have diseases that don't show until kittens start to get active and busy. However I can honestly say that each and ever kitten that has died in my care, they knew human touch, they knew full bellies but most of all they knew what love was and they received so much of it.... Jack and Krissy are doing very well, krissy is fully weaned and Jack was having weaning issues, he didn't want to lol. He liked his bottles to much, but in the past few days he has come leaps and bounds. he refused all but his breakfast bottle today and I expect he will refuse that one tomorrow. Soon they will be on their way to bigger and better things. I am unable to weigh either of them, as they simply refuse to stay in the weigh buckets, but I can assure you that they are doing well, Krissy is a wee fatty, Jack is long and thinner with the biggest paws, his paws are about 2 sizes bigger then he is. Both ar close to a lbs now, but not quite, if Krissy keeps eating like she is she will be there by tomorrow or Monday and Jack is not far behind her. This will be my last entry for this litter as there really isn't anything to report now, both are pretty much weaned and met their "newborn milestones". So I guess you will hear from me next litter. Take care and to those who have followed me, thank you and to those who haven't well you are missing a ton.

1 step forward 2 steps back...

Seems ot be the way things go for this group of kittens. I ended up giving them some pumpkin today b/c they seem to have a bit of the runs and we all know pumpkin is a natural and healthy fix for that. I suspect it has something to do with the amount they are eating as they are not ill. They are active, hyper, normal kittens. We'll see how that goes. Nobody is to interested in eating as much solids as they did yesterday which is sometimes how it goes but they are still taking their bottles well. NOT 1 puddle of poop or pee on the floor today, dare I say that we are litter trained? Not yet they need a few more days of no "oopsies" before they can be considered trained. I had been putting them in the kitten box at night but leaving them in the small room during the day, last night i left them in the small room with the heating pad and they did well, they had me up at the butt crack of dawn but thats ok I was due to get up soon anyway. I won't be posting as often now as there really isn't many changes as now they have met their milestones and nobody really cares to read if they have eaten each day. I will however post big updates and a final post to let you know when its time for them to leave here and move on in their lives. Their weights are still not great but they ARE getting better Lexi weighed 281 yesterday and was 285 today, a small gain but with the runs its not surprising, not to mention their activity leval has increased 10 fold. Jack was 354G yesterday and today weighed 376G so he had a huge gain Krissy yesterday was 302, today she is 313, a minor gain but a gain none the less.

improvements

there have been improvements all around that excite me. Lexi the smallest of the 3 didn't gain any weight for 3 days, for a kitten that's a worrying sign. So I have been trying to really get some weight on her and it seemed no matter what I did, she just wasn't gaining. Today I weighed her and FINALLY she gained, not a huge gain mind you, but a gain none the less. Jack is really getting big and he seems to have a very high opinion of himself which can be a good thing I guess as long as that ego doesn't get bigger than him, which it seems t be getting bigger every day. Krissy is also doing quite well, she is so much more fluffier than the other 2, she is quite social and loves any kind of attention. All 3 are finally litter trained which is awesome and they have been spending days in a bigger play space which they seem to enjoy, but with our nights being cool still they must go back into the baby box during the night. They are all eating some now, this is great news as it means they are on their way to becomming big cats which is what we all hope for when we do rescue. Losing a life is tragic and heart breaking, but when we see good things it reminds us why we do this or at least why I do it. Their weights are as follows. Lexi - for the past few days has been 260G today she was 217 a gain of 17G Jack has slowed down in his gains and was 332G today and gain of just 5G Krissy is at 302 a gain of 17G as well.

been busy

I'm sorry its been a busy weekend here and by the time I am settled at night I have either forgotten or am to tired. I have been taking advantage of our beautiful weather as well. Jack and Lexi are one month old today and are doing pretty well. Its been fun watching them grow and change every day! Jack has started running and trying to jump a little bit, he is very snuggly and like all the attention for himself. lexi is cuddly as well though she is a bit more picky and it must be on her terms, and if she has had enough she will let out this god awful yell, that if you didn't know any better you might think she was being killed in the most painful way possible. I started them on solids yesterday and they don't like it much, its much more fun to walk in and thru it and than leave little kitten foot prints all over the floor, in their bed that I just cleaned etc etc. Both kittens are pooping machines today though so that might account for the lack of gain. Jack is using his litter box consistently while Lexi has just started to use the box, she is quite a bit smaller than jack so we had to make some modifications to encourage her to actually get in the box. She might be a bit prissy or snobbish b/c when you place her in the box, she lifts up her feet one by one and screams at you as if to say "wth are you doing to me now, this place stinks you silly human". She is catching on just not as quick as Jack. Jack has the most beautiful markings a circle on either side of stomach, a spotted tummy and striped legs he is stunning. Lexi is the same but she is a little more faded then Jack. Their weights concern me but I'm not going to freak out just yet. They have increased their feeds but you wouldn't know it by looking at the scale. Some things to remember are: Kittens who are weaning do tend to drop a little weight, now while they haven't lost they haven't gained tons. Their activity leval is increasing so they are burning calories Worms! most kittens have worms and one of the signs of worms is weight loss or lack of gain I de-wormed them today in hopes that they have some and this will fix the issue and they start packing on the grams soon again. Lexi's weight today was 260, the same the was on Friday. Jack's weight was 332 a gain of only 5G since Friday. If their weight doesn't improve by Wednesday I am afraid a vet visit will be in order for them. They do not seem sick in anyway so I'm not sure what the vet would do or say but for now I am just giving them another day to show me that they are in fact ok. Saturday we got a new addition. Krissy is about the same age as the other 2 fluffier and was starved for attention and affection. I will give you more details on Krissy tomorrow (I promise to not get to tired or forget) Now for some pics. This is Jack, how cute is he. The adorable face seen here is Lexi Jack loves the camera Little Lexi had to be held to let me take her pic she is a squirmy girl And Meet Krissy, a little fluffball Krissy again

wow!!

I was feeding lexi last night and had Jack in the baby box until his turn, I looked in on him because he wasn't doing his usual impatient hollering only to see that it was jack who has been leaving puddles in the litter box. What a good boy he is!! I squealed with excitement, he is not yet 4 weeks old and has been using it consistently for the past 24 hers or so. Lexi on the other hand has zero interest in the box and much prefers the opposite end of her bed ...sigh...I am hoping she picks up Jack's cleanliness sooner then later. She has finally pooped and things seem to be flowing normally again. I don't have much to say so am just gonna give weights. Jack yesterday was 289G today he was 302G a gain of 13G, not a big one but an acceptable one Lexi gained 20G and is now 251G, she is still dragging her butt on catching up to Jack but it will happen soon enough.

YAY Lexi

Lexi has always been smaller then Jack, but she is creeping up to him ever so slowly. She has surpassed the 1/2lb mark, way to grow Lex. They have adjusted to their feeds at every 4 hrs and their weight gain is awesome. Providing this goes well I may start to wean next week. Usually I start when they turn 4 weeks old but they need a little longer given their size. If they are accepting of solid food being given they may be fully weaned in as little as 2 weeks. They have caught up developmentally to kittens who are the same date as them rather than corrected age. They are walking so much better and someone, I'm not sure who but someone left me a puddle in the litter box, and of course someone left a puddle in their bed. I am hopeful that they will be easy to train once they catch on and get a little older. They are more interactive and really enjoy snuggles, both want more and more and neither like to share the time, but whoever taught cats about sharing. They are awake for longer periods of time and playing more with each other. Lexi might be the "little" sister but man she can give her brother a what for like no other. She is going to be the bully sibling, you know the one that never lets the other sleep, gets the other in trouble, blames the other for everything and than beams at you with these melting eyes. Their weights today are great and I am quite pleased. Lexi gained 16G and is now 231G Jack yesterday was 264G today he is 289G a gain of 25G

Moving right along

Sorry about no post yesterday, I had a meeting at my daughters school which took most of the morning and then they shut power down on my street for the afternoon. Don't worry you didn't miss much. Babies are doing very well and spent some time away from home yesterday because we had no power and no means to keep them warm, so they went and spent the afternoon at Mary's. Their intake seems to have increased, I had started today letting them go for as long as 4hrs between feeds. It seems to be working well for them. Lexi is a bit concerning as her bowels have stalled, so with a lot of stimulation and warm water baths not helping I gave her a bit of mineral oil. She was so unhappy with me for making her take such vile stuff, but better to be mad at me than backed up and run into serious problems. I am hoping this gets things moving along, if not something else will be needed, just not sure what at this point. Both are getting bigger and more active, they enjoy snuggles and play time with humans but also enjoy playing with each other. Jack has some tremors, not sure why or if he will outgrow this as he gets bigger but for now there are no plans to take him to the vet as he is still much to young and small to find out the cause. If they persist or get worse he will certainly be off for a checkup. Their weights over the past 2 days have been awesome. The last you read Jack was 227G, today he is 264G a gain of 37G over the past few days, he actually is growing into himself and looks more kitten like now. Lexi was 172 and 2 days later is 215G (some of that might be poop) a growth of a whopping 43G in the past 2 days. She as well while still smaller than brother is looking more and more like a kitten. The fur of both babies is getting much thicker and fluffier. I am very happy with the way these 2 have been grown and their activity levals etc etc. I will get some new pics and post them this weekend. so you can see a weekly change in the pair.

a little snuggle time

I decided that since they were doing well, I couldn't wait any longer to give some snuggles to Jack and Lexi. So they got some cuddles today and I wore lexi in my bra for a while before putting her and Jack in my snuggli pouch and carried them around for a couple of hours today. They were nice and warm and seemed to like it in there. Their weight gain wasn't as good as I had hoped this morning, but they still gained. I thought they both felt like they had fevers but I think they are fine, yes their bodies are quite warm but since they have less hair then term kittens its more apparent just how warm kitten bodies are. As well since they are eating so well and very active babies, it might be my nervousness from the last litter heightening my senses in a way that is extreme. I am sure as they continue to thrive and grow these will settle down. Their weights are : Lexi went up about 11G and is now 172 Jack jumped up 14G and is now 227G which I might add is 1/2 of a pound. at 4 weeks old kittens are typically about 1lb, they will be 4 weeks old on Saturday. He won't be a lb but he will be not as far off as I once thought he would be. I put a litter box in their bed today, I don't expect them to use it but it's there for them to check out just in case the mood strikes them, maybe the cut up pee pad with their urine on it will get them using it, maybe not. They are a bit young to be using it but you can never have it ready too soon.

both are doing great!

Lexi and Jack are doing well, I really couldn't ask for things to go any smoother. They eat regularly every 3 hrs and have no complaints in between. With the way things ended with the last litter, I don't think I have to tell you how relieved I am. I am pretty certain they are preemies, how early I'm not sure but would have to be not more than a few days for them to have survived without mama, its unlikely that even with mom they wouldn't have survived if they were more than few days early. They have the gangliest legs and the ugliest rat tails, but man are the sweet. They purr almost as soon as you touch them and are quite affectionate. Due to the prematurity we are not handling them other than to feed, toilet and burp them, I imagine it will be another week before we actually snuggle with them after a a feed. They are eating about 2-2.5oz each in a day which is great news, their appetites are way bigger than they are and it shows in the plump bellies. Lots of pics of them: A close up of sweet Jack's face Jack again This gives you an idea of their size, this is Lexi I have finally agreed to allow my 9 year old help feed them, she needs help getting bottles in their mouths but once they latch on she does great and she loves it She has always helped with burping them, here she is with Lexi And of course Jack needs to burp as well I know tons of pics but it was needed. There will be more to come another day. They are so cute. Who can't resist such sweet and innocent faces. Their weights were great today, soon they will have caught up to where they would have been had they been born on time. I love them already. Weights: Jack was 189G yesterday...today he was 213G a gain of 24G Lexi was 148 yesterday and today she was 161 a gain of 13G not a great gain for her but she exceeded the 10G the recommended daily gain, so I'll take it with a smile.

Congratulations, it's twins!!!

Sometime April 14 a mother cat was in a trailor having kittens, she gave birth to 2 little kittens a boy and a girl. Something scared momma off and she abandoned her babies . They were found and taken in by a woman and her daughter. Somewhere along the way they started showing failure to thrive issue, so they were taken to a vet in Snelgrove who took over bottle feeding for a short spell. However a family emergency made her unable to finish the task, Jack and Lexi were returned to their rescuers who were not able to finish the task, which is how they came to be here, in my house, in an infant box, in my living. First off, Lexi and Jack are adorable, but like all rescues they have issues, this time while they are healthy and well fed there is just something odd about them. They look really strange they are soooo tiny, hair is sparse and thin not to mention they kinda look like little aliens. I think these 2 are probably premature babies. Their tails look like rat tails, long, thin with not much hair. This changes thing for me as I have never looked after preemie kittens before. After the sudden loss of Joey, I am really nervous. The prematurity doesn't make me feel any better either. So we are just going to take it hour by hour and see how this unfolds. Both babies are active, eating and such so they are well on their way. Their weights are: Jack 189G Lexi 148G Keep in mind newborns weigh somewhere between 80-130G so these 2 are not much bigger than the biggest of a brand new minutes old kitten. I will get some pictures later on with my trusty coke can to make the tiny size more visiable b/c lets face it, you can't tell much from a picture.