I've been very busy with a litter of kittens! We volunteered to foster a litter for the Danbury Animal Welfare Society (DAWS) and, I must say, we had no idea how much work would be involved! This, of course, is why kittens are so darn cute. Cuteness serves as a sort of camouflage: "Yes, we are a poopy, needy mess, but we are so tiny and adorable."
When we brought them home they were just shy of three weeks old. Tiny little rat-kittens. And Mama was sick with Giardia, which meant diarrhea everywhere in "their" room, which used to be called "the dining room." When I say everywhere, I really mean it. She is very good about using the litter box to pee, but she will not use it for poo. Seriously. We cleared out lots of stuff and shoved it all into the living room, which is no longer livable. We even put the dining table in there and turned it on its side to make a barrier so Mama can't go in there. (Did I mention she has diarrhea everywhere she goes?)
THIS USED TO BE MY DINING ROOM.
WHAT WAS IN THE DINING ROOM HAS NOW SPILLED INTO THE LIVING ROOM.
Mama is a very sweet girl. The poor thing was found huddled under a porch with her litter. She must have been terrified, especially since she is obviously not a feral cat. Her sweet disposition and friendliness tells us she was somebody's pet. Apparently her owner just dumped her when she became inconvenient.
If you can't take care of your pet, find her another home! If you can't find her another home, at least take her to a shelter. That's why shelters exist. Don't just abandon a helpless animal.
MAMA IS A SWEETHEART AND HER BABIES LOVE TO CUDDLE WITH HER.
One of the kittens became sick, probably with what is called "Fading Kitten Syndrome." His weight dropped from .6 lb to .4 lb. One of his eyes was plastered shut and the other one looked awful. He was lethargic and too weak to claim his rightful place in the nursing line-up. We were so worried about him.
The vet injected fluids under his skin, because he was severely dehydrated. Adeline fed him by hand, with a special supplement she had to mix before each feeding. We kept him warm - space heater, hot water bottle, and lots of cuddling. Now he is as energetic as any of them and his weight is up to .85 lb. Happy.
We call him Little Tiny One, which was also the name of a doll Adeline carried everywhere when she was a one-year-old.
WE ALMOST LOST LITTLE TINY ONE. HE ADORES ADELINE, WHO NURSED HIM BACK TO HEALTH. SHE LITERALLY SAVED HIS LIFE.
BLACKIE HAS AN "M" ON HIS FOREHEAD. IS THAT AN "M" AS IN MINE? PHOTO CREDIT: ADELINE JESSICA CRITES-MOORE
We are now at the stage where the kitties are starting to wean themselves off of Mama (I'm pretty sure she likes that) and they are exploring and playing. Did I mention they also have diarrhea? No? It doesn't really matter - we'll give them their medicine and not really mind at all. And you know why: because they are so incredibly, amusingly, fuzzily, tiny and adorable!
KITTENS ARE STARTING TO EXPLORE AND PLAY.