Foster Kitten Friday - The Holiday Dilemma

It was exactly three years ago on this date when we were boarding the Grand Princess cruise ship to finish off our very long year of travel. Knowing we'd be arriving back home on Christmas Eve we decided to skip putting up a Christmas tree.

Two years ago there was no tree because we were finishing up yet another big trip in December. Then last Christmas? We had the Wild West Gang, and with Mama Kate and four little kitties who would have too much fun with a tree, we skipped it yet again.

So this was going to be the year of the Christmas tree.

Until my three teeny tiny sick foster kitties showed up. Unfortunately two didn't make it, but one did. And this week I almost got a number two! A potential mama cat to adopt an in-need-of-a-mama baby. She was beautiful and sweet and loving. To me, at least.

Such a beauty!

But to little Hans Solo? She hissed. And hissed. And swatted at him. And hissed again. Even with the gradual introduction techniques we found nothing but hissing and swatting. So our household went back to just the solo Hans Solo. And we had a holiday dilemma. 

Christmas tree or no Christmas tree?

Well, the space where a tree should be right now has a little baby kitten who is exploring his own two room tent. (It's really two pop up pens I've connected together.) 

Let a kitten go camping or put up a Christmas tree? 
It was an easy decision this year.

After struggling to get healthy, little Hans Solo is on his way to being a big strong boy. He's already trying to find a way to make a prison break.

So if I chew through these clips I can 
get out, right?

He runs from pen to pen, back and forth and back and forth. It's so exciting to see him get those little legs moving. When he can't run anymore, he picks a place to curl up - or spread out - and sleep.

Yes, I can sleep anywhere. No need to be jealous.

Not surprisingly he even seems to think a lap is a good place to plant himself for a little nap, too. 

Yawwnn...

It's not all sleeping and running for him, either. Playing with toys? He's working on it.

Learning to balance on my back legs is hard!

Even without a cat mama and just a human mama, he's learning to clean himself.

Remind me what I'm supposed to do with my tongue?

Clean the blanket? No?

I remember now. I'm supposed to clean myself!

From where he started to where he is now, this foster parent couldn't be more proud of him. 

I, Hans Solo, designate today as Show-Off-My-Belly Day.

I'm happy to say he's the only Christmas decoration I need.

I definitely deserve to be someone's present this year.
Tree or no tree.

Foster Kitten Friday - A Week of L.A.M.B.S.

Happy Foster Kitten Friday! It sure has been a lamb kind of week and not just because these three little ones look like baby lambs, either. So what exactly is a lamb week? Read on to find out...

L=Laundry 

Oh my, the laundry. While these babies aren't nearly as messy as they will be when they get a bit older and start on gruel they are still plenty messy. Their faces, bottoms, and should I mention the pee? On my clothes, on their bedding and blankets (thankfully I made a bunch of blankets when I did the no-sew pet blanket tutorial), the warming disk covers (another thankful moment since I made a bunch of those when I did that sewing tutorial). So much laundry. So many blankets. 

A=Alarms

As the babies need to eat every two hours both day and night there is only one way to make sure it happens. 

Alarms.

Instead of setting an entire 24 hours' worth of alarms I finally realized it made much more sense to use the timer. Hmm...am I waiting for bread to rise or am I raising kittens?! With me shutting it off when it’s time to feed and starting it again when they’ve finished I've touched my phone more in the last week than I have in the entire last year.

M=Mothering

Newborn orphaned kitties should be with their kitty cat mama for a reason. Mama feeds them, cleans them, licks them so they go potty (and then eats it), and keeps them in line. With no mama around, it's the foster parent's job to make it happen (minus the licking/eating part). I have them corralled in a plastic bin right in the bedroom. It's quiet there during the day and gives me easy access at night for feedings. 

Did you know bottle babies aren't fed on their backs like human babies? On the tummy it is. I have a couple who like to be helpers...

and one who goes all spread eagle on me.

Then there is bathroom time. Baby kitties can't go on their own so they have to be stimulated by the foster parent every single time they are fed. No matter how hard you try - whether you use a tissue or wipe or soft cloth - you will inevitably wind up with a handful of pee. And many times you'll wind up with some poo somewhere. Which leads me to the next letter...

B=Butts

These poor little guys have had a bottom problem this week. As in something that should be coming out from there isn't. We've tried several things, including some warm water butt baths, but they needed to have even more of an intervention yesterday at Simply Cats. (Remember, Simply Cats is a no-kill feline shelter here in Boise and the only shelter I work with.) Did you know there was such a thing as a kitty enema? Well, my three little fellas could tell you all about it. And I could tell you how it's done because I came home with the equipment to give additional ones to them, if needed. Let's hope their systems take care of themselves and plumber Deb doesn't have to be called.

S=Strikingly Similar

Do you remember the song from Sesame Street, One of These Things?

One of these things is not like the others,

One of these things just doesn't belong,

Can you tell which thing is not like the others

By the time I finish my song?

Well, the song definitely does not apply to these babes. They ALL look like the others and with their umbilical cords now gone they have become impossible to identify. Seriously, these are three separate pictures of three different kittens. Yowza.

So what can we expect next week? Look at this little one's eyes. 

I think we might just "see" something new!

Essential Supplies for Feeding Bottle Baby Kittens - Foster Kitten Friday

After having spent several years fostering young kittens, there are some supplies I've come to rely on time and time again. From food to litter and bedding to toys, check out some of those important supplies you'll need when you welcome the little kittens into your home. 

Today we're looking specifically at feeding supplies for bottle baby kittens.

I've added links to Amazon so you can see photos and prices of the different products. I am a participant in their affiliate advertising program so if you make a purchase through my link I will earn a small commission. The purchase helps support me in purchasing replacement products for each year's foster kitties. I buy most all of my supplies from Amazon, but do get your supplies wherever is cheapest and easiest for you!

Check out the adventures of some of my most recent foster kitties here. You'll see them as they work towards growing up big and strong. And bonus - you'll find plenty of cute kitty cat photos!

Supplies for Feeding Bottle Baby Kittens

• Pet-Ag Nursing Kit 2oz Bottle is the only bottle I use for all the bottle babies. It comes with a little tiny bottle brush that makes cleaning the bottles so much easier. 
• The Miracle Nipples are perfect for smallest of the smallest bottle babies like little four ounce Cami and Sami.

• KMR - Kitten Milk Replacer - is an absolute must. It's like baby formula, but for kittens. Cows milk = bad news for baby kitten tummies.
• KMR 2nd Step is another product we use for older kittens who still need a milk replacement.

As we transition bottle babies to soft food, we make a concoction called gruel. For gruel you need:

• A blender/shaker bottle
• KMR 
• Canned cat food
• Jarred baby food (meat flavors)

Rosemary wants you to know
gruel is very messy.

I first try them on a thinner gruel before moving to a thicker version. You may need to try different ways to get the kitties interested in the gruel: 

• Sometimes you need to place it in the Pet-Ag bottle and cut a bigger hole in the nipple and feed them like they were still a bottle baby.
• Sometimes it requires eating off the foster parent's finger.
• Baby spoons can be helpful. 

Parsley likes being spoon fed.

• A very long spoon be really helpful for those kitties who are still scared of people.
• Small plates and shallow bowls are a good next step.
• Double bowls are great - but are better once when they have moved out of the gruel stage. Otherwise they wind up making quite a mess of the bowl - and themselves.

Parsley in her early
eating-gruel-from-a-bowl days.

If the kitties have successfully made their way with the gruel, they can be transitioned to straight canned cat food. If they tolerate the straight canned food, you can transition them yet again to the hard kitten food. Be sure to give their tummies plenty of time before switching over foods.

We're not done with supplies yet! Join me in the upcoming weeks for:

Supplies for Keeping Baby Kittens Warm and Comfortable

Supplies for Keeping Baby Kittens Happy and Healthy

Supplies for Making Your Fostering Job Easier

Foster Kitten Friday

Happy Foster Kitten Friday from the Wild West Gang! While there were times it did feel like the Wild West, we also had plenty of times when it didn't. 

Need a lap cat? They've got ya covered!

Prefer cats who do their resting on a cat tree? Check that off the list.

Snuggle-on-the-floor cats? Yep.

What about kittens who take good pictures? You betcha.

Wyatt Earp

Annie Oakley

Calamity Jane

Want to help contribute to the work I do with foster kittens? I have an Amazon wish list right here. These are the things I use again and again, year after year. With daily laundry and frequent cleaning, items have to be replaced often. I’d love anything you’d be willing to send my way!

How about a kitty who has his own weekly show? You're covered there, too!

Learn more about living with the Wild West Foster Kitten Gang here.

Watch all the episodes of The Adventures of Wyatt Earp, the Foster Kitten with no back feet, here.

Foster Kitten Friday - The New Year's Edition

Happy New Year from the Wild, Wild, Wild, Wild, Wild, Wild, Wild West Gang!

It's a new year and everyone is taking on a new role.

Annie Oakley is the thief, stealing a kitty blanket away from me...

and dragging it across the room.

Scratch that. Wild Bill is the thief, taking the tape measure when I was trying to remeasure Wyatt Earp's legs.

Now I remember...Annie Oakley is the jumper. Straight from the floor to the counter-top height table in one swift move. (And barely captured by my camera.)

No, wait a minute. Calamity Jane is the one who is the jumper.

Feet in the air in this picture.

And Wyatt? Well, he's the three legged cat who takes over my keyboard...

and the back of my recliner any chance he gets.

Want to help contribute to the work I do with foster kittens? I have an Amazon wish list right here. These are the things I use again and again, year after year. With daily laundry and frequent cleaning, items have to be replaced often. I’d love anything you’d be willing to send my way!

What? Did I say three legged cat? Sure did. You'll have to watch his video to find out more...

Learn more about living with the Wild West Foster Kitten Gang here.

Watch all the episodes of The Adventures of Wyatt Earp, the Foster Kitten with no back feet, here.

The Adventures of Wyatt Earp, the Foster Kitten Born Without Any Back Feet

What is life like for a foster kitten who was born missing both his back feet and paws? Watch each week's episode of The Adventures of Wyatt to find out! You'll get to see how a disabled kitten, Wyatt Earp, grows and learns to use prosthesis as he gets ready for adoption. New videos every Friday!

Want to help contribute to the work I do with foster kittens? I have an Amazon wish list right here. These are the things I use again and again, year after year. With daily laundry and frequent cleaning, items have to be replaced often. I’d love anything you’d be willing to send my way!

 

Learn more about living with the Wild West Foster Kitten Gang here.

Foster Kitten Friday, the Christmas Edition

Merry Christmas and Happy Foster Friday from the Wild West Gang!

We had planned on doing some kitty cat family photos today to share with everyone, but 10 week old kitties aren't always cooperative. While we didn't have a Christmas tree this year, we still could have taken their pictures in front of stockings or a Christmas quilt. Heck, I would have even been happy with them all sitting still in one place anywhere in the house today! 

Although it's still early in the day, they've already had enough excitement this week with Wyatt's Christmas presents so we're giving them (and me) a break from the camera. Instead, we'll go with the few moments of quiet we had. As the Wild West Gang is definitely living up to their names those moments were few and far between.

All together on the cat tree with some Christmas decor
in the background is as close as we'll get.

Calamity Jane sound asleep. Silly girl.

Annie Oakley and Wild Bill oh-so-close to napping.

Shhh...don't tell Wyatt I took a picture of him with
one of his Christmas presents.

Want to help contribute to the work I do with foster kittens? I have an Amazon wish list right here. These are the things I use again and again, year after year. With daily laundry and frequent cleaning, items have to be replaced often. I’d love anything you’d be willing to send my way!

What? Wyatt has a Christmas present in the picture? Yep! Check out his video to see what he got. 

I also got a huge Christmas present from Wyatt. Every day for the last six weeks he has gone to the bathroom outside the litter box. I've cleaned up pee and poo off of his blankets and run laundry. Every. Single. Day. But last night, on Christmas Eve, after I finished putting together his video...WYATT USED THE LITTER BOX!!! Happy Dance, Happy Dance! So while it's not mentioned in this week's video it definitely will be in the next one.

Merry Christmas to all!

Learn more about living with the Wild West Foster Kitten Gang here.

Watch all the episodes of The Adventures of Wyatt Earp, the Foster Kitten with no back feet here.