Kittens Update

[Vivisectus]

The plural is entirely appropriate. I heard loud meeowing outside my front door, went to have a look, but saw nothing. However, my oldest daughter was just coming in through the gate and reported that this



had just legged it into the shed.

Brownie was disgusted at this interloper that immediately walked into his bed. I removed her (I think it is a her) and installed her in the per carrier in stead. Brownie seems to be getting used to the idea pretty quickly though.



Problem is, Daisy triggers on it something huge. She must have seen it before and chased it: she did not have that reaction to Brownie, ever.

She has some scratches around her face, and a swollen belly. She is extremely underweight - all skin and bones. She must be roughly Brownies age: she is fully weaned and wolfed down 1/3 of a pouch of food. I don't dare to give her more just yet. She purrs, never scratched me when I grabbed her, and after having been fed proceeded to go straight to sleep.

What am I, a fricking cat orphanage?

That said, I am paying for cat food anyway, and Brownie could do with a playmate. What better time to introduce a new cat than when they are still kittens? And it is time for Brownies shots now anyway, and some other rationalizations for simply going ahead and keeping yet another fuzzy little ball of trouble.

[Kyuss Apollo]

For each cat you already have, you should get two more. That's how the maths apparently work at our cat ranch house.

[Gonzo]

omg I love it, it's adorable. Does it have a working gender/ name?

[SR71]

and you're not going to... OPEN IT UP or anything, ARE YOU? WELL??? Vivisectus?11

[LadyShea]

Awww...good on ya! The is like a virtual animal sanctuary. We should get non-profit foundation status.

Is that considered a Calico? Or just standard variational cat markings?

[Vivisectus]

Its a girl I think. There are no little testes as there were with Brownie. Nr 3 Daughter is heavily in favour of the name Cupcake.

She ate, slept, pooped, ate again... she is ravenous. I am feeding her little meals a few hours apart so she has to pace herself. Next will be the inevitable diarrhoea. If she makes it past that she will be ok, as long as she has not picked up any other cat diseases. I worry about cat aids. Her tummy is rumbly, but she uses the litterbox when I put her in it when she wakes up. When she pooed it sounded like firecrackers going off, and it was pale, very small, and relatively loose.

She is extremely affectionate, purring up a storm and happily curling up on my lap for the warmth. A curiously square patch of fur is missing from the back of her head. This, together with the scabs around her eyes, makes me think she may have been trying to eat out of discarded cans.

She is so easy to handle that she must already be used to humans, rather than a feral kitten. She must have been out for days and days though. She is pathetically skinny with a swollen tummy, probably from worms and malnutrition.

Brownie is absolutely disgusted with me and is way out on the other couch, his back turned to me with malice aforethought. I have brought some scruffy homeless bitch into our lovely home, ruining everything for everybody.

[Vivisectus]

I think calico requires some brown or orange to be in there too, but I am not sure. Apart from the scabs she is black and white, weird irregular marks all over.

[Vivisectus]

Uhoh. The scabs around the eye and the fact that there appears to be a small triangular piece of her ear missing makes feline aids a possibility. With a healthy cat in the house that may make this a more difficult decision that I thought.

I hope the vet can help us get clarity here pretty quickly.

[vremya]

Brownie and Cupcake - I love it.

[Vivisectus]

oh dear. The vet recommends euthanasia if a kitten has aids this young and is showing clear symptoms already, as it is likely to only live for a short while and be sick for most of that time. She may infect cats she is in close contact with.

I think I heard a sneeze or two as well - chronic respiratory probs are another symptom.

This may become a really, really shit evening in stead of a cheerful one. Fingers crossed: I'll get her tested in about an hours time.

[SR71]

Oh dear, let us hope not, that would be much too sad. Maybe she is just beat up, sometimes they just look in awful shape but no feline virus. Keeping the fingers crossed, Vivisectus.

[Gonzo]

Cat aids? I had no idea that existed. Poor kitty.

[lisarea]

Oh, man, I also hope that's not it.

However, you know, even if this is the worst case scenario, you are still doing the right thing, giving her a warm home, a full belly, some scritches, and a peaceful end.

It'll suck way harder for you than not knowing would, but it's a really really good thing.

[LadyShea]

Not knowing-limbo sucks and Feline HIV sucks, but as lisarea said, you're being an awesome human either way. Sorry you have to go though hard parts

[Doctor X]

--J.D.

[Crumb]

I hope the new kitty is ok.

[Leesifer]

poor kitty

[Vivisectus]

Huzzah! So far so good. The vet said that the scabby bits are conjunctivitis and that she is very young to have aids and is likely to be fine. 2 weeks of antibiotics, during which she is not likely to give browny anything even if she has the virus. Then we can test just to make sure. No dead kittehs tonight!

[ceptimus]

[vremya]

YAY!

[LadyShea]

Piiiink eyyyye!

Glad kitteh is not dying today!

[SR71]

[curses]

[Deadlokd]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[lisarea]

YES!

You, Sir, are a gentleman, a scholar, and a crazy old cat guy!