Yes indeedy, this IS good. Wunnerful pictures. I am enraptured by the white patches on the black kitten nosie (Yitzy has a hint of a white patch on the tip of his ear....).
Envy me: I just tucked them in while Mama was at the food dish, and I kissed the top of every little furry head. They were sound asleep in a warm little kitten heap.
Not to interrupt the steady stream of squee that's going on too much, but!
Does anybody else think the 2 teentsy off-white sweetsies might turn out looking like the cutie-beauties caught by the Mystery Faux-Tau-grapher of today's (6/29) Cute Overload?
Sincerely sorry to hear about the loss of Fourpaws, but at least Fiver has somebody he knows up there at the Rainbow Bridge. (must stop sniffling)
SOOOOOOOO glad that the other teentsies are doing well along with Boudica!
So glad I have a place to comment about all the Quteness. :>D
Completely off topic here but Theo I can' t help myself. Ever so often the phrase "More Powerful than a Local Modem" pops into my head and I end up snorting and snickering. My family and co-workers are begining to get worried, well more worried than usual. Just had to share. That is a bit of wit you have to save for the future I'm sure it'll come in handy again someday. It's a gem. (I can see it as a possible future pic rollover caption).
You may now return to your regularly scheduled snorgling.
The five surviving kittens are looking much heartier! Their little bellies are getting rounder, and all of them seem more vigorous in their eating, mewling and wriggling.
The Schmoopteens and I have done the requisite tail-wiping every couple of hours to keep them regular, and I think I speak for all three of us when I say that we will be *very* glad when Bou feels well enough to take over that duty herself. It's a good excuse to pick up kittens, though. There's nothing sweeter than picking them up when they're full and sleepy. They're just a scant handful of drowsiness, all warm and limp and soft.
Unfortunately, the kittens' progress seems to have been at Bou's expense. Despite the antibiotics her temperature was high again today, her congestion still thick, and she wasn't showing any interest in her food dish. That's a dangerous state for a nursing mom. :( I discovered that she'd accept being syringe-fed a thin gruel of KRM (Kitten Milk Replacer) mixed with the gravy from a can of cat food, though, so I've been squeezing that into her mouth every hour this evening. It takes a godawful lot of 1CC syringefuls to add up to any significant amount of nutrition or fluids, though. I sure hope it's enough to replace what the kittens are taking out of her.
I also got a tube of high-calorie nutritional supplement called NutriCal, a dark goop which is too thick for the syringe but can be dabbed into her mouth. It's "highly palatable," or so the package says; I will take their word for it. Bou objects a little to having her mouth pried open for it, but she seems to like the taste once it's there. I got at least a couple of teaspoons of that into her tonight.
It could just be wishful thinking, but I'd swear she looked a *little* improved after several hours of those feedings. I hope she can eat on her own in the morning--but if not, we'll continue the syringe treatment until she's in better shape. Poor little girl, she's just a calico-covered bag of bones right now.
It's great the kittens are doing good now - here's hoping Bou starts putting on weight herself. Much kudos to you for the love and dedication you've been heaping on this fuzzy family.
Sweet babies! I am sending positive thoughts to Bou, KMR is very good for nursing queens (isn't that the most appropriate term for a mama cat?), are you giving her the liquid form of KMR? Try that by itself if you haven't already.
We're doing KMR droppers and lots more, but only on Bou at this point. We have all kinds of enhanced nutritive liquids and foods for her. The kittens are nursing well, though.
I didn't work friday (where I have my only internet access) - just came in this morning to finish up one hour's worth of work --- just finished reading the large post before this, plus this post with pics. I'm so sorry to hear that Four Paws left, also. I hate how life is this way. On one hand, you have precious teeny wee babies to love and cuddle ( I loved picturing Jaye very gently kissing the wee tiny tops of each of their little headsies as she tucked them in to sleep...) but there is the pain and heartache of seeing 2 babies pass away --- and the worry that Bou herself is having difficulties. I am not a religious person. But someone or SOMETHING has to have some say in all of this --- there has to be SOME kind of force that wants what's best for this little family and understands how much they are all loved and how loving & compassionate the people who are taking care of them are. I hope Mama and her 5 babies all get stronger and healthier with every single minute from here on out. They have so many hearts pulling for them and wishing for the best. That HAS to count for something. Warm big hugs to the Schmoop fambly --- you really are wonderful. And the next time tiny kitty heads get gently schmooched --- please let part of the schmooches be from me, ok? Hang in there Bou. Get better now.
I'm glad the kittens are doing OK, and I hope Boudica comes through. The KMR and the nutrient goop are good stuff, Mom used them when she was a foster kitten mom to pull through some sickly babies.
Hang in there Bou, (thats triggered an ear worm some how)
Just remember your namesake, a Queen when there was only Kings, a real fighter that beat several legions, raizing two major cites, Teho Jaye and the Schmoopteen must have known you were a real fighter to name you that!
Teho Jaye and Family, I don't know if you are religious but if you are you have built up a serious amount of credit.
Poor Bou. This is all being very rough on her, when she should just be snuggled up with kittens, interspersed with bouts of gorging herself. Last night I wrote a whole long screed on foodstuffs for sick kitters, but VOX, in its wisdom, ate it while they were down. The only possibly still useful parts would be: Gerbers meat baby foods work well smeared on roof of mouth; and You can get a bigger syringe for mama than for babies. Oh, and get the stinkiest recovery foods for her once she's starting to eat again -- if she congested she can't smell or taste, and that's bad for appetite.
I really hate that she is still fevered, Did the vet check really, really thoroughly to be sure she didn't retain any kittening materials (there were seven placentas to go with seven kittens)? There'd probably be some discharge anyway, and she is all congested, so probably the fever is just this horrid virus, and general weakness, and stress of giving birth. But I still don't like it. I'm worried for the small ladyperson, and sending her, and you her minions, all kinds of good thoughts.
So, we're back from brunch & tending to Mama Bou and the litter, and Bou is actually up and about just a little bit. She came and ate some of her "food slurry" out of a bowl (no semi-forcefeeding this time) and even had a bit of a bath. She responds & checks out the kittens when they mew. And the kittens remain in good shape.
Jaye here (still logged in as Theo)...yes, they checked Bou carefully at the Companion Animal Hospital, even did an x-ray film. As T. noted above, she seems much improved this afternoon. This morning she wasn't willing to eat from her dish, but after 3-4 syringe feeding sessions she seems to have a bit more energy--and she looks *much* more contented. The fever is back down, too. Hurrah!
Yay-yay-yay! Checking in on Bou every two hours, glad to hear she's doing better. She's getting the best possible care, the Teho family are all heroes.
Am fostering a feline family over here, there's Sylvie the dainty tuxie mom, an Audrey Hepburn type, fastidiously clean and ferociously protective of her bebehs. A finicky gourmette, she would live on lobster and caviar if she could get it. She's trained me to feed her steamed fish and chicken breast, as she tends to have a delicate stomach. Next thing I know she'll be asking me for breakfast at Tiffany's. To feed her bebehs, she'll consent to have her catfood but it has to be the upscale brands. But she knows I'll do anything for her, she's such a good mama.
glad to hear the bebehs are improving, but worried about little Bou-Bou. a returning fever after antibiotics is never good (glad to hear it has gone down, Ww). I'm so afraid she is giving 110% to the little ones and not getting enough nourishment herself. I hope it doesn't come to this, but does MVHS have other recently born litters in fostering right now? so maybe Bou's bebehs can be (temporarily) fostered with other catmamas until Bou regains her strenght?
Jaye again here: Progress continues...Bou got up on her own and ate some of the dry food we'd left out for her between the special feedings. Her eyes are no longer looking watery, and there's fewer of those charming snot-slinging sneezes too.
I'm cautiously optimistic, but will continue supplementing what she eats on her own with the syringes of CatSure and the NutriCal goop. Our undernourished Bou has a lot of lost meals to make up for.
Ah, Jaye, thoughts gratitude for the wonderful care you guys are giving Bou and bebehs. May today's turn around stay with Mama Bou permanently . I am enjoying the mental image of plumping kittens and hope there's some plumping for the beautiful Boudica soon.
And may you and Theo and the Schmoopteens get some well deserved rest! I can't imagine kitten excretions are nearly as cute as kittens.
Whew! Glad to hear that the kittens are plumping up now and Prayers and wishes for Bou to have a speedy recovery. Also Jaye and Teho and Shmoopteens you are all so awesome for helping mama Bou and the Kittens.
Comments
oh, the little squidgies.
I would just scoop up a handful and inhale for about 10 minutes.
Bou gave birth to hamsters?
That Merme is the sweetest thing on the planet. Really. Leastwise the cutest new wallpaper on my catputer.
I'd WAY rather snorgle a kitten, cash or otherwise, than a cow, thanks, RedZ. I'll leave the cow-snorgling to AmyH.
These kittehs are teh sweeeeetie babies. Long life and health to all!
(dies and is ded from Teh Qte)
Sweet dreams, all.
I'm trapped in an overheated apartment, too scared to open a window lest the bugs come in and attack me.
Yet your three sentences made me very happy indeed (that and listening to Back as I type this).
NightNight!
Not to interrupt the steady stream of squee that's going on too much, but!
Does anybody else think the 2 teentsy off-white sweetsies might turn out looking like the cutie-beauties caught by the Mystery Faux-Tau-grapher of today's (6/29) Cute Overload?
Sincerely sorry to hear about the loss of Fourpaws, but at least Fiver has somebody he knows up there at the Rainbow Bridge. (must stop sniffling)
SOOOOOOOO glad that the other teentsies are doing well along with Boudica!
So glad I have a place to comment about all the Quteness. :>D
I interrupt the snorglefest with this message:
Completely off topic here but Theo I can' t help myself. Ever so often the phrase "More Powerful than a Local Modem" pops into my head and I end up snorting and snickering. My family and co-workers are begining to get worried, well more worried than usual. Just had to share. That is a bit of wit you have to save for the future I'm sure it'll come in handy again someday. It's a gem. (I can see it as a possible future pic rollover caption).
You may now return to your regularly scheduled snorgling.
The five surviving kittens are looking much heartier! Their little bellies are getting rounder, and all of them seem more vigorous in their eating, mewling and wriggling.
The Schmoopteens and I have done the requisite tail-wiping every couple of hours to keep them regular, and I think I speak for all three of us when I say that we will be *very* glad when Bou feels well enough to take over that duty herself. It's a good excuse to pick up kittens, though. There's nothing sweeter than picking them up when they're full and sleepy. They're just a scant handful of drowsiness, all warm and limp and soft.
Unfortunately, the kittens' progress seems to have been at Bou's expense. Despite the antibiotics her temperature was high again today, her congestion still thick, and she wasn't showing any interest in her food dish. That's a dangerous state for a nursing mom. :( I discovered that she'd accept being syringe-fed a thin gruel of KRM (Kitten Milk Replacer) mixed with the gravy from a can of cat food, though, so I've been squeezing that into her mouth every hour this evening. It takes a godawful lot of 1CC syringefuls to add up to any significant amount of nutrition or fluids, though. I sure hope it's enough to replace what the kittens are taking out of her.
I also got a tube of high-calorie nutritional supplement called NutriCal, a dark goop which is too thick for the syringe but can be dabbed into her mouth. It's "highly palatable," or so the package says; I will take their word for it. Bou objects a little to having her mouth pried open for it, but she seems to like the taste once it's there. I got at least a couple of teaspoons of that into her tonight.
It could just be wishful thinking, but I'd swear she looked a *little* improved after several hours of those feedings. I hope she can eat on her own in the morning--but if not, we'll continue the syringe treatment until she's in better shape. Poor little girl, she's just a calico-covered bag of bones right now.
I'm so sorry to hear that Four Paws left, also. I hate how life is this way. On one hand, you have precious teeny wee babies to love and cuddle ( I loved picturing Jaye very gently kissing the wee tiny tops of each of their little headsies as she tucked them in to sleep...) but there is the pain and heartache of seeing 2 babies pass away --- and the worry that Bou herself is having difficulties.
I am not a religious person. But someone or SOMETHING has to have some say in all of this --- there has to be SOME kind of force that wants what's best for this little family and understands how much they are all loved and how loving & compassionate the people who are taking care of them are.
I hope Mama and her 5 babies all get stronger and healthier with every single minute from here on out. They have so many hearts pulling for them and wishing for the best. That HAS to count for something.
Warm big hugs to the Schmoop fambly --- you really are wonderful. And the next time tiny kitty heads get gently schmooched --- please let part of the schmooches be from me, ok?
Hang in there Bou. Get better now.
Hang in there Bou, (thats triggered an ear worm some how)
Just remember your namesake, a Queen when there was only Kings, a real fighter that beat several legions, raizing two major cites, Teho Jaye and the Schmoopteen must have known you were a real fighter to name you that!
Teho Jaye and Family, I don't know if you are religious but if you are you have built up a serious amount of credit.
This is all being very rough on her, when she should just be snuggled up with kittens, interspersed with bouts of gorging herself.
Last night I wrote a whole long screed on foodstuffs for sick kitters, but VOX, in its wisdom, ate it while they were down.
The only possibly still useful parts would be:
Gerbers meat baby foods work well smeared on roof of mouth; and
You can get a bigger syringe for mama than for babies.
Oh, and get the stinkiest recovery foods for her once she's starting to eat again -- if she congested she can't smell or taste, and that's bad for appetite.
I really hate that she is still fevered,
Did the vet check really, really thoroughly to be sure she didn't retain any kittening materials (there were seven placentas to go with seven kittens)?
There'd probably be some discharge anyway, and she is all congested, so probably the fever is just this horrid virus, and general weakness, and stress of giving birth.
But I still don't like it.
I'm worried for the small ladyperson, and sending her, and you her minions, all kinds of good thoughts.
Yay-yay-yay! Checking in on Bou every two hours, glad to hear she's doing better. She's getting the best possible care, the Teho family are all heroes.
Am fostering a feline family over here, there's Sylvie the dainty tuxie mom, an Audrey Hepburn type, fastidiously clean and ferociously protective of her bebehs. A finicky gourmette, she would live on lobster and caviar if she could get it. She's trained me to feed her steamed fish and chicken breast, as she tends to have a delicate stomach. Next thing I know she'll be asking me for breakfast at Tiffany's. To feed her bebehs, she'll consent to have her catfood but it has to be the upscale brands. But she knows I'll do anything for her, she's such a good mama.
a returning fever after antibiotics is never good (glad to hear it has gone down, Ww). I'm so afraid she is giving 110% to the little ones and not getting enough nourishment herself.
I hope it doesn't come to this, but does MVHS have other recently born litters in fostering right now? so maybe Bou's bebehs can be (temporarily) fostered with other catmamas until Bou regains her strenght?
best wishes to all.
I'm cautiously optimistic, but will continue supplementing what she eats on her own with the syringes of CatSure and the NutriCal goop. Our undernourished Bou has a lot of lost meals to make up for.
Kittens are plumping up nicely. :)
Oh, you guys are doing such a good job. I'm keeping Bou and the teentsies in my thoughts and hoping to hear of continung improvement. :>)
Bou will never forget what you're doing for her! Here's hoping the fever is on its way out for good now. (crossed fingers)
Ah, Jaye, thoughts gratitude for the wonderful care you guys are giving Bou and bebehs. May today's turn around stay with Mama Bou permanently . I am enjoying the mental image of plumping kittens and hope there's some plumping for the beautiful Boudica soon.
And may you and Theo and the Schmoopteens get some well deserved rest! I can't imagine kitten excretions are nearly as cute as kittens.
Whew! Glad to hear that the kittens are plumping up now and Prayers and wishes for Bou to have a speedy recovery. Also Jaye and Teho and Shmoopteens you are all so awesome for helping mama Bou and the Kittens.
Sending out warm snuggly thoughts to Bou and her kits tonight.
Kees kees
Great work guys, and I'm echoing what everyone else is saying too, take care of yourselves too! Have a great rest of the weekend!