A Day In The Life Of a Kitty

What Happened to Momma?

2008-08-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

I have been asked what happened to the mother of this litter, Missy. I'm thankful to say that rather than being overlooked by families in favor of adorable kittens, she went to a fabulous home - Emily's owner! Sadly, not all mother cats are as lucky. Adult cats are a fabulous choice - but if you had a choice between her kittens or her, who would you choose? Still, adult cats are great for most situations. Adult cats are past the "kitten stage" of energy, but don't let that fool you into thinking they won't like to play! Adult cats like to play with feather toys or a laser pointer just as much as kittens. They also are fully mature, so you know exactly what you are getting in terms of size and personality.

Litter Training: The Real Scoop

2008-07-24T22:16:00.003-07:00

One painful lesson that I learned early on with the kittens is that they are not the easiest thing to litter train. It's true that they have the instinct to use the litter box - or in this case a litter pan - but they also liked to play in the litter box and 'taste test' everything. For that reason, I'd recommend using the more "chunky" cat litter versus the fine grain "scooping" type. The scooping type of litter can get into their bellies and cause serious health complications and impactions. I'd recommend litter training or keeping them confined to one area of your house or apartment - in any case, an area without carpet. Although the kittens did try their hardest to make it the box on time, they did have accidents, which were messy to clean up, and cat urine is not easy to clean up. Thankfully they caught on fairly quickly, but it was a messy few weeks as they all learned to be consistent and have better timing.

ALL kittens have homes!

2008-07-21T01:00:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the six wonderful families who have adopted kittens from this litter - and also to Emily's adopters, who were willing to open up their heart and home to two! Missy will be joining her daughter this week. Of the six, I do know that two have been renamed to date - Hayden is now Zippy, and Kristen is now Scout.

This blog has been a wonderful experience. I do have several blogs to post still, just wanted to drop this post so that everyone knew no one was available. I do want to mention - the shelter that I raised this litter for, and any shelter in your area, is likely to have kittens in need of great homes!

The Group!

2008-07-16T12:20:00.001-07:00

Hayden (Zippy) & Jorja

Kristen, Emily & Peanut Butter

Jelly (blue eyes) and Peanut Butter (green eyes)

The kittens have grown up and will be departing for their homes soon. It's a bittersweet moment for me but one that I am sure my own two cats (and their mother!) are rejoicing for. It ceases to amaze how fast they grow.

:(

2008-07-15T23:37:00.000-07:00

This is why it is unacceptable to not spay your cats.

It also serves are a reminder that Missy and the kittens in this blog are lucky to have been in situation where a foster was available. .

Adopted! Hayden

2008-07-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

Hayden (now renamed Ziggy) will be staying in my hometown. He has joined a household with two other cats and a photography enthusiast, so I'm hoping for updates and plenty of photographs to share on this blog.

Adopted! Emily

2008-07-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

Emily has been adopted by a wonderful family who had a similar dilute calico cat before. She also has a wonderful little boy to keep her entertained, which is a good thing because this kitten has an unlimited amount of energy!

Adopted! Kristen

2008-07-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

Kristen (now Scout) has went to a first time cat owner who has been looking to adopt a kitten, and also happened to be a big Veronica Mars/Kristen Bell fan. This girl has undergone the biggest transformation in this litter, starting with being born all grey and slowly gaining the creme patches and color.

No Pictures: July 6 through the 12th

2008-07-05T23:41:00.000-07:00

There will be no pictures of the kittens, who will be with a pet sitter, from the sixth through the 12th.

Adopted! Jelly

2008-07-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

Jelly is going to a fantastic home with many other cats to play with!

Adopted! Peanut Butter

2008-07-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

Peanut Butter "PB" is my favorite of the litter, and the kitten that I would have loved to have kept. Many foster parents want to keep some (or all) of their charges, but reality is that a full household is a full household. This boy consistently follows me around, often playing with my feet and keeping himself busy getting into mischief!

6/28/08: Meet the Kittens!

2008-06-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

Youtube Video: The kittens

Jelly, with a special appearance by her littermates!

6/27/08: Videos

2008-06-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

Kristen vs. The Shoe

Emily vs. The Feather

6/26/08: Visit to the Vets!

2008-06-26T22:20:00.000-07:00

Today the kittens went with their mother to Valley View Vet Clinic to have their mother tested for FeLV. Feline Leukemia is an incurable viral disease, thankfully it is treatable, and carriers can very easily carry long, and productive lives. Missy has not shown symptoms to date, but testing is required by the animal shelter before she can be spayed and adopted out. You can read more on FeLV here.

6/25/08

2008-06-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

hayden

kbell (kristen)

jelly

jorja

emily / jelly

ADOPTION INFORMATION:

2008-06-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

UPDATE 7.25/08

I will be leaving this post up so that you can see an example of what a foster or temporary adopt program kitten will have before being placed. Please note that kittens should not be placed in new homes until they are close too or at eight weeks.

- kittens available 7/20/08 (NO KITTENS AVAILABLE)
- will have been wormed & have first vaccinations
- rehoming fee: $20 with $50 spay/neuter bond (refund with proof of spay)

- litter box trained

- eating solid food [ currently eating Purina Kitten Chow ]

Availability:

All kittens have homes.

However, I'm happy to point you towards a kitten that I know is in need of a good home... there is usually an abundance available.
* Kittens cannot be shipped, pick-up only.
Adopted through SOLAS - Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Located: Omaha, Nebraska
. Contact Information: azaleyes@yahoo.com for kitten inquiries.

Kittens Vs. Card#6

2008-06-24T20:50:00.001-07:00

6/23/08: New Lenses

2008-06-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

I'm fiddling with the camera lenses for these shots, so please excuse the poor quality of these images.

6/22/08

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6/21/08

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For those of you wondering what the large grey item is... that is my treasured vacuum cleaner, and the kitten's favorite playground for the ten minutes it is out.

6/20/08: Why I Chose To Foster

2008-06-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

I have been asked before why I chose to foster. My primary decision to foster is that I wanted to experience the process and work of raising a litter of kittens. If I really wanted to raise a litter of my own I had the ability to do so - I have two cats, Emma and Lillie, and Emma, adopted from craigslist, was not spayed when I brought her home. However, I made the decision to spay Emma and foster, and it is one of the best decisions I've ever made. Other benefits of me fostering this litter includes giving a young mother cat and a litter of kittens a chance at a healthy start at life, and also giving them extra socialization.

6/19/08

2008-06-19T19:35:00.000-07:00

6/18/08: Kittens Get A Bath

2008-06-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

As the kittens begin to eat both solid and dry food, I can't seem to decide who suffers more: the kittens, the food, or my carpet. Regardless, today the light seemed to turn on that they all can eat canned food successfully (Jorja and Peanut Butter did not share the rest of the litter's love for anything not related to Missy's milk), they literally coated themselves with the food. I think 1/2 of the can ended up actually ON them rather than IN them. Regardless, I warmed up the sink water, and gave them a quick rinse. No strong objections from anyone - Jelly enough played briefly in the water.

Kittens Vs. Card #5

2008-06-17T20:41:00.001-07:00

Now that they are walking (and playing), keeping the litter still enough to take pictures with just one camera and one person was a challenge! I do realize that Kristen is missing - I did take the picture just forgot to upload. It will be added with the rest tomorrow.

6/16/08

2008-06-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

6/15/08: Littertraining

2008-06-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

As soon as the kittens began to eat solid/canned food, Missy also began to do much less "cleaning" of them - especially their bodily functions. For introducing them to a litter box, I chose a very small "scented" box, and used clay litter. It is important not to use scoop/fine litter for the kittens, because they will taste anything and everything, and litter can cause serious health problems for them when they ingest too much. In my case I stuck with some clay litter and individually put each kitten into the box, showed them how to scoop with their paw, and than watched them play, toss litter everywhere, fight over litter box sitting rights, and finally, had three poop piles deposited right outside of the box. The thought was there, the timing wasn't. Instead of throwing the poop piles away, I picked them up with a kleenex and put them back into the box, covering them slightly. After their second solid food feeding, they seemed to understand the concept much more, and they now are using the litterbox every time. For those of you without a large number of cats, six kittens is a lot of litter use, and I'm currently going through the clay litter. I'm looking forward to them being the age where they can be introduced to scoopable litter, and all of it's benefits, including better smell and easier clean up!

Picture: This is Jelly, once again "tasting" the litter.

6/14/08: introduction to cat food

2008-06-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

6/13/06 (kitten wrangling)

2008-06-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

6/12/08

2008-06-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

6/11/08

2008-06-11T21:32:00.000-07:00

Due to terrible weather and an abundance of tornado and tornado sirens, I was forced to take shelter and was unable to take many pictures of the kittens today. I did get a few cute pictures of them in their crate, which was their hiding place of choice during the storm. Take note of little Emily's cute little stripe down the side of her face. I expect she will have complete tabby characteristics as an adult.

Kittens Vs. Card #4

2008-06-10T22:49:00.000-07:00

The entire litter is now walking, and they were not interested in participating in my card session. Thankfully I completed this series in the end, but not without going through some serious kitten wrangling sessions! Emily continues to be much smaller than the litter - she looks like she will be very petite and tiny like mom. Hayden is the biggest, and is also very "bulky" with a big boned body structure.

Lillie Meets The Kittens

2008-06-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

Dilute calico torbie meets dilute calico torbie.

As Emily matures, she will continue to develop the tabby characteristics that Lillie has full developed as an adult. Lillie (my cat) is an adoption from a humane society. She was once a feral, and was raised in a foster home before being placed for adoption.

6/8/08

2008-06-08T22:21:00.000-07:00

6/7/08

2008-06-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Hayden is missing from this "photo fest", I will add hers tomorrow:

6/6/08

2008-06-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

Video of the kittens, who are now walking (and talking).

6/5/08 (NO UPDATE)

2008-06-05T21:27:00.000-07:00

No picture update today.

I'm in the process of putting together the finishing touches on a blog describing the process of fostering or temporary adopting cats.

When completed, this blog will be posted in this section.

Thanks!

6/4/08

2008-06-04T21:20:00.001-07:00

There are individuals of the entire litter, but I will not be posting them all on here today. As you can see, this entire litter is growing by leaps and bounds. Individual personalities are beginning to be established.

Kristen has begun to develop more actual creme (dilute calico) patches as she grows. It looks like she will have some tan toes, a tan muzzle and she has a smattering of tan hairs.

Kittens Vs. Card #3

2008-06-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

Arranged in size ... smallest to largest.

6/2/08

2008-06-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

The Kittens

(youtube link)

6/1/08

2008-06-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

To say that this litter is now growing before my eyes would be an understatement. Individual personalities are now beginning to appear as they approach three weeks of age. The majority of the litter can now crawl/walk very well, and a few can sit up. Jelly, still the most advanced maturity wise in this litter, has taken to crawling up directly into my camera for attention.

Fostering

2008-05-31T21:03:00.000-07:00

Due to having no internet connection yesterday, this post was unable to be published on time. It will be posted tomorrow (Monday, June 2nd).

5/30/08

2008-05-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

The Kittens at 1 Week (youtube Link)

<--- Jelly Bean

Peanut Butter "Picspam"

As this picture proves, Lillie takes her "assistant mother" duties very seriously. If anything, Missy seems to welcome the help. If you look closely, you can see Emily's tabby stripes appearing - she will be a torbie.

The group.

For size - Emily is the smallest in the litter, and Hayden is the biggest.

5/29.08: Jelly Walks!

2008-05-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

Please excuse the terrible quality!

5/28/08

2008-05-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

I wish it didn't sound so harsh to say it, but this litter should never have been born. Because for every one of these six that I have here today, at least one other kitten did not make it somewhere our there. As kitten season approaches, the shelters are now overflowing with kittens, pregnant mothers, and motherless kittens. Many shelters have begun to adopt an age policy -- if a kitten is brought in younger than a certain age, they are immediately PTS. While this may seem unfair, not only are there not enough foster homes out there, but you have to keep in mind all of the diseases and viruses that any cat is exposed to in a place that has so many - not to mention a kitten, with a weaker immune system.

With that being said, I have no doubt in my mind that these kittens who are surrendered to these rescues and shelters deserve the right to be there - rather than abandoned in a cardboard box on someone's doorstep, thrown away in the trash, or simply "forgotten".

This is no fairy tale - we cannot even be positive that everyone on this blog will find a home. It saddens me during kitten season especially to see so many people offering kittens for adoption on craigslist. com and other websites where they will "unload" their kittens. Spaying is really a simple procedure, and one that this entire litter will undergo before they are adopted out.

For those of you who see a cute little kitten and think how fun and cute it would be to let _ _ _ _ have a litter, please reconsider. Offer to foster a litter for your local animal shelter. You will save lives in the process.

5/27/08

2008-05-27T22:13:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that they are now one week old! Here are pictures with a card, same as I did before. With their eyes open and their strength gaining, they are able to move much quicker now, and some are closer to the cards than others. I've arranged them in accurate order smaller to largest. Hayden has by far surpassed everyone else in size, with Jelly coming in a close second, even though originally he was the biggest and strongest kitten at birth. He continues to be the best at "wobbling" along, and I'm expecting him to be the first to walk in this litter. Kristen and Peanut Butter are evenly matched in size, with her being only slighter bigger - Peanut Butter is built very petite, like mom. As she grows, she is developing more and more red markings around her face. The two calicos - Jorja and Emily - are the smaller two, with Emily being the "runt." Neither has any issues with pushing siblings out of the way for dinner, I just expect they will mature to be small like their mom.

5/26/08 Eyes Open (minus two)

2008-05-26T20:21:00.001-07:00

"Missy" loves to close her eyes for the camera, so I was fortunate to get this shot. She is such an affectionate girl - I hope that she ends up in a great pet home.
'

"Kristen" has officially opened her eyes first of all of her litter mates! She is also beginning to develop white hairs under her chin and on her feet.

"Jelly" is a short second behind her sister, with her left eye still not opened all the way.

"Hayden" is by far the biggest in the litter now, but her left eye still has not opened all the day.

"Emily" has also begun to open one eye.

Both Jorja and Peanut Butter still have not opened their eyes. They are also the two smallest in the litter, so I suspect it may have something to do with their size.

5/25/08

2008-05-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

5/24/08 Eyes Are Opening!

2008-05-24T21:45:00.001-07:00

On Day Five we have three kittens with eyes open: Jelly, Hayden and Kristen. The three without are the three smallest in the litter, Peanut Butter, Jorja and Emily.

5/23/08

2008-05-23T00:24:00.000-07:00

5/22/08

2008-05-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

"Jelly" is slightly bigger than her "twin" sister Peanut Butter, and is the first to begin to open her eyes. She also was the (with no grace whatsoever) walk/crawl around. She is either going to be a tabby like mom, or may develop torbie characteristics.

"Emily" is named after animal activist and actress Emily Deschanel. She is the second smallest in the litter, but makes up for her lack of size with zeal for food - she has no problems in pushing other other siblings aside. She is a dilute calico.

"Jorja" is named after actress/animal activist Jorja Fox. She has absolutely adorable white 'swirl' markings on her face, and very pretty small orange patches. She is a black calico.

"Kristen" is named after Kristen Bell, an actress and advocate for animal rescue. She is the smallest and most petite in the litter, and is almost entirely that unique silver gray color with a few tiny patches of creme color. She is a dilute calico.

"Peanut Butter" is the runt of the litter, but also the loudest and most demanding. She has beautiful red markings on her face and looks also exactly like her mother. She is a brown tabby that may or may not develop Torbie characteristics.

"Hayden" is named after actress and advocate Hayden Penettiere. She is by far the largest in the litter and already can hiss like nobody's business! She loves to be held and is the most lazy and laid back of the litter. She is a brown tabby bi-color that may or may not be a Torbie.

5/21/08 Kittens Vs. Cards

2008-05-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

As requested by a reader, here are pictures of the kittens with a playing card for size comparison.
The four within names will have them picked tonight...
Everyone looked good today - full tummies, and Momma is taking very good care of them.

Name Pending - Dilute Calico

Emily Deschanel - Dilute Calico

Jorja Fox - Calico

Name Pending - "The Twins"

Name Pending - Brown Tabby Torbie

I also managed to catch a few quick candids.

5/20/08: The Six

2008-05-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

The total tally for this litter is six, and what a colorful litter she had!
I'm not 100% sure who is males of the three I have listed below.

Kitten One:
Brown Tabby, no white.
Name Pending
This kitten is the biggest in the litter, also the strongest. He already has very good use of his legs.

Kitten Two:
Brown Tabby, no white.
Name Pending
The only physical difference between this guy and the kitten above is size... he is slightly smaller.

Kitten Three:
Brown Tabby with/white. Also has several red patches on his face and neck.
Name Pending
This guy is big bodied, but unlike his other sibling, not quite as active.

Kitten Four:
Dilute Minimal Calico
Name Pending
This girl is very uniquely marked, almost entirely gray with only a few creme hairs, mostly on her head and neck.

Kitten Five:
Dilute Calico
Emily [named after actress Emily Dechanel ]
I'm very partial to this girls color - I just love it!

Kitten Six:
Minimal Calico
Jorja [ named after actress Jorja Fox]
At first glance I thought this little girl was black and white. She is by far the loudest of the litter!

* For the next week I will be trying to document the entire litter every other day, or depending upon how mother cat (who also is getting a new name) reacts to me and my camera. Thus far she seems completely fine with all of the attention, and is very proud.

At the two week mark I will choose one or two kittens to take daily pictures of, documenting their growth up until they find new homes.

Feel free to ask any questions or to request pictures of a certain kitten.

They're Here!

2008-05-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

WE HAVE KITTENS!

Please excuse me for my lack of updates this past several days.
On Sunday the 18th, I completely kitten proofed the room Mama was in - or at least I thought. Her belly was far too big for her to jump onto the bed, and she was spending the majority of her time under the bed or near her crate. In my hurry to leave this morning, I neglected to close my closet door, and Mamma took full advantage. I'm still not sure exactly how she got several shirts and my sweatshirt off of my drawer and onto the floor - but she made a beautiful nest with them.

I'm excited to announce that she had six beautiful kittens. They all seem to be about the same size, and have a full set of lungs that they aren't afraid to use! Of course, Emma and Lillie are literally glued onto the other side of the door, trying their best to listen in.

The picture on the left is Mama's belly on Monday, and the picture on the right is her belly today. She is doing very well, still a complete purr monster and demanding attention.

Momma Day Three

2008-05-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

Momma now resembles a hippo, and waddles like a duck. These picture illustrates why. Pregnant and nursing mothers must be fed a quality food high in nutrients that will be capable of supporting kittens in the womb and once they are born. Momma eats Purina Kitten chow, and as the picture below suggests, momma has quite the appetite! Her nipples are not any bigger than they were since her arrival, so I don't think kittens are in the cards tonight.

She tries her best to demand loving and attention, but at this point it seems like the most she can do is use the litter box, eat, drink and sleep. If you were wondering about her size, it is important to realize that cats can go into heat as early as three

months of age, and become pregnant as early as six - twelve months in age.

Momma is maybe pushing a year old. She will be spayed after she weans this litter, but she may go into heat as early as a week after giving birth to this litter. Her URI has improved greatly, but she still sneezes frequently. Hopefully that will clear up soon.

Any questions? Feel Free To Ask!

Momma Day Two

2008-05-12T22:52:00.000-07:00

Get a look at this big belly! If this picture gives you any idea, "Momma" is very friendly. She will walk right up to your hand and start rubbing herself on it - along with a loud purr. I'm very impressed with her personality. She has a serious waddle, and I've actually had to get a different litter-box to make it easier for her to climb in and out. Thankfully she still takes the time to cover up her business before she hops on out!

Because Momma is part of a "*temp-adopt" program, she must be kept separate from the other cats in the house - in this case, my own two cats. Neither appreciates losing their bedroom rights, but hopefully once Momma's URI has cleared and she has been tested by the shelter vet, she will be given access to the entire house. For now they are content to meow at her from outside of the room, and occasionally poke their feet under the door.

Momma Arrives

2008-05-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

As a reader suggested, it is very fitting that she arrives on Mothers Day. We have no way of telling when exactly she is due, but as the picture suggests, this girl is close to bursting! Age is estimated to be between somewhere around a year old, and she is a brown tabby. She is very petite, and very big and has a purr that should belong on a lion! Because she has had a severe upper respiratory infection, she has been on a serious round of medications, but is now off of them, and sounds great other than the occasional sneeze. Sadly, complications could arrive among the kittens due to her being so sick while they were in-utero. Kittens born with queen's who have URI's have been known to have physical defects, among other problems. Needless to say, I will be keeping and very close eye on this litter.

Introduction:

2008-05-09T23:03:00.000-07:00

About The Blog: First of all, thank you for the interest in this blog. "Momma" cat will be brought her on May 12th, where I will be caring for her and her litter of kittens. The goal of this blog is to share the rewards of caring for a homeless cat and her kittens, BUT also to help illustrate the need to spay/neuter your cats.

I will be updating this blog on a regular basis once Momma arrives here, and daily once her kittens arrive, through video and pictures. Sadly, Momma's previous owners chose not to give her proper vet care, and as a result she is sick and on medication. I am hoping that the entire litter will be born happy and healthy, but please note there is a chance that a few kittens or possibly the entire litter will not survive. This blog is going to be realistic and showing the nitty gritty aspect of raising a litter, right down to cleaning the litter box.

Depending on the response to this blog, I would like to have readers help me name Momma. Her litter will be named after famous animal activists. Please note that once the kittens arrive, this blog will be very graphic heavy, although I will do my best to make it friendly for dial-up users.

About The Blogger: I'm a passionate supporter of animal rescues, and currently share my home with two adopted cats. Emma was adopted from a craigslist advertisement, and Lillie was adopted from the Nebraska Humane Societies Petsmart Adoption Program. I also occasionally babysit my parent's Shih Tzu, Cocoa. In addition to fostering Momma, I also volunteer occasionally for the Doberman Rescue of Nebraska.

Any questions, feel free to ask!