Days Twelve, Thirteen and Fourteen- and all in between

Got a little behind in my blogs...I apologize. Much happening! Both kitties are gaining weight- Miss Kitty has gained 4 ounces and Starshine has gained 6 ounces! They are very strong and curious, loving exploring around. We have graduated to the second step KMR. At first you start with a consistency of thin gruel and gradually you help wean them to a consistency of oatmeal. It is supposed to be lapped up, but of course, they wanted the bottle. That's okay, since they are still getting finely chopped meat and egg so they are getting all their nutrients. They love their new playpen, lots of room to roam and play. They are also recognizing their names and coming when called! We think that is pretty amazing, but then again, we are awfully prejudiced!

Day Eleven New Digs

Today we moved the kitties to a bigger area now that they are getting more active. We have a wonderful collapsible playpen that is twice the size of where they were. We also introduced some darling cat toys, gaily colored mice and little balls with fur that make noise( sand inside). Both Star and MK love to bat about things. Jim fixed up a hanging toy that they ADORE, so we added on to this with a fur noisy ball to bat about , too. Then snuggles from Mom & Dad and off to dream sweet kitty dreams!

Day Ten Of mice and men

Of mice and men??? Wellllll, men's FEET that is!!! Today was fun time with feeties, toes and heels. Our playful, happy girls were having a ball with Daddy's toes and heels. Since this blog is informational as well as a gift to whomever adopts these special girls, we wish to share some really great information for those who might be considering doing the same as we did and saving a wild kitty. First off, get a good friend who is a kitty expert and can walk you thru some things. Suzanne has been a lifesaver to us. She shared today the following information you might find helpful: They are older than you originally thought. I quote the Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook by Carlson and Giffin because it deals with all aspects of growth and hand raising orphans. Also you can look at it yourself at Petsmart or a bookstore because it is a popular classic. Average weights (page 330) 1 week 4oz., 2 weeks 7 oz., 3 weeks 10 oz., 4 weeks l3 oz. etc. We must assume your kittens were below average because they were starving and dehydrated. Swabbing the anal and genital area with cotton or tissue and warm water. Three weeks (page 328). Dr. Carlson is low on this one. Very few kittens have the ability to voluntarily release poop and urine at 3 weeks. It comes some time during the following week, and every kitten is different. I expect to see some voluntary action by about 24 days. At first it happens in the bedding. Within a few days kitty will make it to the box. Like toilet training a child only better. They have to learn to feel it coming. Telling age by teeth (page 171) Incisors (the tiny front ones) 2-3 weeks, canines 3-4 weeks, premolars 3-6 weeks (usually about 5). Weaning (page 340) about 25 days. Personally, I think malnourished kittens like these should receive KMR as long as they want it, but by 25 days they should be eating solid food as well. It is so helpful to have someone who can reassure you that you are doing the right things. We are so lucky to have someone like her in our corner.

Day Nine- Our lil' stars shine!

Our babies are doing so well, exploring, purring, playing. What a lift to the heart to see them thrive. On the advice of the very expert Miz Suzanne, Cat Expert, we switched to powdered form of the milk replacement because it has colostrum. For those of you who don't know, colostrum is the mother's milk ingredient that has all the immunities against disease for the baby. It is included in the first milk of the mother and since we don't know whether these two had an opportunity for that, we are going to supplement it with this powdered version. Believe it or not, when our horse was pregnant, a few days before she delivered, she started spraying milk from her teats. The vet had us milk her ( yes, a horse!) and put the milk in a bottle in the fridge. When the baby was born, we fed him the milk with a bottle. Starshine has the MOST electric blue eyes...they are really startling next to her white fur.Miss Kitty is much more midnight blue eyes. Both of them are such pretty kitties.

Day Eight- It's A Date!!!

The kitties birthday was June 4, 2006, so today they are 3 weeks old! Starshine has her baby teeth, and she has started sucking small amounts of meat. Miss Kitty is teething, and loves to chew on the bottle's nipple as much as sucking on it. Speaking of sucking, Star can put a DRAG on that bottle, to the point of where the bottle caves in...LOL; now, there's a kitty with power!!! Miss Kitty likes to eat a bit more daintily, in stages, a little, then a break, a walk around and then some more. Here you see Miss Kitty exploring a bit.

Star did a little exploring of her own...what is the fascination with kitties and baskets???

Both girls are eating and sleeping well. Playtime is anytime for these two...I bite you and you bite me. They are especially playful after dinner, when tummies are full. Yesterday, Miss Kitty did the sweetest thing...I didn't sing as I usually do when feeding them, and she reached up with both paws and put them over my mouth and pawed as if to say, Where's the noise??? When I started singing, she went back to drinking again. Guess I better keep up the tunes, eh? At least they are great listeners and kind critics!

Day Seven A Slice of Heaven

More good news! Miss Kitty has gained an ounce and Starshine has gained 3 ounces~ So they are doing well and thriving. Thanks to their new foster Mom Suzanne, we learned quite a few new tricks. We tried baby food today, chicken and rice ( all smusched together) Miss Kitty very nicely and politely ate a few mouthfuls, and then turned her face away. Starshine declined totally, just showing us that "I'm WAY too cute for baby food" face. Take it away!!!"

Not sure whether we told you why we called Starshine that particular name. She has a perfect star on her back...since she may grow bigger and the star may grow out, here is a picture of it.

Maybe we should have called her Shooting Star, with that tail on the star, but that is where the starshine comes in. We wonder, whether when she grows up she will have a bigger star or not one at all?

Then, with a bedtime story under their paws, it's time to cuddle up and, after a big yawn, go to sleep and sleep sweet baby kitty dreams

Day Six A New Home Awaits!

We received exciting news that both kitties will be going to a new foster home, where they will be treated like Princesses! From there, they will be adopted out together- we are so excited for them. Suzanne, we send our love to you! We will see you soon! Today was status quo, a little dinndinn every two hours and then a little play. Here you see Starshine, with a kitty milk moustache!!!! Miss Kitty from Dodge City, as we like to kid her, is really coming along nicely. She still receives treatment on her eye, so it looks a little bit watery. She is such a loving little spirit! After eating when she is done, she has to crawl up and touch her nose to mine and hold both of my cheeks with her paws. She starts purring...it's her little way of saying I love You. Both of them also get a few minutes of crawl around on the floor time, exploring and just being kitties. They are both now eating a little shredded tuna and chicken. The other houdini kitten still eludes us. We try every day to try and catch it. We really wish to thank Dr. Cote and Taylor, and especially Nikki who are the MOST caring people. If you are ever in San Diego, California, be sure to stop by Cote Animal Hospital, or visit them online. They have many, many satisfied clients and as we all know, it is so much peace to know you have a good veterinarian nearby. Then it's time for good-night kisses and off to bed!!!

Day Five Still Alive

It's a bittersweet thing to watch these fragile little beings show you love. Miss Kitty, small but mighty, loves to hold your face with both paws and put her face next to yours. She is eating sooo much we had to slow down a bit, as her tummy was like a balloon! But then she went potty, like a good girl in the litter box, and when we awoke today she was back to normal. I don't think the rest of her body has caught up to her tummy :-) Star seems like she is ready to progress to more solid foods; she is eating small bites of tuna and chicken with delight! She sure loves to be sung to, and boy, is she fierce when she eats, holds your hand with her paws and the drag she has on that bottle sucks it in! LOL! Still they are both doing so well, growing and walking so well, hardly wobbly at all any more. I think Miss Kitty is enjoying having both eyes usable now. As for our runaway/houdini kitten, we searched a different area for her last night and could hear her then she shut up and was hiding. We think she heard the others and was trying to get close- so maybe we will move the trap to that area and see if we can catch her humanely, so she can be assessed and taken care of. She sure is crafty!!!

Day Four The Gift

Totally great news, the best!!! Miss Kitty has gained weight, she's up to a pound now. Both of them are much less wobbly and purr after dinner, purr when they see us, purr after a bath when they are nice and warm. Miss Kitty's eye is almost cleared up, and she is able to look at you with both eyes open now. She is so darling when she eats, she MUST hold onto the bottle with both paws- I admire a woman in control!!!

Meanwhile we think Star was really STAR THE WONDER GIRL, pro wrestler kitty in another life!!! She loves to jump and wrestle MK especially when she is trying to have a little privacy in the litter box :::wink, wink:::

She loves to play and that is such a good thing! Jim made them a hanging toy to bat about and they love that. I think it relieves the boredom.

Meanwhile the other kitten continues to elude us, coming by long enough to eat a bit and then run off

But now we know what God had in store for us...it was the gift of these little spirits who rely on us so completely and give their love and trust so easily. How could you not fall in love with a face like this?

Day Three- The Gift of Play

Our girls are steadily improving! Lil Miss Kitty got some much needed eye antibiotic today. I went into the vet, but just to walk in the door was $42!!! So instead I went to the Vet supply store and they were so helpful. The antibiotic I chose was Teramycin, which is a broad base antibiotic, and will even handle secondary infections, such as e coli, ricketts, and pink eye. You follow the instructions included in the package, which is 2 - 4 times a day, so we are basically doing it every feeding. We gave some to Star as well, to help clear up the remainder of her infections, which have pretty much healed. Star now has teefies!!!! MK is getting them, with tiny nubs. We started feeding them teeny, tiniest baked chicken and tuna, and they gobbled them up. Star gulps it straight, whereas MK kinda sucks on it for a while. We were delighted to see them attempt at playing with each other...as you well know, sick animals do not play. They do when they feel good, safe and loved. They use the kitty litter box exclusively, which still amazes us! No role model, and still they know to climb in a box to go potty. Then bathtime, warm massage and falling asleep in Daddy's robe.

Day Two The wonder of Song

Today the gals were GOBBLING! They are only supposed to have 4 tablespoons a day, which is one bottle, but yesterday they ate 1 1/2 bottles and today will do the same. We noticed that they are standing stronger today, a little wobbly but walking okay. This is a HUGE difference after they were first captured. Star's eyes are almost completely healed. She was kind of fussy while waiting for her sister to finish eating, so I sang the 70's song, STARSHINE ( Good mornin, Starshine, the Earth says hello...remember that one?) She was completely transfixed, and we realized that she had never heard anyone sing before. She was amazed, and I sang a few more songs, but that one was her favorite ( Our parrot, Elmo prefers Beatles tunes) MK meanwhile is such a smart girl and taught Star and herself to go potty in the kitty litter...with no role model, and being a wild kitty we were astounded by this. Her eyes is clearing up but is still red and inflamed but at least she can use it again. By the way, God was SO good to us and allowed us to capture the father tomcat last night...what a mean kitty he is! He weighs 35 lbs and has scars all over...not afraid a whit. He was relocated, and I bet female kitties all over are breathing a sigh of relief tonight!! There IS another kitten, which we caught in the trap, but it is a damaged trap and it got away again. BUT hope springs eternal and we are trying again with some tuna as a lure. This kitten is older and can fend for itself, but still needs to be helped out so cross your fingers! So here's a picture of Daddy Mean Cat- if a cat could cuss at you, this one would!!!

Day One Continued

First we had to figure out, now that we were going to be foster parents, what baby kitties eat. We guesstimate that these two sisters are about two weeks old...just barely having their eyes open and no teeth. Our vet was kind enough to suggest kitten replacement milk, along with dry kitten chow soaked in the krm. They would have to be bottlefed for the first few weeks until they started eating on their own; and since there was no Mom in the picture, then they might start eating solid food early. I obtained the krm at my local feed store, which was kind enough to give me a box of kitty litter as a donation. We put the two in a large tupperware storage box with no lid, with a couple of blankies and the bowl of soaked food. Feeding started great, but when I tried to economize by mixing half soy milk with the krm, boy, did they rebel!!!We had first started feeding them with syringes( with no needles) and then bought bottles. The krm can tells you how much they should have daily. Of course, getting them to eat it when you haven't been cared for in a while and don't know people is another thing. But love and perseverance pays off. Here you see MK and Jim working it out. At the end of today she looked more like an eggplant, skinny at the top and big tummy on the bottom. She is so tiny she can only drink a few sips at a time. But she loves to hold the bottle with both paws as she nurses. Afterwards, we give them both a massage, like their Mom would do by licking- only we use a soft towel and rub them alllll over. Boy do they eat that up! STAR here is more than ready...she is a guzzler. No timid lady here when it comes to drinking-let's get it on@@@! Afterwards, she took her turn in the massage chair, and started that ol' motorboat a'purrin'. Life seems to be looking up...muuuuuch better than the garage and vicious squirrels, eh???

Day One Finding the Gals

This adventure started when a squirrel attacked a kitten and killed it. We felt then we had to step in and help out these cats who were being attacked. It is our fervent hope that others will try this, to help save those animals who cannot help themselves. Let us also mention that we tried NUMEROUS resources to try and help these animals, but were turned down by all. Don't think we have tons of money for vet bills, either...this was definitely a God-shot, and we know God will reveal why, but for now, we are just along for the ride, and wanted to share it with you. The first kitten was recovered in our yard under a pile of sheet metal. She had been bitten by a squirrel and could barely cry. We named this one Miss Kitty. MK(Miss Kitty) is a smokey gray black tortoiseshell kitten. Here's how she looked when we had her the first day ( this was AFTER being cleaned up)

She tipped the scales at a mere SIX OUNCES!!!

That afternoon we heard more mewing, this time from inside the garage. Barb crawled in about 10 feet under the tool bench and all the earthquake supplies to find kitty #2, who we named STARSHINE.

Here's how she looked cleaned up. When we first found her she was completely blind because the bites on her face had scabbed up and she couldn't open her eyes. She is a yellow and white calico, like her Mom, and has a perfect star on the top of her back.

STAR tipped the scales at a whopping one pound. She was so weak she was having problems standing.

MK is an amazing personality! She instinctively realized that STAR could not see, so she pushed the bowl of tuna towards her and then nudged her into it so she could eat!! I wished I had had a video camera nearby. What a caring kitty.

Welcome to Daring Kitty RescuersRUs!!

Hello and welcome! This blog will chronicle the rescue of two wild kittens in Southern California. Sir Jim and Lady Barb are your gracious hosts. Please feel free to add your comments, suggestions, etc. (Be nice! We are nice people)