Kitten updates - August 17, 2011

Well, it's been a tough couple of weeks here.  Sailor and her little polydactyl kittens all had to go into 'intensive care' for the terrible case of upper respiratory infections that struck our little brood.  Unfortunately, three of the littles didn't make it.  We lost Bentley, Hoover, and tiny Pickles.  Sailor has bounced back strong, although she doesn't have milk anymore to feed her babies, so the remaining three are now bottle babies.  Mom is still around to clean & comfort.  The kittens are about a month old now but due to their set backs, the appear more like 10 days to 2 weeks.  These are some tough little boys.  Drake, Driscoll, and little Brodie are back on their way.  Looks like they will be around here for several more weeks while they try to gain weight & catch up to their age group.

Sailor with Drake & Driscoll



L to R, Driscoll, Drake, Brodie


The big kittens, on the other hand, are mighty terrors right now.  Everything is something new to climb & explore.  Everything is a toy.  They are eating me out of house & home - 4 cans of food a day between the 5 of them!  Growing up is hungry work.  I did a little random weigh-in on Sunday (their 8-week mark) and thought the whole bunch was nearly at the magic 2lbs, but during the 'real' weigh-in I found that most of them are just in the 1lb 12oz range.  (Maybe depends whether their bellies are full.)  A few ounces to go before they bound out of here to their new homes.

A rare quiet moment for Luke & Ben

Toe count ... drumroll, please ... - August 4, 2011

Six little runny noses. Twelve little rhumy eyes.  139 tiny dirty toes.  That's right 139.  An odd number to be sure.  If you add in Mom's toes, that makes an even 150 toes between just 7 cats.

Anyone who knows cats knows they typically have just 18 toes, 5 on each front paw and 4 each on the back paws.  Our little polydactyl kittens have an average of 3 extra toes each.  Everyone but Brodie has 5 toes on each back paw.  Lucky Brodie has six on one of his back feet.  He also has an odd number on the forepaws - six on one side and seven on the other.  Destined to be one very lucky kitty, to be sure.

Sailor, our mom, also has different front paws.  She has a 'normal' 5-toed paw plus one 6-toed - but the extra toe is like a thumb!  Two of our littles (Pickles & Hoover) have seven on each front paw.  Driscoll & Bentley each have 6-toed front paws.  Drake, like brother Brodie, has a six-toe and a seven-toe.

Hey, who needs a manicure?

But back to the runny noses.  Poor little babies.  Mom's basically over her Upper Respiratory infection now.  She's feeling much better, eating well & bursting with milk.  She's bursting because the kittens are too stuffed up to suckle.  Clinic vet let me put the kittens on the same antibiotic as mom.  Our great friend Mary lent her nebulizer box (basically a vaporizer into which you put the kittens for a breathing treatment with saline vapor).  Since the kittens can't nurse if they can't breathe, they are also getting tube-fed so they don't dehydrate.  A little BNP ointment for the gummed-up eyes.  Rinse.  Repeat.

At least the upstairs kittens are healthy.  At week 6, mom Creamy went back to the shelter yesterday.  She'll be spayed & ready for adoption right away.  A gorgeous lynx-point Siamese, she should have no trouble finding a forever home soon.  She's a real sweetie-pie.

Back to the kitchen, I'm sure it's feeding time for someone.  :)