-1 (+6)
[sigh]
It wasn't unexpected... but the littlest, frailest guy didn't make it. Jaye put him to bed an hour ago in the lilacs. (correction... make that the irises; they're in the other corner) He had flowers.
The balance of this morning's news is positive, though. Bou is taking her Clavamox just fine, and continues to perk up. I just got a purr and a little "small talk" out of her, like a minute ago. There was even a hint of happipaws.
The kittens are nursing and sleeping soundly. That's 1 black, 2 tux, 2 light-colored (they're not exactly white), and one orange stripey critter.
Comments
oh, the poor little thing - but the lilacs are a lovely place to put him to rest
glad to hear everyone else seems to be doing fine
Awe! **tears up**
Poor little teeny Baby White Hope.
(((Hugs)))) to all.
Here's hoping that Bou and the rest of her brood continue to improve and become a happy healthy kitty family.
((((more hugs))))
and wipes a tear away.
Sorry to hear little white kitty didn't make it. Bless you all for giving him such warmth and love and care in his brief stay.
Yay for mum Bou perking up a bit. She looks like she's starting to get used to the idea of hanging around the kittens too...
-?
all around cuddles and scritches for the kitters and hugs for the catcavian peeps.
I was calling him Fiver, after the runtiest rabbit in Watership Down. Goodbye and godspeed, little one.
Oh dear, my condolences.
But I'm sure he went peacefully enough, thanks to the unbeatable TLC at the Catcave. Hugs to you all.
((((hugs)))) to Theo and Jaye.
I'm so sorry to hear the news. You guys are so special for working so hard for him.
I'm glad Bou and her kittens are doing better now. She's a brave mama-kitty!
(Handing out tissues) Keep up the good fight, Teho.
Bou, you can do it, girl.
So very good that sweet little Fiver was amongst friends & family who loved him and took such good care of him. Sleep tight little dude.
Teho & Jay, you guys r so special for the love you give to these kittycatters. I hope you are blessed for what you do.
Mama Bou has that gentle happy mommy smile on her face --- beautiful!
I hope every day brings more and more improvements for all.
Hugs to all of you --- and gentle scritchy-scritchies for all the kittycatters, please.
Jaye & Theo, I'm sorry that Fiver had to leave. (Sniffles & tears here, too) {{{{{{{{{{{{{T & J}}}}}}}}}}}} He was loved and well cared for by you guys while he was here.
Mama Bou looks beautiful in this morning's pics. May she continue to recover and may the kittens (!!!2!!! Tuxies!!!) get stronger and stronger with every hour.
Thanks for your kittyloves.
Oh I am so sorry. Thank you for sharing his too brief moments with us. He's already telling them to reserve an extra special place for you guys in heaven. Hugs and love all around.
For Fiver -- "My heart has joined the Thousand, my friend stopped running today."
Hope all goes well with all the rest. The "Catcavian Peeps" are teh best!
I'm so sorry about little Fiver; he had such care and love before he left.
Glad to hear that everyone else is doing better, though.
So sorry to hear about Fiver. The moment I woke up, I checked to see if there were any updates (none.. I get up too early it seems), and again now that I've finally sat down at my lab bench. Rather glad that I get this whole lab to myself, now, as I'll admit more than a few tears fell. At least he was loved and warm, and you did all you could to save him, instead of just being abandoned.
Without knowing what the father looked like, and without my Genetics notes.. hrm.. I'm betting the "mermalade" is male, as well as the black. The tuxes will split, one male, one female, and the two lighter colors, I'll say they split again, one male, one female.
I'm probably completely off, but it's only 9am, and still morning, so the brain, iz no workin'.
Much love to Boudicia and her kittens, and my sympathies and condolences for Fiver.
"Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!"
Hamlet (V.ii.370-371)
Actually, calicos are always female, due to the fact that the two different colors (orange and black usually) are on the X chromosome. It happens when one X has a black, one X had an orange. At some point when the embryo is still just a mass of cells (usually around 16-64 cells), one of the X chromosomes in each cell just, turns off, and becomes what is called a Barr Body. It's random which one turns off and which one doesn't, hence, the calico pattern. The white is pretty much what would have been white in either one. And yes, this happens in humans, too, the whole "one X turns off", but as far as we know, no outward traits are on OUR X chromosome, so it doesn't really make a difference which one is in charge or not.
I never knew about the marms always being male, though. My calico is actually a calico tabby, so she's half marm! :-) Pity I really should be working. I want to research that, now.
Boudica was a queen of the Brythonic Celtic Iceni people of Norfolk in Eastern Britain who led a major uprising of the tribes against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire.
With this in mind, maybe Celtic names would suit these sweet little angels. Here is a link to a website that list some cute names and descriptions (just for ideas of course, hehe). Celtic Baby Names
Hope all goes well with the rest of the sweetums, and momma looks like she is much better thanks to the TLC from the "large human kitties" of the Cat Cave! Good Job Dudes!
I've got a torti and a marme both female sisters. My guess is their mamma was a calico but could be wrong there. Summer (marme, that's her in my avatar pic) is our family's second marme girl. Before her we had PeeWee. Summer could be PeeWee's twin right to coloring & build.
I'm still holding out that Bou's Marme baby is gonna defy the odds & be a female too. :-)
So sorry to hear about Fiver. :( If not for the quick thinking on Jaye's part, more of them might have joined him.
Bou seems to be settling in. Let's hope it's all good from here on.
I had to get up and walk away before I melted into a blubbering mess. Especially with all the Fiver references - I just now read Watership Down a few weeks ago.
You did everything you could, sometimes it's just not their time to be here. Growing up on a farm, we buried a lot of baby animals who didn't pull through. It never gets any easier. You can only give them the best care and attention you can while they are here with us. You provided a welcome sanctuary for Fiver and the rest of his family to come into this world safe and protected.
Btw, I've been "lurking" for a while here, and I just want to say that I really love the pics of all the kitties and to know that there are people out there who foster. My husband and I hope to foster kitties when we get a house. Right now we live in a 2 bedroom apt with 3 kitties, and two of them aren't getting along yet, so it would be impossible to foster.
I really admire y'all and envy y'all and all the snorgling you get to do and the knowing that you're helping someone even if it is just a mama cat and her kittens. I know she appreciates it in her own cat-like way.
I guess I am going to be echoing all the others I started to just skim as I am at work and was tearing up.(sniff). I am so sorry to hear Fiver didn't make it. ( I know how hard it is to lose one even if you know it is going to happen it still sucks eggs). Thanks and Kudos to both of you for what you do. and for sharing it with all of us.
I am glad Bou and the six pack are doing so well now. I love that she is in a (File drawer???) for the baby nest.
I am so sorry about the little fella...I've got tears in my eyes.
True... I was speaking in the "normal" sense. XXY cats can be male and calico, but they are sterile. Often they are confused for female as well, as the male genitaila are shrivled and smaller. All I could find on the female marmies is that it's just extremely rare. Nothing to do with a sex linked gene or the like (as the only sex linked gene they've found on the Y chromosome is that of maleness itself) just extremely rare. Most TRUE marmies are male. Those that are all orange. Females are diluted in color, or have white places. So I've read.
I really shouldn't be doing this at work. Darn the cute kitties for making me procrastinate! :-)
*comes back to gently snorgle kitties one last time*
I'm so sorry about lil Fiver dude... But happy that the rest of them are doing better. Bou looks much better! I can't wait to see what colours the sorta white turn out to be.
Cool at least she's going back to them on her own will. That's a good sign right? It seems pointless to say but I have to echo everyone else, I just wish I could do the same as you guys. I'll have to be happy with monetary donations for now. We fostered dogs for a while but once we hit 5 dogs as perm residents we had to stop. Just no room and too chaotic for traumatized doggies.
Maybe someday when the kids are grown & we have more room and the house is echoing with E.N.S. then I'll be able to do something like this. For now though, I'll be happy to help when I can by $ and by stepping up to the virtual All You Can Snorgle Bar at the Cat Cave.
OkIluvyubyebye!
Oh Teho... so sorry to hear. I know you are so caring and compassionate and you give your all to these dear little creatures. You are such a wonderful person! The world need (hundresd of thousands) more of you.
May I offer my caring and compassion to you at this time. I know it does not bring back the wee one but I hope it helps you feel how appreciated you are by each little beating heart that passes through your doorway (and by us silly, clunky hoomans).
/slight threadjack
holy cow! girl marmies: http://www.dailykitten.com/archives/1128-red-hot-chili-peppers-litter.html
/back to your regularly scheduled program
...
...
...
...whoa.
I echo Teho...... whoa.
And they're all floofy! I's a sucker for da floof. Probably why my kitten (ok, she's 10 months, now but she's still a kitten) stole my heart at the shelter. Even at 4 months she was this black ball of floofy kitty love and purrs.
Still, those oh so floofy orange kittenz... how could one ever let ANY of them go!?
(No. I do not need to be crazy cat lady. 2 is enough for a 1-1 apartment. *slaps own hand* No more kittenz!........ for now.)
Teho Jaye.
Sorry about the little one but it may have been a short life but you made sure it was filled with love.
I think the rest are safe in your tender care
Marmie! Tuxies! AWESOME!
(What if the not-quite-white ones turned out Siamese-ish, like Rikki?)
I have known a couple of dark orange girlcats. They are alpha males even though they're all girl. The white is inherited on a separate gene from the black/orange, which is how you get calicos with varying amounts of white, torties with just a little, and so forth. Same white spotting gene causes the difference between tuxies and cowkitties as well.
Also, I wants all the orange floofers on today's Daily Kitten too. Or at least the boy.
He may have just not quite been finished somehow, and just slipped away.
She's not that big a mom, really, to produce so many kittens.
But Bou and the kittens --
Sorry, that sounds like a Nashville group to me, Bou at the mike and kittens doing backup, and all of them poofed from here to next week --
Anyway, Bou and the kittens look as if they're doing a lot better.
You'll just have to love them all extra now.
OK, so I'm a n00b poster and longtime lurker, but I can't stop myself from joining the group who are sorry to hear about the Great White Hope, Fiver.
I mentioned in a comment about the pic that we are longtime cattie rescuers here and that we have a "cat garden" where we put the well-loved catties to bed. Last time was May 29, '07, and he got flowers, too.
Sniffling here and sooooooooooo glad there are people like you and the Schmoop in the world.
I came home at noontime, planning to work from home the rest of the afternoon and keep an eye on the little ones. Everybody was warm and fed, and I did a successful round of tail-wiping. But I did notice that Fourpaws seemed sluggish compared to the others, and he felt limp when I held him. Still, his mews were vigorous, so I got him positioned to latch on for milk and he did his best to nurse.
When I looked in an hour later, though, I couldn't *find* Fourpaws. I searched frantically, lifted up Bou, looked all around the room in case he had somehow wriggled out or been moved by Bou. No kitten. At last, though, I lifted up the towel lining the bottom of the box and there he was, shoved into the corner, looking very weak. But he squalled mightily when I lifted the towel, and I got him warmed up fast with the patented Humanitarian Rack method before snuggling him close to Bou again. He seemed exhausted but I hoped the warmth and milk would revive him.
Unhappily, that wasn't the case; he slipped away about 20 minutes later. He's next to little Fiver now, with flowers around him, under the irises.
I hope this will be the last such report. The omens are pretty good. Bou's temperature has broken, she ate hungrily just now, and she is taking much more interest in mothering her kittens. She looks upset if one starts to mew loudly while I'm wiping it, and she seems anxious to get back in the box with them after eating or using the litterbox. She still isn't real bright about positioning herself for maximum nursing access, but...*sigh*...well, there's less competition now.
I'm still baffled about how he got underneath the towel. It would take some serious wriggling to get up over the bunched-up edge of it and down underneath. I have this awful fear that Bou somehow dumped him because she sensed that he wasn't well. Do cats do that? It's alarmingly similar to what happened yesterday, when I came in to find Fiver halfway across the room, where it just didn't seem possible he could have traveled under his own meager power. But Bou seems solicitous of the remaining kittens, so I'm trying not to think the worst.
Everybody is warm and cozy and quiet right now, but I'll be keeping a close eye for the rest of the evening, and the Schmoopteens will be on Kitten Patrol tomorrow while I'm at work.
Sorry for the depressing saga, but here's hoping it's nothing but happy adorable kitten updates from here on. I can certainly report that Mini Marmie is strong and vigorous--that one wins ALL the kitten fights for a teat, and when Mama gets up he dangles from her underside, still clamped on and chowing for all he's worth! One of the black ones is a sturdy little chowhound--er, chowkit--too. So all is not dark in the CatCave.
But yes, cats do that - if there's one that doesn't look like it's going to make it then they move them out of the nest or hide them away. It's sensible really - they want to make sure that the remaining kittins don't catch whatever the sick one had, and so that the scent of the (poor widdle fuzzybumpkin) deceased kitteh doesn't attract predators. It's a good sign that Bou's maternal instincts are kicking in, she knows what needs to be done, but it doesn't make it any easier. Snowball used to move her kittins around, and somehow she knew when one wasn't going to make it - she just left it behind and focused on the ones that were healthy.
At least FourPaws and Fiver are together - they say that you should always adopt kittins in pairs or triplets, because they learn from each other.
I'm so glad to hear Bou is stronger and eating so eagerly--what a good sign! It sounds as though the remaining babies are perking along happily. Hope you have nuthin' but goodtimes from here on out!
So sorry you are having hard times in kitten land.
Yes. mama cats can tell before you can if something is a little off.
Poor little kitty FourPaws.
I hope they are all okay now, with mama getting better, and lots of antibodies and nutrition getting suckled by little guys.
(I'm really curious about what those white kittens have in mind for future developments.)
Oh Jaye, I too hope that things improve from here. Tiny little keeses for Fourpaws; may he & Fiver be playing little kitten games in the sunshine.
Big hugs here for you guys - if we're sad, I can't imagine how you guys are feeling. Ditto Laurie, take care of yourselves, too.
Ohhh Jaye, so sorry to hear this news : (
I hope the rest are okay.
I'm so very sorry for the loss of the 2 baby kitties.
another fosterer on vox, schrothtastic, has lost some kitties she's fostered, but also posts good news and updates on her charges
Ordinarily when one's comment has over 70 before it, one says something liike, 'wow, sorry I'm late to the party.' But this is no party; in fact I wish that attendance wasn't necessary.
But I have to weigh in and say that Fiver left on a cloud of warmth, love and the kitteh-knowledge that he gave others joy.
The irises will be especially beautiful this year.
awww, so sorry about FourPaws...:(
poor little bebeh.
I've just scrolled further and some more comments.
Hell.
Poor tiny FourPaws.
guess I'll just chime in any say what every one else is saying...
they might all have been goners if it wasn't for you guys...
bless you guys and the kittehs
(mariser, this whole saga has been reminding me of The Deej too)
[This really sucks]
As I said at least four paws left knowing He/She was turly loved.
Oh lord. I haven't been able to post because of tears, but I wanted to give my condolences for FourPaws. At least now Fiver will have a brother to romp with. It reminds me of when I was very little (around 7ish, I guess) and our first family cat had just been put to sleep at a very ripe old age of 17. (Cat lived through not one, but TWO human infants.. my brother and I.. and he was 10 when I came along.) I asked my mom if George was in Heaven. She looked at me with tears in her eyes going:
"Well, Heaven is supposed to be the most wonderful place you could ever imagine, right? Well, I couldn't imagine it being such a wonderful place if George wasn't there, too."
I'm sure FourPaws and Fiver are romping around right now, and will be there to meet you when it's your time.
Aww. I'm sniffling away at work...and I'm not usually the sentimental type.
But they were well-cared for in the small space of time they were here, and we're all better for knowing about them.
*snif* *blows loudly into hankie*
Anyway, I've lost track of who's left. One marmie-monster, at least two black kittehs (Is one of them a tuxie?), and...what are they? Both white? Or is there a calico in there somewhere?
Awe!
****wipes the tears****
I'm so sorry. Most likely there wouldn't have been any baby kittehs or a Bou if you guys hadn't been there to give tender loving care when necessary.
Thank you for all that you've done.
We're wondering if the white ones will stay white, seeing how the white kitten from the previous litter of fosters turned out.
I was actually thinking of using the CO Glossary as a starting point for the names, this time. I might not lift whole unmodified glossary entries for kittenish purposes, but then again, you never know.
Well, an online handle of mine has always been Morrigan, or Morri for short. The tripartite Celtic goddess of battle, strife, and ferility, whose name translates to "Great Queen" or "Phantom Queen". Though mythology gets fuzzy as to exactly WHICH goddesses made up the whole of The Morrigan. The other two are Badb ("Crow"), and either Macha (another connotation for "crow") or Nemain ("frenzy"). (more on her at pantheon.org)
The other goddess I tend to choose as a handle is Egyptian, not Celtic, and so no where near an appropriate name for any of these sweet kitties.
I'm going to a convention this weekend that's going to have one panel exclusively about Bou's namesake! I was LOL when I read it in the schedule. What timing.
HMMMM.
So is the orange one gonna be Kronsche, then? Or Chizzomp?
For the others, I vote for Muzzlepuff, Port-a-Snorg, Honk-Shu, and Sexy Chicken.
OMG LOL WTF BWA HA SNORT
Do we get to vote?????
NAME: uhhmm... you know, just let your kids come up with something.
Can we name one Meggie Moo?
a fierce little one could be dubbed "NuffSlayer"
pfffttthhhbbb! we already know who that is.
Mermie the Conqueror, that's who
I was thinking of Jaye's description yesterday. yanno, the part about "Mini Marmie is strong and vigorous--that one wins ALL the kitten fights for a teat, and when Mama gets up he dangles from her underside, still clamped on and chowing for all he's worth"
Throughout college, I have often been asked to teach people how to swear in Russian. That got old quick, so instead of teaching people real words, I would tell them that “pomidor” meant “ass” but it actually means “tomato”, and “ti boobleek!” means “!@#$ you!” when it actually equates approximately to “you’re a pretzel!”
Now, how this relates to naming kittens… well, you could name them things that sound cute but don’t really describe the reality. For example, my boyfriend’s favorite name to call me is “babushka” because it sounds cute. Babushka means grandma. I’m 22. Go figure.
And now that I think of it, “boobleek” might actually be pretty appropriate given the first experience of the kittens in the green hammock.
Anyway, it’s Friday, I am still at work, tired, sad because two kitties are now gone, and so far the only entertainment for the past hour has been thinking of
dewd. he is mermelade for god's sake. how much more of a hint you want?
weird Russian words and imagining calling my (future) kitten (s) Sharik (ball), Mishka (little bear), and Kroshka (litte one).
Wow, this post is so incoherent. Fridays scramble by mrain.
Hmmm Kitten names. How bout Larry Moe Curley and Shemp???? and your warrior name.for the last one???
Since we're talking names I'd like to re-suggest my previous suggestion about giving them Runic names like Teiwaz = Warrior :-) So I've got a personal preference... ;-)
http://www.spirit-of-the-past.com/image-files/runenamesfirstaettir.gif
http://www.spirit-of-the-past.com/image-files/runenamessecondaettir.gif
http://www.spirit-of-the-past.com/image-files/runenamesthirdaettir.gif
"Now Winkin' and Blinkin' are two little eyes and Nod is a little head."
http://myhomeoflove.tripod.com/nurseryrhymes/winkinblinkinnod.html
As for the MarmieMeister, Robertson (or Bob for short - I've always thought that Bob was a particularly good name for a cat: "I've got a cat and his name is Bob - he's a bobcat!") sounds like a good name - it's an English brand of marmalade (not that I think you should put the kittin on hot toast - no no no, everyone knows that kittins should be put in a puff-pastry crust and baked for 40 minutes - it brings out the flavour - although kittins do show a penchant for toes-t...)
I have to vote for Gobnaith. My brother was looking for a Celtic name for his daughter and that was my choice (found on a Celtic name website).
Gordita and I spent last sending warm tummy rubs to Fiver last night. We will do the same for Fourpaws tonight. My (calico) Gremlin will look out for them. She spent 22 years with me here before she left and she was a really good mama to the litter she had (at nine months). I have proof, I still have her daughter (Ralph-I know, but we didn't until she was fixed) who is.... 1985 to 2007... 22 years old this year. Gremmy looked just like Bou, so the babies will take to her immediately.
You're just going to go name them yourselves.
Just because you're getting to know them, what with feeding them by hand, and doing the little bellycleaning bit, and all that.
Think it gives you some kind of special naming privileges, do you?
Da nerve!
Humph.
But then, when Girlcat had kittens, they were named Onekitty, Twocat, Threecat, and Fourkitty. Their father, Boycat, became very fond of them all.
I think I'd better join Moggyfan on the sidelines for this activity.
Not that I think these names should be used for any of the kittehs, but my sister and her husband named their first two cats as follows:
Ciatee
Katu
I'm sorry about wee little Fourpaws. Still sending positive thoughts your way.
The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, or George or Bill Bailey -
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter -
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum -
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover -
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.
T S Elliot