Well, our kitty fostering adventure is coming to a close. We have only one more adorable spunky loving little gem looking for her forever home...
Looking back on the whole experience...wow...a lot more work and worry than I thought it would be...as well as a lot of fun and laughter!
Our first set of fosters (June Bug, Beaver, Whitey, Grizzly and Bobby Cat) came to us on August 15th and stayed for just a bit over a month.
In that time we had food allergies, antibiotic induced diarrhea and conjunctivitis...but they were so much fun to get to know and to watch their little personalities develop. We kept the group until they all reached two pounds (at least) and were ready for spaying and neutering and being adopted out.
After their surgery they all went back to my foster coordinators house to wait for adoption. Bobby and Griz went pretty quick...June had to wait for two more months before she was adopted and Whitey and Beav are still waiting. It just breaks my heart, and now that they are 6 months old...they are considered less-adoptable...but I know my coordinator (with my help and my co-worker's and friend's help - thanks Kim and Tammy!) will keep them health and happy until they find their forever homes...
Beaver and WhiteyOur second group of fosters came on September 19th...eight total...Figaro, Oreo, Buddy, Kodiak, Lizzy, Jerry, George and Elaine. These little angels...a real handful!
Clockwise from bottom left: Kodiak, Elaine, George, Buddy, Jerry and LizzyWithin the first couple of days Figaro passed away from Fading Kitten Syndrome...or as I like to refer to it, Hopelessly Helpless in Saving Your Kitten Syndrome...we were heart-broken. He now lays to rest in our yard, peacefully.
Because we weren't sure what, if anything, he had that might be contagious...his sister, Oreo, had to be quarantined from the rest of the kittens for ten days. So off to the bathroom she went. In that time, though, she was forced into getting used to people and handling...she really had no options, I was in her face at least ten times a day making sure she was fed, watered, pampered, petted and played with! So in that time she went from a snarling hissing little ball of feral fur to a loving wonderful playful lap kitten.
Shortly after she was reintroduced back into the rest of the gang, Buddy reached weight and was neutered and adopted out, pretty lickity-split. He is a super cute kitten, a bit on the shy side, but a real looker...
And then came Snickers...another real cutie! And so spunky!
Snickers kept the rest of the gang on their toes!
Around this time I noticed that Elaine's belly seemed really extended. Turns out she had roundworm. No worries, a dose of strongid with a follow-up two weeks later, and she would be good-to-go. Only problem was, the second dose seemed to make her really sick. She lost her appetite, was very lethargic and wouldn't drink.
Into the house she went. Late that night she passed the roundworms, and I felt like that was a good sign...recover should be around the corner. For the next three days we had to force feed and drink her every hour or two. She had no energy, did nothing but sleep (and go to work with me) and her normally soft coat became really dull and shaggy looking. But low-and-behold on the fourth day she started to nibble on some food, drink on her own and walk around a bit. By the end of the week she was reintroduced to her siblings and friends. Whew! What an exhausting worrisome week that was.
Elaine resting on my desk at work...But whoa...it doesn't end there...
About a week after Elaine's episode...Snickers broke out with ringworm! A tiny little patch right above her eye. IMMEDIATE removal from the rest...she had just made her 2lb. weight and there just so happened to be a spay clinic happening that day...so rush, rush, rush...she was spayed and then quarantined at my foster coordinator's house to wait out the ringworm.
Ringworm is highly contagious, but really not a dangerous thing at all. It is a fungus, very similar to athlete's foot, that just needs a topical medicine (sometimes an internal one too) and a waiting period of about three weeks to clear-up. As soon as Snickers was healed, she was snatched up and adopted...no surprise there with her cute little face and great personality!
Back at our house, all the other kittens got daily baths and their room a good disinfecting...with lots of crossed fingers we went for another two weeks before we were hit again! Sigh!
This time the ringworm hit Oreo...and she was sent to recover at the coordinators house...which was becoming quite full of ringworm kitties. There was definitely an outbreak here in Solano County...we heard from other fosterers and vet offices and the SPCA that ringworm was everywhere this fall!
Later that week, I noticed that Elaine was very wobbly and walked like she had just downed a beer or two. Hmmm...was she getting sick again?
My co-worker and I did a little www research and found out there is a condition called Cerebellar Hyposplasia. It happens when the cerebellar region in the brain doesn't fully develop. The cerebellar is responsible for balance, so when it is under-developed, the kitten walks wobbly. Looking at videos online of other CH kittens (and people) it looks like Elaine has a pretty mild case. There is no cure for the condition and over time she will most likely adjust to it. She is in no pain, that is a relief! She will, although, need to be an indoor only kitten and will probably need a little extra attention to make sure she doesn't get hurt.
She definitely became our special kitten...our real love of this litter!
Five more days...and...Kodiak had a ringworm spot! Sigh. I decided to take her to the vet and see what needed to be done.
Three weeks in confinement, three weeks on oral medicines and fungicidal baths for EVERYONE! Wow, that was fun...have you ever given a bath to six terrified tiny kittens?
At this point, since Kody was alone (in the bathroom...the most use our spare bathroom has ever seen!) I decide to go rescue Oreo and bring her home...comforting for both of them!
At this point all the kittens had reached weight, been spayed and neutered and were ready for adoption (except the sickos)...normally this would have taken place through the foster coordinator, but with her ringworm troubles, I said I would take care of it...
So we advertised...and advertised...and advertised...
And finally got a call! And then another...and then another...and then another...all for Lizzy.
Even though most of the calls were coming in for Lizzy, I managed to get several people to come and meet the other kitties.
The first to be adopted was Lizzy, although her new family could not come to pick her up until after Thanksgiving. Would I be willing to hold her?...duh...of course!
And the first baby to leave the nest was dear Elaine! I couldn't believe it! I thought I would have so much trouble finding a home for her and her special needs...but a lovely couple from Berkeley took one look at her and fell in love!
My heart swelled...and then broke...
The day after Elaine went home, I introduced Oreo to her new family. Oreo was going to be an early Christmas present for a five year old little girl. I explained to the mom that Oreo was still on medicines and should probably stay with me until she was all done (which would be the Sunday after Thanksgiving)...this worked out fine since the family was going to be out of town until then.
Within a couple of hours of meeting Oreo, the mom called back and explained that if she gave a kitten to her youngest daughter, her oldest would be upset...so could she also adopt George?
Of Course!
So the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Lizzy went to her new home in Grass Valley...
And the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Oreo and George went to their new home in Napa.
Just like that...down to two kittens! The house seemed empty...
Less than a week after George and Oreo went home to Napa, the family called back...uh-oh, was something wrong?
No...they were loving the kittens and having a blast! And now Grandma and Grandpa wanted to get in on the fun! So was Jerry still available? Yep...so off to Napa he went (but shhhhh....he will be a surprise for Christmas!)
So now we are down to one...
One adorable...spunky...sweet little bundle of fun...
She is still available....
She is still advertised....
But...
She may already be 'home'....
From laughter to tears....
From frustration to contentment...
From joy to anguish...
We have been through a lot of emotions this fall.
In the end I am glad we did this. It was definitely a learning experience, and I now know more than your average crafter should about the bowels of kittens...
Remember...please spay and neuter your pets!
