Fostering Kittens

That CRAZY Woman did volunteer to kitten sit (foster) some kittens during this current kitten season.  What on EARTH was she thinking?  Well she WASN'T. 

The wee Russian Blue (ya right...) 

Not only did she not ask my permission

Not only did she completely disregard my privacy

She commenced with malice and aforethought to completely RUIN 

what would have been a delightful, relaxing three weeks leading into summer! 

The story goes like this:

**rescue site**  

all you need is a an extra bathroom and some time; we provide everything else

This one I call my 'Little Big Boy' on account of Ollie was in earshot and of course is my BIG BOY!

What really happened

Two darling older kittens (lets say 5 weeks) were delivered with litter, a 40 lb bag of dry kitten chow and a case of wet foods (Natural Balance good stuff too!) 

One litter box

One scooper

Perfect!

This darling, dainty Tortie Vickie nicknamed Gemini but I call her
Princess Buttercup

Then...

Can you take 4 more?  They are from a private party (whatever that means) and are healthy.  They are about five weeks old also. Their Foster mom will bring your supplies.  

That Woman thinking

Oh that's fine!  The two will have company and six would really be all I think I could handle

Mini Spitty Tot always has gerber foodie face~

The reality: 

Four kittens were dropped off; their bums were covered in dried on diarrhea; so much so they needed to be soaked and their tails and bottoms 'massaged' to get the gookies off.  ICK.  There was no food; there was only a bag of KMR which is sort of like powdered milk with protein and stuff. 
No litter box; no scoop; no foods, nada. 

It took three days to get them to look like this: 

cleaned up after much soaking; now resting and soaking up sun.

So off That Woman goes to the store 

(the first of at least 15 trips-- NOT exaggerating for wet ones; then back for actual baby wipes as the wet ones are not for babies.)  The kittens are more like 2 to 3 weeks old.  So back to the store for baby food.  Regular clay litter. They all have gut issues which then infects the other two healthy kittens. Now all six are pooping machines.

That Woman smiles & gets baby food and baby rice and her good friend and Vet brings a bottle of fluids and shows That CRAZY Woman how to do subq's on tiny, squirming balls of dryer lint. Because diarrhea in tiny kittens is deadly.  They become so dehydrated they can fade in days.  This prospect scares That Woman more than the thought of 'hurting' the kitten by using the needle.  Srsly; the needle is nearly as long as the frickin kittens!  She is terrified; but sucks it up and in the hope of saving lives 

and I would like to add something here that may be a bit dark but I'm guessing every.single.foster.parent. has this running in their heads at some point; 'Am I just prolonging the inevitable?'  My friend Vickie the Vet does spays and neuters all day long; sometimes 80 in a day but that is not even the tiniest grain of sand in the Sahara desert. There are so many kitties.  So many older kitties who will be put to sleep because of the influx of so many kittens. There simply isn't room for all. That thought leads down a very dark path indeed and That Woman can well understand the pathos that drives those who dare to save all they can but also those whose job it is to make the hard decision when during a spay, on a pregnant female ready to give birth they chose to abort the litter.  

THAT is brave and takes the kind of balls That Woman hopes she never has to have.

But She has volunteered.  And Good, Bad, or otherwise, she will keep these six and take care the best she can until they are placed honoring her commitment.  But she won't be doing this again. She's promised me.  The other night I was yakkin and she had just sat down from bathing, feeding, cleaning, littering, towel changing kittens and though she came and gave me pets (and some gerbers) she realized that she only has so much energy and if I were to get sick she would really lose the very last bit of her mind. Plus I put the toeless foot on her and she nearly got leaky but understood I still loves her.  

Littlest Siamese (Smidget) who sits in my palm with room to spare.  This is after butt bath; fluids administered.  I take my thumb and rub from nose to forehead and instantly she's asleep. 

'Runt' aka Smidget watching Raiders of the Lost Ark with me. #notspoiledonebit!

The kitten wheel

(Those are 1 foot tiles)

Note little SpittyTot's head shoving Little Big Boy out of the way even though he's got more than enough foods right under his little gob!  He gets very growly and must endure 'time outs'  while the others eat and he is not a very patient soul!  MOL

More kitten antics later.  I've been posting vids on FB and may upload them here as I get better.  They are hard to video!