Ouch

Gp 3 Day 5
These kittens have a bit of an oral fetish. When they are either tired or overstimulated they bite my fingers - hard. And they rootle each other, trying to nurse. If they clamped down on Mom like they do on my fingers, no wonder they were found alone! The good news is, I have usually been successful at stopping this behavior with enough time and consistency. What I do: when they nip, I take my hand away. If they keep pursuing, I set them down. My verbal cue that this is about to happen is "Ouch." Eventually, when I say Ouch they stop. Really. The behavioural term for this is negative punishment: removing something the animal values (petting) in order to decrease the occurrence of an unwanted behaviour. The most important part is the consistency. No mouthing, period, or you end up with an intermittent reinforcement schedule, which will make the behavior even harder to eradicate.

As to the rootling, that is not uncommon in kittens who have been removed from Mom at this young age. However, D assures me that early removal can also be a good thing, making it easier to socialize kittens who have not had previous human contact.

And OBTW, the other human member of my household thought Shariah was too feminine-sounding, so tkfkas (the kitten formerly known as Shariah) is now named Seamus.

Gender bender

Yesterday I was still ambivalent, but today I'm pretty sure - Shariah is not a girl. It's sometimes tricky to tell when they are very small, and very squirmy, and have longer hair near the tail. Good thing I gave him a gender-ambiguous made up name. But I may change it after I think about it some more.

Gp 3 Weights

Here it is, the usual housekeeping entry. Keep an eye on the table to know when this group will be heading back to the shelter. The magic number is 32.

	39F	40F	41M
Date	Sheila	Charlotte	Seamus
F 10/20	24	25.5	28
Su 10/22	26	24	27.5
Tu 10/24	26.5	24	27.5
Th 10/26	28	23	27
Sa 10/28	29	25.5	30
M 10/30	31.5	28	32
Tu 10/31	32	30	33.5
W 11/1	33	31	36
F 11/3	34	30.5	37
M 11/6	36	33.5	40
W 11/8	37.5	36	43

Hop 'N Pops

Gp 3 Day 2
Kittens are much like people. Each has a unique personality, and it doesn't take long to figure out the basic bent. Here are my first impressions:

Sheila (calico): the littlest, is very sweet. She is generally the first to the dinner dish, and to check out something new. She's a little uncertain about petting, but has already relaxed and turned belly up on several occasions.

Charlotte (tortie): the shyest, but also the first to purr. She is a true middle child, following Sheila's lead to dinner, or Shariah's to play.

Shariah (tuxedo): the biggest, and a bundle of energy. She is the most uncertain about handling, doesn't like to be picked up by grasping around the middle, and when cuddled prefers to climb on my shoulder.

Here is a clip from our first play session last night. You can see why I call them the Hop 'N Pops. You can also see at the end how they reminded me I needed to get them a scratching box post haste.

Group 3 Day 1

My day went something like this. Wake up on the east coast at 4:15am. Take a bus and train to the airport to fly home at 9. Arrive 10:45, drive home, 10 minute turnaround to take DH to the airport, then on to piano lesson at noon. Drive to shelter to pick up Group 3, drop them off at home, pick up cello and music and go to cello lesson at 2:45. Stop at hospital to have blood sample drawn en route to orchestra rehearsal at 5. Home at 7:45, feed cats, feed kittens, play with kittens, feed self. Upload pictures to blog. Still need to play with cats before bed.

Group 3 consists of three females, turned in as strays. They were reportedly found sitting by someone's garage without mother in sight. They are a little longer than short haired, but they have rough outdoor fur, not really medium length. There is one tortoiseshell, one calico, and one black and white. I discussed names with my 7 year old neighbor last night, who specifically requested that one be named Charlotte. So, the torti is Charlotte, the calico is Sheila, and the tuxedo is Shariah. More news tomorrow.

Catch bird

While I am between groups, I thought I'd post this archival clip of Group 1. That penultimate Saturday was a busy one. Before practicing Couch Potatoes we had our first try at Catch Bird, a game in which the primary goal is to catch a feather on a string, with secondary points for style. After a few passes Angus and Precious were developing quite acceptable aerials.

The herd.

Generations

My next door neighbor is 9 years old (I think she is 9... if not she will correct me) and has just started cello lessons. Tonight we had a very nice visit. She showed me her new 1/2 size cello, and all the songs she can play with A and D. Also, F#, a note she learned from another neighbor who is a year ahead of her. I showed her all the A's you can play on the A string. She showed me how to make sirens, and how to do a cello bow strum on the open strings. I showed her how great a cello bow strum with chords sounds. How cool is that?

Couch Potatoes

Gp 2 Day 8 (last day)
I wonder if it's always going to work out that the kittens go back to the shelter on Sunday afternoon. Might that get to be depressing? We seem to have started a new tradition, now two groups strong. That is the "couch potato" Saturday night before the Sunday afternoon return. What could be more important than to train the kittens to enjoy laying around and watching TV or a movie? So far, both of these groups have been naturals.

Group 1


Group 2

Gp 2 Day 7

No doubt about it. These two have a bad upper respiratory infection. I was worried about Buster last night. He wouldn't eat, was totally out of gas, and kept falling asleep, snoring through his open mouth, his snotty little nose pointed straight up in the air. Both kittens felt warmer than usual, so temps were taken. Fortunately, D was visiting, as I have not mastered the art of holding a thermometer still in a wiggling little kitten butt for 10 seconds by myself. The assistance was appreciated, at least by me. And good news, temps were between 101 and 102, which is normal for kittens. I decided to break out a can of kitten replacement milk (formula), and was gratified when Buster took several long drinks.

Today looks like more of same. Lots of nasal secretions and mouth breathing, but energy and skin turgor is decent and Buster is still drinking formula. Took the kittens into the bathroom during showers for a steam treatment. I don't know if that helped, but it made me feel better. We did have some play time this morning, where parenthetically Buster learned that a flippy cat tail may look like a toy, but it's not if the other end is growling.

Gp 2 Day 6

Byron has wandered the whole house and gained an ounce. Buster is still mostly sleeping, has a fair amount of eye discharge, and weight is back down. But no fever and he's still eating. I think he just needs time to get better. Both of them have imprinted on me and would just as soon follow me around or sit in my lap than anything else when they are awake. Bigs seem to be accepting littles as part of the new routine. If nothing else, they are interesting to watch when they finally get to explore the house.

Update on Group 1: All pictures have been removed from the shelter web site. That most likely means that all have been adopted.

Compliment?

This week at trio rehearsal our new coach said something to the effect of "Wow, you guys are a lot better then I expected you to be." Our last coach said something similar near the end of last semester. Is that a compliment? What are they thinking? We are just finishing up the last movement of Beethoven Op. 1 No. 1 (this is a piano trio) and the coach gave us a trio by Glinka to take home and look at as a candidate for our next piece. Hmm. The first page of the cello part is all in tenor clef. My first clue that this may be a significant amount of work.

Breakfast

Gp 2 Day 5
We're not going to have any wild action videos from these two. They have sedate little personalities, play gently and quietly, and sleep most of the time. But I was so delighted to finally see some appetites this morning that I took this video. They like this Wellness cat and kitten food, preferring the cat formula turkey to the kitten, and I'm happy to report that stools are firm and formed. They've also been eating the DM kibble, which is good because that's what they'll get back at the shelter. They're also easy to medicate, and I followed the doxy dose with 0.2 cc of magic calorie drops. Sneezes are definitely less than yesterday, and weights are finally up. Hopefully we'll have quiet progress from now until they return on Sunday.

Blustery

An early start to winter weather, not even mid-October. I broke the ban on deck visits for the big cats. They don't like deep snow, but do enjoy sitting out in little bits. It was 25F when I got out of bed this morning, but as I type it's above freezing, the little snow has melted, and everything is wet and dreary. John is especially enjoying checking out the weather. He was too little to go outside on the balcony last year, so this is really his first snow sighting. He doesn't seem to mind the cold much. I guess his extra layer of adipose is good insulation. Madeleine also enjoys the cold when it's not too wet; her thick coat is impervious to light drizzles. Crazy Cricket just keeps moving to keep warm.

I drove the little fluff balls into the shelter yesterday during the early snow fall. Their sneezes continued to increase, along with nasal and eye discharge, though still clear, and they were a little dehydrated and still not eating well. So they got some fluids and I brought home more doxycycline (10 days, through 10/20) and some magic calorie drops. I am happy to report that soon after returning home they were already playing and eating. I think it's the hydration that's magic.

While I was waiting for them I ran up to the adoption floor, just to check. There were Tempest, Angus, and Precious, looking sleepy and a bit dazed, but no Lotus. Turns out both Lotus and Tempest have already been adopted. I guess Tempest was just waiting to be picked up. I wrote my blog address on the foster description, and harbor the secret hope that their new families will check in to tell me they are doing fine.

It's Snowing

Chippie TV

Yesterday afternoon I was taking a break between 15 minutes of Lee Melodious Etudes No. 4 and 5 and what was (hello, Buster) planned to be 10 minutes on the triplets in the first movement of Dvorak #8 (or 4, depending on how you count.) (It became 30, but that was the only part I didn't work to plan, so I was happy that the plan mostly worked, and that I got extra needed time on those triplets.) Anyway, I walked through the bedroom to get a towel to pad the piano bench I was sitting on to practice, and noticed John in one of the windows behind the shade, and Cricket desperately trying to get in there with him.

I opened the shade for her to discover - what else? - Chippie TV (hello, Byron). The chipmunks here seem even more active with the change in the weather, and my cats love watching them on both sides of the house. This little rodent was busily popping in and out of what appeared to be a subterranean chamber under my sidewalk, and was active long enough for me to get the camera. No, you can't see him, but John and Cricket can. (Bye, Byron.)


(Hello, Byron.)
(Bye, Byron.)
(Hello, Byron.)

Baby games

This morning as I am typing the kittens are playing a game. It goes something like this. Sit and purr in lap. Jump down. Sit at feet and meow (such squeaky little almost there meows.) Get picked up and placed in lap. Repeat. Sweet, annoying little buggers, and no signs of tiring of it. There goes Byron...

Official greeter

Gp 2 Day 3
These little fluff balls are not going to make weight in a week. Picky little eaters, they are, and a little sneezy, too. Motor skills are coming along, though. They can both hop up onto the stair by the tub, and from there over to the toilet, another 8 inch leap. Took about 30 minutes to learn how to climb over the cat carrier strategically placed in the doorway. A wall of pillows worked for the rest of yesterday, but was easily climbed today. That's all good, but it does mean that they are playing with the Nursery door closed today. I think they're a little too small to have the run of the office yet.

John has been very interested in kitten goings on, greeting us at the door when we arrived, visiting the tub the first night, and chirping at the nursery door every few hours, wanting in. I really think that he is looking for the other kittens when he does that, though. He misses his little buddies, and so do I. DH and I were sorting through how attached we got to that first crew. We decided that the reason we bonded so much and so quickly was that those four kittens were exactly the kind we would have been looking for to adopt. Bad luck, in a way, that they were the first, which has its own kind of specialness. I'm refraining from asking how they are getting along on the adoption floor until the weekend, not wanting to be a pest, but I'm thinking about them lots.

Gp 2 Weights

Here is the weight chart for Group 2 (I moved it so that I can find it more easily to edit over the week.) Notice that I got a new scale so that I could return D's loaner. It's a monstrosity on my sink, but it has two advantages. The kittens seem willing to sit still a little longer because the bowl is more shallow, and the big scale face is easier for middle aged eyes to read.

	192M	195M
Date	Buster	Byron
Pre	26.7	27.1
S 10/8	23	25
M 10/9	23	25
T 10/10	23.5	24.5
W 10/11	23	24
Th 10/12	24.5	25
F 10/13	23	26
Sa 10/14	23.5	26
Su 10/15	23.5	24.5

First report

Gp 2 Day 2
When I returned the chunky monsters yesterday, I asked L if there was anyone with a short-term need. One of the shelter rules is that no one other than a spouse can care for the kittens when the primary foster person (that's me) is out of town. Since I am planning a short trip next week, I have only a week before any fosters would need to go back, anyway. She had this pair of brothers who are the last of their litter to make weight. They were treated for roundworms and fleas last week, and will benefit from a week of TLC. I told them when we arrived at home that they were at the Kitty Spa.

After we got settled I found that they are a few ounces lighter than I had expected, and not much interested in eating. The shelter sent me home with some diabetic kibble and canned food, chosen because stools had been loose and this is low residue and calorie dense. Well, I guess your stools will firm up if you are not eating. Even John turned up his nose when he checked it out. Had a little better luck this morning with some Royal Canin kitten kibble and Friskies, but took some coaxing and belly rubs. I'll get some Wellness kitten food later this morning, a favorite of Gp 1. I figure I'll feed them whatever they will eat, and keep an eye on those stools.

One more opportunity for a maternal moment. Their coats felt dry and dusty, so I treated them to a good "grooming" with a barely damp washcloth. Oh, ecstasy. That was our bonding moment. Byron got a little brushing to smooth out that fluffy coat, and is looking quite the handsome fellow. They both have squeaky little meows, Buster's a little more robust.

On motor assessment, neither kitten can get out of the tub yet. Buster can jump up onto the step outside the tub, about 8 inches. Byron can't quite. When they first were down on the floor the most interesting thing was to run as fast as they could back and forth the 4 foot length of the bathroom, chasing each other. Dust bunnies in motion. I suspect they haven't had much room for running around. Very good. Exercise builds appetite, as well as strength.

Li'l Buddy

This morning I woke up about 5am, when John climbed up on the bed for a snuggle. Now, this by itself is not unusual. He often wants a hug while DH is getting ready for work, I think partly to fill the time while he is waiting for breakfast. But this morning he came back to the bedroom a second time, quite insistent, and walked out making his "where's Mom?" sound. I know that sound, first heard almost a year ago in the middles of the first nights after he came to live with me. He kept it up until I joined him at the scratching post, a favorite play area for both bigs and littles the past two weeks. Cricket joined us there for a game of chase-the-mouse-on-the-string. Do they miss the kittens?

I finally caught a good clip of John grooming Tempest on our last night together, during Couch Potato time. Tempest was the only kitten he wrestled with and groomed. See what you think.