goodbye Sparrows
Well, Charlie and Amelia left on Wednesday, and went up for adoption on Friday morning. I didn't even get a chance to see them on the website--when I called around noon, the woman who answered the phone said they had been the first ones to go that day! (Not surprised, since they're such cuties and it's not kitten season.)
She said they didn't go together, but that they went to two "wonderful" families, so that was heartening. I appreciated that she seemed to understand how important it was to me to hear about what happened to them. (Sometimes I feel like the Humane Society treats me as just a house to keep kittens in, rather than a person who really cares about these little babies and wants to make sure they have the best lives possible, so it's good to hear a friendly voice.)
I wasn't too sad this time around--I made sure to have lots of snuggle time with the kitties before I took them to the vet, since I knew it would likely be my last morning with them. I think it's getting easier to give them back. And Hypatia is super glad, because Kate is on vacation this week so she hasn't had anyone else to get affection from while I'm petting kittens. I keep telling her she is welcome to hang out with me AND the kittens, but she's still kind of tense around them.
I did make progress with her and Amelia, though. She didn't seem to mind Amelia too much and would even run around after her like they were playing a chasing game. She still hissed at Charlie, though. I'm glad she didn't completely hate Amelia, because it bodes well for future fosters. Maybe I'll make a kitten-lover out of her yet. Or at least a kitten-friend. Kitten-tolerator?
Charlie had had some poop issues the last week I had them. The vet gave me a medication for it, which Charlie absolutely REFUSED to take--it's liquid, and he would just foam at the mouth and start drooling everywhere, trying to spit it out. Gross kitty. I hope some of it got into his system, though. I also mixed some FiberSure in with their food, since the vet recommended a high-fiber kitten food to help with poop. Those two things seemed to help and he was almost pooping normally at the end of his time with me.
I was still a little worried since he had such a big belleh, though. It seemed overly swollen, not just plump kitten-belly, so I was worried he had some kind of worm issue even though they'd been dewormed already. I took in a stool sample, but honestly I wasn't sure if it was his or Amelia's, since they both bury their poop right after they go (which I am usually very grateful for). It came back negative. The vet wasn't concerned, and there's nothing I can do about it now. He seemed OK otherwise, but, you know. I worry.
Those are two lucky families who got these kittens. Amelia became my constant shoulder-kitty in the last couple of weeks, burrowing into my neck and rubbing her face against mine and generally being irresistible. Charlie liked to sleep next to me, and if I shifted around on the bed, he would move too, so that he was right next to me again. Aw.
I'm not sure how long it will be before I get more kittens, since I might be going on vacation in March to visit Alan. I don't know if I have time to foster another litter before then, since there's no way to tell at the outset how long I'll have them. I'll talk to the HS about it if/when they call me, and see what they think.
Meanwhile Hypatia is being extra sweet and wanting pettings and even purring, which she doesn't do too often. She has taken up nighttime residence on the heated cat bed that I bought for the kittens but which they didn't seem too interested in. Ah well, at least someone is using it! Right now, though, she's mad at me because I ran out of her regular food and gave her some CLEARLY INFERIOR food of a different brand, how dare I.
Pix:
Snoozing Charlie.
Tiny Amelia.
Sleepin'.
She said they didn't go together, but that they went to two "wonderful" families, so that was heartening. I appreciated that she seemed to understand how important it was to me to hear about what happened to them. (Sometimes I feel like the Humane Society treats me as just a house to keep kittens in, rather than a person who really cares about these little babies and wants to make sure they have the best lives possible, so it's good to hear a friendly voice.)
I wasn't too sad this time around--I made sure to have lots of snuggle time with the kitties before I took them to the vet, since I knew it would likely be my last morning with them. I think it's getting easier to give them back. And Hypatia is super glad, because Kate is on vacation this week so she hasn't had anyone else to get affection from while I'm petting kittens. I keep telling her she is welcome to hang out with me AND the kittens, but she's still kind of tense around them.
I did make progress with her and Amelia, though. She didn't seem to mind Amelia too much and would even run around after her like they were playing a chasing game. She still hissed at Charlie, though. I'm glad she didn't completely hate Amelia, because it bodes well for future fosters. Maybe I'll make a kitten-lover out of her yet. Or at least a kitten-friend. Kitten-tolerator?
Charlie had had some poop issues the last week I had them. The vet gave me a medication for it, which Charlie absolutely REFUSED to take--it's liquid, and he would just foam at the mouth and start drooling everywhere, trying to spit it out. Gross kitty. I hope some of it got into his system, though. I also mixed some FiberSure in with their food, since the vet recommended a high-fiber kitten food to help with poop. Those two things seemed to help and he was almost pooping normally at the end of his time with me.
I was still a little worried since he had such a big belleh, though. It seemed overly swollen, not just plump kitten-belly, so I was worried he had some kind of worm issue even though they'd been dewormed already. I took in a stool sample, but honestly I wasn't sure if it was his or Amelia's, since they both bury their poop right after they go (which I am usually very grateful for). It came back negative. The vet wasn't concerned, and there's nothing I can do about it now. He seemed OK otherwise, but, you know. I worry.
Those are two lucky families who got these kittens. Amelia became my constant shoulder-kitty in the last couple of weeks, burrowing into my neck and rubbing her face against mine and generally being irresistible. Charlie liked to sleep next to me, and if I shifted around on the bed, he would move too, so that he was right next to me again. Aw.
I'm not sure how long it will be before I get more kittens, since I might be going on vacation in March to visit Alan. I don't know if I have time to foster another litter before then, since there's no way to tell at the outset how long I'll have them. I'll talk to the HS about it if/when they call me, and see what they think.
Meanwhile Hypatia is being extra sweet and wanting pettings and even purring, which she doesn't do too often. She has taken up nighttime residence on the heated cat bed that I bought for the kittens but which they didn't seem too interested in. Ah well, at least someone is using it! Right now, though, she's mad at me because I ran out of her regular food and gave her some CLEARLY INFERIOR food of a different brand, how dare I.
Pix:
Snoozing Charlie.
Tiny Amelia.
Sleepin'.