tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74868009773754020042011-07-31T04:05:09.810-07:00Our Journey Fostering Five Kittens.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.comBlogger1011100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-17096459499609891912008-11-29T15:39:00.000-08:002008-11-29T15:41:37.711-08:00

He's about five months too.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-70134619732061768152008-11-29T15:02:00.000-08:002008-11-29T15:07:26.743-08:00

He's almost five months old now

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-63718311253457272782008-09-15T16:40:00.001-07:002008-09-15T16:43:23.195-07:00

Neville is out now at night as of last week, so that he and he other pets can find some sort of equilibrium and figure out their pecking order too. We'd like for Neville to sleep with Grace, but right now he's too little to get up on her bed, so he sleeps with us. This is all well and good except that periodically, Neville wakes up and tries to nurse on my neck or chin. This, of course, makes

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-17615232819057659182008-09-15T16:37:00.003-07:002008-09-15T16:38:04.195-07:00

I'd say these two have adjusted very well to their new home!

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-83333347118010939992008-09-15T16:35:00.001-07:002008-09-15T16:36:43.965-07:00

Apparently, Harry has no trouble stretching out and napping next to his canine brother Max. Max, on the other hand, seems less sure about the whole arrangement...

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-83085595076859199012008-09-13T13:41:00.001-07:002008-09-15T16:39:32.261-07:00

Snuggling with Grace on the couch

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-8069543709833602322008-09-07T13:38:00.001-07:002008-09-07T13:39:00.820-07:00

A recent photo of Harry, sleeping.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-83317235569500225362008-09-07T13:36:00.000-07:002008-09-07T13:37:53.871-07:00

Here is a recent photo of Scruffy.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-62066550946955414492008-09-06T17:56:00.000-07:002008-09-06T17:57:52.598-07:00

Caught Neville mid-meow

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-35511552038440454262008-09-02T11:00:00.000-07:002008-09-02T11:02:20.193-07:00

Neville has his first vet appointment later this afternoon so that he can get checked out and get his first round of shots. We'll also talk about scheduling an appointment to have him neutered. Right now he's laying against me, giving himself a bath. He seems quite comfortable in our home and knows he's a part of the family. Last night we let him roam free, though we're still keeping his

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-58397317046613392642008-09-01T08:24:00.000-07:002008-09-01T08:27:33.357-07:00

It sounds like Harry and Scruffy are adapting well to their home, though their other kitty siblings haven't quite warmed up to them yet. That will take some time. Neville is happy to be out with us us this morning after spending the night in our bathroom. He meowed for us for a little bit last night and then settled down. Eventually we'll put his bed in Grace's room and encourage him to sleep

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-46513520927825904752008-08-31T17:21:00.001-07:002008-09-01T08:29:38.351-07:00

Curled up on some yarn

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-23878439819626283162008-08-31T16:56:00.000-07:002008-08-31T17:00:56.557-07:00

Harry and Scruffy are on their way home now, and the house here is very quiet. I'll be interested to hear how they adjust to their new surroundings and animal siblings, as my parents have a dog and two cats already, like we do. The good news with Harry and Scruffy is that it isn't really goodbye, as we'll get to see them when we go out for visits.I've cleaned up the back room and we are

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-81389969482009256942008-08-30T16:14:00.001-07:002008-08-31T17:03:00.378-07:00

On the couch

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-21223013658749649272008-08-29T14:46:00.000-07:002008-08-29T14:48:45.225-07:00

Tomorrow my parents arrive, and on Sunday they go home with their two kitties. That means today is the last day for the three of us to enjoy the three kittens by ourselves. And we are enjoying them! They are mischievous and hyper and full of life.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-8236411210456114002008-08-27T07:55:00.000-07:002008-08-31T17:03:28.528-07:00

Neville is cozy!

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-79004285618231220842008-08-27T07:24:00.001-07:002008-08-27T07:29:48.540-07:00

Weaning is going well, finally. Everyone seems to be eating the wet food, drinking water and lapping up formula as well. I've given the kittens more freedom in the back room by leaving the gate open to their enclosure so that they can roam and run now back there. So far it seems alright, though someone had an accident and didn't use their litter box like they're supposed to. They definitely

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-4974491492444834142008-08-26T17:45:00.000-07:002008-08-26T17:50:27.302-07:00

It appears that George and Neville have both finally figured out how to eat kitten food! I'll share some of what George's new owners shared with me first:it is a funny thing how we got him weaned. I was eating a piece of pizza with Canadian bacon on it and he seemed really interested so my bf took a little bit and gave it to him. He took it so we got excited and went straight to the store and

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-62306222327955863822008-08-26T08:24:00.000-07:002008-08-26T08:28:59.700-07:00

We heard from Fred's owner that he is doing great! That was good to hear. I hope George is doing well too and that the weaning is going better there than it is here. Neville shows absolutely no interest in solid food. None whatsoever. I think he was pretty hungry yesterday, as I fed him around 6:30 a.m. and then couldn't feed him again until about 5:00 p.m. It will be like that today as

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-14086119457500659282008-08-24T17:18:00.000-07:002008-08-24T17:21:16.325-07:00

George and Fred are off to their new homes now. Fred just left, and so it feels a little bit emptier here. But as I write this, Grace is holding Neville and I can hear Scruffy and Harry in the back room. Grace is feeling a little bit sad, and this is the hard part about fostering kitties - letting them go.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-5235205466689002132008-08-24T14:43:00.001-07:002008-08-31T17:04:03.243-07:00

This is what I saw a few minutes ago when I went back to check on the kittens!

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-53307354777839783412008-08-23T20:24:00.001-07:002008-08-23T20:29:08.954-07:00

Tonight is the last night for all five kittens to be together; tomorrow George and Fred to go their respective new homes. I have been taking more video these past couple of days to capture them as they are right now. George still hasn't weaned, but his new family is going to take over that task. Neville hasn't either; they just don't seem ready yet regardless of what food I offer or how I

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-59776990246770577772008-08-21T13:33:00.001-07:002008-08-21T13:33:25.525-07:00

And one underneath!

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-15310187532881688122008-08-21T10:59:00.000-07:002008-08-21T11:02:40.650-07:00

I saw Harry drinking water just a moment ago - good job Harry! I was coming in the back door and happened to glance over just as he was lapping up some water. Neville and George still show no interest in solid food, but George's new family will take over the weaning process if he doesn't make the switch in the next few days. Grace and I bought some going away presents for George and Fred today

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-17213397461561348892008-08-20T16:23:00.000-07:002008-08-20T16:25:52.013-07:00

We now know when all of the kittens will be on their way to their new homes. This Sunday, George and Fred's new families will be coming to get them in the afternoon. Next weekend, my parents are coming out to get Scruffy and Harry. That leaves Neville, and so far it looks like he's going to be staying with us. Sumi isn't hissing at him all the time, and Ali...well, Ali is just Ali and wishes

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-38826343380526781542008-08-19T14:57:00.000-07:002008-08-19T15:00:20.389-07:00

Fred drank water out of the dish this afternoon. He may have been doing this all along, but it's the first time I've seen it. It's really the last thing I've been watching for, as he's eating well and using the litter box too. So I sent his new owner an email today suggesting that he come pick up Fred this weekend. That means he may be the first to go, and while we will feel sad to say

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-20937665195068001382008-08-18T15:23:00.000-07:002008-08-18T15:26:35.007-07:00

Harry and Fred ate off of the plate again today, so they are definitely making progress when it comes to weaning. That just leaves George and Neville, but I have a feeling that they to will make the switch soon. I'm still offering milk to Harry and Fred but Scruffy is pretty much done with bottles, except for the occasional milk snack. They really like the shoebox and have taken to sleeping in

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-38616130177805544902008-08-18T08:04:00.001-07:002008-08-18T08:04:55.558-07:00

All five kittens in the shoebox

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-7843775447314442462008-08-18T07:47:00.001-07:002008-08-18T07:49:48.608-07:00

Harry ate off the plate this morning without any encouragement! You can see George too, blurry because he was running around like crazy wanting milk. ;)

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-6686672492781502842008-08-18T07:05:00.000-07:002008-08-18T07:48:20.486-07:00

I gave the kittens a shoe box with a hinged lid to play in, and they are having a great time with it!

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-90587422045572691792008-08-17T18:19:00.001-07:002008-08-18T07:48:46.953-07:00

I just thought this was a cute picture.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-16315922086388804552008-08-17T18:18:00.001-07:002008-08-18T07:49:18.942-07:00

Tonight Fred ate solid food all on his own! He ate kibble that wasn't even mushy yet along with wet food. Hurray!

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-90578362867733239372008-08-17T08:23:00.000-07:002008-08-17T08:29:29.541-07:00

I'm pretty sure that the kittens will wean when they are ready, with some gentle nudges from me. Scruffy knows just what to do and has been eating off of a plate for a while now. Early this morning, I had Harry eating from my fingers and then got him to take a few kibbles from the plate as well. So those two seem to be well on their way, although I don't see them lapping water from the dish.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-78452120312950269132008-08-15T08:01:00.001-07:002008-08-15T08:03:25.891-07:00

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-60663730258575403062008-08-15T07:59:00.000-07:002008-08-15T08:03:06.429-07:00

This is how I often see George when I go in the back room!

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-41769558033475644212008-08-15T07:54:00.001-07:002008-08-15T07:58:02.574-07:00

Fred ate about five mushy kibbles that I fed him this morning. He didn't take any off the plate, but he sort of let me feed him, so I'll take that as progress! Harry and Neville were snuggling a little bit this morning. I tried to take some pictures and will post one later. As usual, George was the first one up and meowing when I walked in there a little while ago. Scruffy is just Scruffy. :

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-38736388237618121482008-08-14T16:59:00.000-07:002008-08-14T17:01:27.837-07:00

In this video you can see how the kittens react when they realize Grace and I are there. I was trying to film them while they were playing, but as soon as they saw us they ran over to start meowing at us instead for attention and food!

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-64049067815829603532008-08-14T09:11:00.000-07:002008-08-14T09:12:02.567-07:00

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-41893940097382221782008-08-14T09:09:00.001-07:002008-08-14T09:09:53.419-07:00

Scruffy, Neville and Harry this morning

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-55727124927570406792008-08-13T09:02:00.000-07:002008-08-13T09:03:38.987-07:00

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-86266638094639150812008-08-13T08:33:00.001-07:002008-08-13T08:35:42.006-07:00

We seem to be in a holding pattern these days, waiting for the kittens to move away from the bottle and onto solid food. They are growing more and more playful all the time, and all five of them are doing very well. The litter box continues to be a place of fascination for them, particularly after I've cleaned it and put in fresh litter. They chase each other and toys now, though their gait is

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-71893960288468426912008-08-11T20:53:00.000-07:002008-08-11T21:00:06.833-07:00

The kittens had a good day. We had a visit today from the couple that rescued our black cat and his siblings back when they were tiny kittens. They played and romped, got bathed by Grace, and then one by one they started to drift off in our laps.Four kittens can usually polish off two bottles now, so I really need Scruffy to move to solid food exclusively and learn to drink water from a dish so

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-69777307965256910852008-08-11T06:58:00.001-07:002008-08-11T06:58:59.063-07:00

Neville fits nicely in the pocket of my robe.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-10875032177222883112008-08-10T20:07:00.000-07:002008-08-10T20:10:17.581-07:00

I made a chart of the daily feedings, out of my own curiosity to see the data all together. There are a few missing data points because I forgot to record a few individual feeding amounts and thus have no grand totals for those days. Still, it is interesting to see the trend. There has also been some wet food consumed this past week.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-62046151739955195042008-08-10T09:28:00.000-07:002008-08-10T09:29:35.055-07:00

You can see the kitties lounging and playing in this video.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-68059460594803524082008-08-10T07:21:00.000-07:002008-08-10T07:24:57.620-07:00

Some of the kittens' eyes are starting to change colors. They are losing the blue color and switching to whatever permanent color they'll end up with. They're growing up so fast, sniff, sniff. ;)Still waiting for them all to sample the wet food and start moving away from the bottle. They will be five weeks old tomorrow, I think, so these next two weeks will be the time for them to really get

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-49875746338617268322008-08-09T10:09:00.000-07:002008-08-09T10:12:13.840-07:00

After their breakfast... They hadn't quite made it into the litter box yet to play.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-15201417229553345842008-08-09T10:05:00.001-07:002008-08-09T10:05:36.511-07:00

Here is Grace holding Fred this morning. So sweet!

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-60815980018601155522008-08-09T09:50:00.000-07:002008-08-09T09:59:16.815-07:00

This morning Grace found Neville in the cat box, and he had pooped! He was the only kitten that we hadn't seen use the litter box yet, so that's great news. Later, all five of them were playing in and around the litter box. Scruffy was even lying on his back in it while one of his siblings was attacking his back foot.Scruffy went right for the wet food I put out this morning and ate all of it.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-3001545229443000922008-08-08T16:13:00.000-07:002008-08-08T16:17:22.933-07:00

Harry peed and pooped in the litter box this afternoon! Granted, his aim wasn't too great and he peed off the side of the box, but that's OK. He and three other kitties all used the box at the last feeding, so that leaves just one kitty to get with the program. Scruffy still seems to be the only one interested in solid food at this point, but they're still young.Speaking of Scruffy, he was

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-84073926170718878822008-08-07T14:25:00.001-07:002008-08-07T14:32:13.865-07:00

Fred continues to master the litter box, using it do all his business this morning! Others are using it as well, as I really needed to clean it out this afternoon. There are still accidents, but the kitties are making good progress. Fred and George ate some wet food yesterday, but no one else was interested. I left some for them today after their morning feeding, and someone ate some of it

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-89694583443035261612008-08-06T16:42:00.001-07:002008-08-09T10:06:05.412-07:00

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-14189330903199000842008-08-06T16:41:00.001-07:002008-08-09T10:06:27.770-07:00

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-60705505778567696372008-08-06T06:45:00.000-07:002008-08-06T06:51:37.587-07:00

I saw Scruffy and George both use the litter box all on their own this morning - good going! Literally! Hopefully this will help the others catch on as well, as someone also peed right in the middle of the floor this morning while waiting his turn to be fed. They ate seven tablespoons of milk this morning, which is their biggest feeding yet. I was glad to see it, as the past couple of days

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-41686225047070384392008-08-05T08:31:00.000-07:002008-08-06T06:52:09.111-07:00

Fred has been spoken for as of yesterday! That leaves just Neville to be placed in a good home.Not much movement on the weaning front yet. Fred, George and Harry all let me hand feed them a couple of mushy kitten kibbles yesterday, but none have eaten off the plate yet. It's a little early yet, as I believe they just turned four weeks yesterday and I read to begin weaning them at four to five

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-32479666569061422042008-08-04T06:35:00.000-07:002008-08-04T06:37:07.729-07:00

Fred had the right idea this morning where the litter box is concerned. He got in, scratched around, and then did his business... on the towel the litter sits on. Oh well - he was close! It's progress.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-73320882663446160072008-08-03T13:53:00.000-07:002008-12-10T08:22:42.260-08:00

We got a new enclosure for the kittens today. Drew is lining it with cardboard as we found George slipped right through the metal bars! But now they have constant access to their litter box and some food and water, and I'm hoping that will help the weaning and potty processes.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-78872665997499152222008-08-02T14:57:00.000-07:002008-08-02T15:02:58.765-07:00

Scruffy has gotten the hang of going to the bathroom after every meal. The problem is that he doesn't wait for me or the litter box, which leads to major cleaning each time I go in to check on the kitties! So he had his first real bath today, and while he didn't love it, he tolerated it fairly well. Afterwards, Grace wrapped him up snug in a towel and he settled right down with her. He is a

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-85298396074380646202008-08-02T14:50:00.000-07:002008-12-10T08:22:42.461-08:00

This is Grace holding George. Doesn't he look oh so relaxed?

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-54365235213779470742008-08-02T14:49:00.001-07:002008-12-10T08:22:42.811-08:00

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-72910644467810987012008-08-01T21:28:00.001-07:002008-08-01T21:33:14.773-07:00

I caught the kitties in a very sweet, calm moment after they'd eaten. Neville is on the left, George is on the right and Fred is in the foreground.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-79304749775349589272008-08-01T21:07:00.000-07:002008-08-01T21:08:18.403-07:00

Here is Scruffy trying wet food for the first time yesterday.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-14858839142736764232008-07-31T19:36:00.000-07:002008-07-31T19:39:33.126-07:00

In addition to Harry and Scruffy, George has now been adopted. :) It sounds like he will be going to a very loving home, and we are happy about that. I love George and his sweet little face, and I'm sure he's going to be a terrific little cat. That leaves Fred and Neville, and I can't imagine that the two people who are still interested wouldn't want to adopt these little guys. They are a

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-53328032065534102912008-07-31T13:51:00.000-07:002008-07-31T13:55:19.355-07:00

On a hunch, I offered Scruffy some wet food on a plate today. He went right for it and gobbled some down! Fred and Neville gave it a try too, though Harry and George didn't show any interest...this time. I'll offer it again at the next feeding and see what happens.Fred and Harry have also been peeing spontaneously on their own, so I got a small litter "box" prepared for them. I can't put it

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-91039108873848840662008-07-30T19:38:00.001-07:002008-07-30T19:41:32.562-07:00

The kittens have definitely started playing with each other, rolling around and grabbing at each other. They bite and lick each other, too. Their vision is improving as well, and I think they are seeing me now when I walk into the room. Scruffy is the closest to being able to get out of the tub, though he's not there just yet. He gives it a valiant effort, though!We bought some kitten wet

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-60961400486733529382008-07-29T14:12:00.001-07:002008-12-10T08:22:43.041-08:00

The kittens just ate and are all curled up together. I weighed each one. It was after they ate and on my not-so-precise scale but here are the results:Harry 7 oz.Neville 9 oz.Fred 9 oz.Ron (Scruffy) 12 oz.George 10 oz.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-13239214245995873152008-07-29T10:42:00.000-07:002008-12-10T08:22:43.142-08:00

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-19511968735189376042008-07-29T10:41:00.001-07:002008-12-10T08:22:43.319-08:00

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-12579706959578538322008-07-29T10:40:00.000-07:002008-12-10T08:22:43.670-08:00

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-83361109931194498762008-07-28T15:18:00.000-07:002008-07-28T15:25:33.238-07:00

The kittens traveled well, sleeping all the way there and all the way home. It helps that they still stay contained in their clear plastic tub and aren't big enough yet to climb out of it. It appears that Harry and Ron (though I still almost always call him Scruffy) will be going to live with my parents. :) We have someone coming to look at the kittens next Monday as well, so that would leave

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-85551894082443420992008-07-25T09:46:00.001-07:002008-07-25T09:49:59.273-07:00

The kittens are almost three weeks old now and getting noticeably bigger. Harry is still the smallest and looks incredibly small next to Ron, but they're all growing. They have eaten better the last couple of feedings, though you can tell some of them still want to chew on the bottle (Harry in particular this morning).We are heading out of town for a weekend getaway, and the kittens are coming

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-48045766950930892032008-07-24T15:53:00.000-07:002008-07-24T15:55:48.798-07:00

The kittens are definitely teething, and I think it's affecting their ability to nurse. They want to chew on the nipple instead. Two of the kittens have cut teeth already, and it's hard to tell if the other three have or not. You can tell when they try to nurse on your finger, but I could only get two of them to do that this afternoon. The last couple of feeds have been less than normal, but I

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-11872397221410381542008-07-24T07:48:00.000-07:002008-07-24T07:49:08.719-07:00

I'm pretty sure this is George - this was last night.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-39168582687282274642008-07-24T07:46:00.001-07:002008-07-24T07:47:03.511-07:00

Here is a short movie of the five kittens just before feeding time.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-9264312726296672012008-07-23T20:52:00.000-07:002008-07-23T20:55:45.469-07:00

It's Wednesday evening, and the kittens are doing well. They eat, they meow, they sleep, they grow. They're awfully cute and getting cuter and friskier each day! We think a few of them have started teething - when they try to nurse on our fingers we can feel some sharp little kitty teeth in there. I think in another week or two I'd like for potential adoptive parents to start coming to see

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-5145038774588591832008-07-22T21:19:00.000-07:002008-07-22T21:21:47.238-07:00

Quick update - after their feeding tonight, Neville scratched at one of his ears with a hind leg, and Fred stretched out and rolled around in my hands while I was petting him. Seeing Neville work his hind leg was so fun, and a first that we've seen for any of the kittens!

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-46623638780474054382008-07-22T14:22:00.001-07:002008-12-10T08:22:44.017-08:00

Awwwww.... Isn't this sweet? This was after a 1:30 pm feeding and bath.We set Harry down on the floor for a moment and he took off. He is getting pretty fast, relatively speaking. He surprised me! George licked his own leg and paw this afternoon, and Neville licked my finger earlier today. Scruffy showed glimpses of playing - he was on his back and I was lightly combing his belly when he

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-53683767675145421562008-07-21T21:37:00.001-07:002008-07-21T21:39:57.666-07:00

The kittens were testing out their leg strength this evening and a few of them showed us that they can take a few wobbly steps up on their legs now! It was very exciting. They kind of creep around for the most part, but it looks like actual walking isn't too far off. And after that comes running! A couple of them were also letting us rub their bellies, and one of them was kind of rolling

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-1710703542648866472008-07-21T11:40:00.000-07:002008-07-21T11:46:07.370-07:00

Everyone's eyes are open now, and everyone has had a nice bath. And then everyone had another scrub after Harry pooped in the bed! Messy kitties. They're doing well and growing stronger, and their latest feeds have been about three tablespoons at a time. Some of them are trying to stand up more on their legs, though they are still very wobbly and wind up on their backs as often as not. Still

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-59725533493300607562008-07-20T12:58:00.000-07:002008-07-20T13:04:14.138-07:00

All five kittens have pooped in the last 24 hours. That is great news. Poor George was the last to go, and boy did he have to go! He was howling and screaming and really unhappy with the whole process. I gave him some extra snuggle time after the ordeal was over, and he settled down.Scruffy and Neville seem to be the fluffiest of the litter thus far, and I wonder if they will have longer fur

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-8637883676138515392008-07-19T15:10:00.000-07:002008-07-19T15:15:59.059-07:00

Scruffy's eyes have started to open a bit, and either George or Fred had one eye wide open so he looked like he was winking at me. Neville is the last kitty to show signs of his eyes opening, but he can't be too far behind. Two kitties pooped this afternoon, which is good news. That isn't the most pleasant thing to think about, but I have to keep track of who's going and make sure that they're

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-39985611321443180202008-07-19T08:04:00.000-07:002008-12-10T08:22:44.183-08:00

Here are the kittens after a 7:30 a.m. feeding. Harry is on top of the pile. The feeding at 2:30 a.m. went very quickly; I was back in bed in about 25 minutes. It would be nice if they could all go that easily. Fred and George's eyes are still opening though they are not wide-eyed like Harry yet.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-52521680427981122332008-07-18T08:49:00.001-07:002008-07-18T13:32:50.872-07:00

I think Fred's eyes are going to be the next to open. They were showing a hint of opening at the inner corners, just like Harry's, so I think within the next twelve hours or so Fred's eyes will be open, too. Exciting! The kittens are growing, and while my scale isn't terribly accurate, they all seem to be heavier now compared to when I first weighed them. They look bigger too, although Harry

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-32960821876702540562008-07-17T12:40:00.001-07:002008-07-17T12:42:06.706-07:00

Here is a video where you can see just how much they move around, trying to navigate who will go where! It was feeding time - I had one of the kittens and Drew was filming the other four.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-7798459306720315122008-07-17T11:18:00.001-07:002008-12-10T08:22:44.375-08:00

It is hard to get a good photo, but his eyes are definitely open now! They seem very large on his tiny frame when they are wide open. I called him an alien kitty when I first saw him, but I'm sure he'll grow into them.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-53146661901757052192008-07-17T08:05:00.000-07:002008-07-17T08:17:20.901-07:00

Tiger/Harry is beginning to show the tiniest hint of opening. Last night, I thought they looked like they were a tiny bit open, and they looked like that this morning as well. I don't know how long it will take him to get them fully open, but I'm guessing by the end of the weekend they'll all have their eyes open. That will be a treat to see. :)Three of them seem to be pooping again, so the

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-13804205149064372008-07-16T12:46:00.000-07:002008-12-10T08:22:44.515-08:00

Harry/Tiger was off roaming the bed when I took this one. You can see him joining the huddle in the other photo I posted today.From top to bottom: T/Neville, White Feet/Fred, CC/George and Scruffy/Ron.

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-52313739447403218712008-07-16T12:44:00.000-07:002008-12-10T08:22:44.884-08:00

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-81454395906479908542008-07-16T08:16:00.000-07:002008-07-16T08:23:34.936-07:00

This is the kittens' ninth day with us, which I'm guessing makes them ten or eleven days old. Their eyes are still closed, though I dreamed last night that they had all opened their eyes and that their eye color was already turning to their permanent color. I felt like I had missed it all. But their little eyes are still securely shut as of their feeding at 7:30 this morning.They are eating

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-57865443448222737522008-07-14T22:12:00.001-07:002008-07-14T22:18:40.122-07:00

Drew shot a video this evening as I was feeding the kittens. You can see one being fed here, at YouTube. Enjoy!

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-87917167125993560862008-07-14T13:29:00.000-07:002008-07-14T13:34:14.176-07:00

Grace has been reading the first Harry Potter this summer and is down to the last couple of chapters. Inspired by this, she has decided to give the kittens new names. So for now, here is the run-down:Tiger = HarryT = NevilleWhite Feet = FredCC = GeorgeScruffy = RonWe thought that Tiger, being the littlest guy, deserved a strong name. :) Scruffy kind of whines and complains a lot, so he got Ron

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-38549251101009725562008-07-14T09:05:00.001-07:002008-07-14T09:10:57.276-07:00

Today is the seventh day the kittens have been living with us. Their eyes are still closed, and I'm guessing that they couldn't have been more than about a day old when we got them.This morning I watched them sleeping for a bit before waking them up to feed them. T was lying on his side, stretched out a little bit next to his litter mates. His little mouth was kind of opening and closing, as

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-89967578644991329862008-07-13T19:58:00.000-07:002008-12-10T08:22:45.192-08:00

You can kind of make out which kitty is which in this photo. On the far right is T (see the markings on his back?). At the lower left is Scruffy. He is the biggest so far. The two resting their heads on Scruffy are White Feet and CC, though it is hard to tell one from the other in the picture. I think CC is on the left. The last little guy in motion and hence blurry is Tiger, the smallest of

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-45692706608446814352008-07-13T12:03:00.000-07:002008-12-10T08:22:45.497-08:00

I took this photo a day or so ago. The one in the front is the one we're calling CC for now, and he kept climbing on top of everyone else. He looks like he's settled down here, but it was probably just a split second shot that I captured! They wiggle and climb and try to get situated next to, under, on and around each other, and it takes a good long while before all five have their spots

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-66189273890376801912008-07-13T08:58:00.000-07:002008-07-14T09:04:44.558-07:00

When I got up early this morning to feed the kitties, the five of them managed to eat a little more than 1.5 tablespoons of their kitty formula. They have been eating about a tablespoon at a time, so I'll be curious to see if they eat more at their next couple of feedings as well. If so, I will take that as a good sign! I've started writing down how much they eat in total after each feeding,

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-69345507966017400222008-07-12T21:56:00.001-07:002008-07-12T22:04:56.338-07:00

We had some friends over for a dinner party tonight, and one of our friends managed to feed CC a little bit. She's a sweet person and a kitty lover, and I'm glad she was able to visit with the kitties this evening. They woke up each time more people arrived and went to the back room to see them. I'll feed them again before I go to bed around 11 or so, and then get up around 3 a.m. to feed them

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-58298260091334890102008-07-11T21:25:00.000-07:002008-07-11T21:33:24.576-07:00

The kittens just had another feeding, and all five of them ate fairly well. They still need persuading, but eventually they won't and then the feeding will go faster! Plus, Grace will be able to help me feed them once they don't need quite so much coaxing. A couple of them lost their umbilical cords today, but at least one still has a bit of a stubby one left. One of them had a really long

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-91795364039112285652008-07-10T09:12:00.000-07:002008-12-10T08:22:45.756-08:00

The kittens still haven't figured out what the bottle is all about. Once I persuade them to eat, they nurse well, but getting them to that point is still a bit of a struggle. They are hungry but don't realize that what's being offered is their milk. They'll get there, and once they feed easily I can have Grace help in the process and speed things along. Right now the feeding process can

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-20604716816895062352008-07-09T17:26:00.000-07:002008-07-09T17:37:17.451-07:00

I only have a kitchen scale, so it isn't terribly accurate, but the kittens all appear to weigh approximately 2.5-4 ounces each, with most of them being right around three ounces. Tiny little kitties!I had three of them purring this afternoon after their last feeding. One kept on purring even after I put him back in the box, and I think it may have been comforting to his siblings. They're

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7486800977375402004.post-84790473795832965252008-07-09T08:29:00.000-07:002008-07-09T08:33:49.928-07:00

I got up last night at 3:30 a.m. to check on the kittens and try another feeding. So far, they still don't really have the hang of the bottle, but they'll get there. One of the kitties started purring last night while I was feeding it! It was the kitty who has feet that are half white. They're still pretty hard to tell apart but another day or so and I think we'll be able to just from seeing

Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00370596102671167636noreply@blogger.com0