Kitten Season…and Longterm Residents
Kitten season is in full swing! I have had lots of inquiries about kittens ready for adoption. The colony that I trapped had one very pregnant mom in the group, she went into foster and had her babies. I have received a couple moms with babies from other rescues, and two pregnant mommas from people surrendering to All Hearts Rescue. It can be hard raising young kittens…we lost eight kittens over the past two months. (That is one reason I do not reserve kittens for anyone until they are fixed and ready to go.) All the remaining ones are currently doing well and we are starting to get spay and neuter appointments scheduled in May. I’ve learned a lot about what to look for and when to intervene. My bedroom has basically become a kitten nursery/hospital, with a crate next to my bed so I can keep a close eye on sick ones, waking in the night to check on them, give more fluids, or feeding by syringe if they have stopped eating. Happily, with vigilance, and a couple of vet visits, I have been able to save many of them. The momma living with me right now, May, has two surviving black babies, who are so loving and lovable. Another kitten was not being nurtured by its mom so it was sent to me to see if May would adopt her; she did—after about six hours of standoffishness I saw all three of them nursing on her. So now there are three black babies snuggling up together and looking at me with their big beautiful, curious eyes. May is a great mom, and I can’t wait for her to find her right adopter, too!
May and one of her babies
We are planning a monthly adoption event at the Country Store in Stevensville. It will generally be the third Saturday of each month, in the afternoon. This month it will be May 21.
Some cats don’t show well at adoption events, as they are too scared in a new environment and with lots of people. I currently have about half a dozen cats with extra needs, who are waiting for their perfect home. Tubble is a Siamese lynx point; she needs a patient home. Tubble has shown herself to be a sweet cat when out of the kennel and more relaxed. She is very fat and is on a urinary diet. She tested negative for diabetes. If she is approached in a way she doesn’t like she can get bitey. She will lean her head toward me for some gentle cheek pets, but I have to be careful not to go too fast. I was very surprised one night when she was out of her kennel, and I found her snuggled in my daughter’s bed in her arms, purring! Left to her own terms, she can be very happy! An experienced cat person would be best for Tubble.
Another shy black cat, whom I call Tuna, lived underneath the towel in her kennel for the first month she was here. Now, she only goes there once in awhile when she wants more privacy. She has surprised me also by leaning her head in for petting. Moving too fast or not on her terms scares her and she gets hissy. Again, an experienced cat person would be the best fit for Tuna. Or perhaps she could be a shop cat, where she doesn’t have to interact with humans unless she wants to, and can keep the rodents at bay.
Bagheera is one of the panleuk kittens. He and his brother Shere Khan live together in the laundry room. They are both friendly but can be scared of new spaces and people. They love each other very much; sometimes when they get out into the house they chase the other cats. They would do best adopted together with no other cats in the house. Bagheera has very inflamed gums, diagnosed with stomatitis, presumably as a result of the panleuk. He is still eating just fine—in fact he and his brother need to be limited in their food or they would eat too much! However he will need ongoing vet care, as he is liable to eventually puncture the gums and start infection. They are patiently waiting for their forever home.
Tarzan is the third panleuk kitten. She is shy and sweet. She walks away from me but sits curled in the corner of her kennel waiting for me to pet her. She allows it and has even purred. She is not aggressive at all and I think with time and patience she will make someone a very nice cat.
Then there is Gracie. Gracie came to me with one kitten, her daughter Kiki. Kiki was a beautiful calico. I got her spayed recently and her body did not handle it well; I supported her as best I could but she died two nights later, in the middle of the night. So Gracie is alone now, but she is a sweet girl who likes people and mostly gets along with other cats. Gracie is a manx! She has half a tail and lovely eyes. Gracie also has two teeth that look like fangs sticking out over her lip. My best guess is that these will need to be removed for her to have a comfortable life.
Thanks to everyone who is sharing Heidi’s Kittens. If you cannot adopt a cat but would like to support the kitties, we are always in need of kitty litter and wet food, as well as kitten chow. I usually use Tidy Cats Free & Clean unscented clumping litter (for the house cats where litter has to be scooped daily!!). I will also use unscented clay litter for kennels when cats are going to be there short-term. For wet food all kinds are welcome but the cheapest is Friskies in 32 or 40 packs for cats and kittens (read the label, some say for adult cats, some say for cats and kittens). The kitties thank you!!
