Foster Kittens Update

Sorry, lately I've been posting mostly fiber and yarn and I know some people don't really care to see all of that, but it has consumed my life and my time for weeks and I just had to share!

I decided I needed to update everyone on the foster kittens that we took in three weeks ago. Three days after we took them in, the smallest kitten woke up with one watery eye. The next day, both eyes were watering. The next day he was sneezing so hard he got a bloody nose. I called the shelter and ran in to pick up some antibiotics. He was to be on a seven day course of the antibiotics. The antibiotics were I believe maybe orange flavored - they mixed up orange at any rate - and he hated to take them. I felt so bad forcing him to take the stuff but I knew he had to take it to get better. The next day I thought we were going to lose the little guy because he was so stuffed up and lethargic. Jim gave him Reiki and I cleaned his little eyes, face and nose up several times a day with a warm damp wash rag. Within a few days he turned around and by day 6 of the antibiotics he was playing and eating again. Day 7 he was exhausted - in fact all the cats were laying around the house like little furry rugs and nobody was active. Every other day he was active, followed by a day of inactivity. Now, finally he is eating like a little hog, romping through the house for hours and gaining weight. He also had severe diarrhea when we got him and that has gotten better. Rather than feeding them the Science Diet kitten food that the shelter gave me, I am feeding them the all life stages grain free kibble that we feed our cats, along with scrambled egg, cottage cheese and plain vanilla yogurt to build the bacteria back up in their systems. No, I don't spoil my foster kittens! ;o)

These kittens were named Thelma and Louise but now that they're older we have Thelma and Louis because the "paint" kitten is clearly a male. And Thelma is clearly a female - a DIVA in training! She meows her displeasure at all sorts of things. She loves to snuggle on your lap, but only if it is her idea. If you pick her up and she doesn't want to be held she squirms and meows until you put her down. Several times I've run out to see who was hurting whom and it was Thelma squalling because somebody looked at her wrong. She starts fights and then meows loudly when the other kitten or cat plays too rough. Louis, on the other hand, purrs loudly when you talk to him, pet him, pick him up, etc. Male cats are always so much more affectionate - I should have known from the beginning just from attitude that one was a male and the other was a female!

So, here are some photos I took a few days ago while Thelma and Louis were watching a fly on the ceiling. They are too cute! I have to call the shelter this week and see when they need to go back. Both kittens are at least 2 pounds 5 ounces now - Louis has gained a full pound since we got them and he has surpassed his sister in weight now. Doesn't it look like he's smiling in this photo?!