glurpglurpglurp

Jaye's trying to jump-start that nursing instinct in Bou's two reluctant nursers.  One is one of the white ones, and the other is this tuxie, which Jaye's tending to.  Here's your COXCU, too...

Glurpy Face

Thursday morning updates in the comments below... [sigh]

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Jaye here, with the latest Bou & family update.
// ...and Tuesday-morning updates are down in the comments! //

Whew. This is quite a rollercoaster we're on. Since 11:00pm last night, we've gone from Bou having a completely normal temperature...all the way up to nearly 108F, with danger of seizures...and then back down to normal again. The vet put her on a second antibiotic and also gave her an anti-inflammatory shot; she got IV fluids, hourly syringe feedings of a food for anorexic cats, and compresses of cool wet towels when the fever was at its height.

Feline leukemia and FIV have been ruled out, but her white count is high, which suggests something bacterial. She's also anemic. The vet doesn't believe that the fever is related to anything retained in the uterus from the birth, because everything feels normal and there's no discharge. So at this point we're just hoping the new drugs do the job and the fever doesn't come back.

At her sickest today, she didn't want to nurse her kittens or even be in the box with them. I was afraid we might have to arrange for another foster home where the kits could be bottle-fed all day (something we just can't do while holding down day jobs), but as soon as Bou's fever broke she was right back in the box with them. The kittens are now getting sniffly themselves, unfortunately, but the vet said they would get some of Bou's medications through her milk. Three of them are nursing strongly (Tiger, Snip, one of the white ones), the other two are a bit less robust (Tuxie, the other white one). We'll need to watch carefully to be sure they are getting their fair share. Still, mama's milk is the best thing for them if they can get it.

I'm afraid to be optimistic at this point. I was so cheerful about her progress last night, only to find her feverish and listless agan this morning. But she's OK for the moment and we're doing all we can.

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Marmie Head

Tuxie Head

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[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.

Eyesqueezes

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now THIS is a HAMMOCK

...or is that felinitarian?

Intensive Care

Anyway, this just is what you do, when the kittens need emergency warming & feeding.
If you're so equipped.

COXCU: feeding

Wrapping it all up, here's the full scrum:

Teh Scrum

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Hey peeps -- if you've been all good & proper and have been holding off on sending donations in Bou's name to MVHS, because I asked you to, well, go ahead & let fly!  I've just gotten off the phone with them.  They're aware of the situation, and are ready to receive.  ($65 already, as of about 20 minutes ago!)

If you have your own local animal shelter or related charity that you prefer to send donations to, that's absolutely fine.  MVHS is my suggestion, of course, because I work with them.  If you work with your own, fantastic!  You might include a note for them with my Vox URL (http://teho.vox.com/) explaining the circumstances a little, but that's entirely up to you.

Thanks so much!  We'll keep the updates coming... and just wait till you see some of the pix.  Hee hee.

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Photos and video will come later.  Right now, I'm stuck late at work, and Teh Schmoop is at home (with her friend CraftyRedhead) tending to Bou and the NEW KITTENS.  So far, there are six.  And yes, I've heard there is at least one "mermelade" bebeh.

Bou isn't 100% healthy, though.  She had developed a pretty severe kitty cold (upper respiratory infection, or URI) by the time we left for work this morning, to the point where she was mouth-breathing.  Jaye picked up some amoxicillin from MVHS for her, along with some electrolyte solution for re-hydration... but of course when she got home, NEW KITTENS had started showing up.  And, the kicker, Mama Bou wasn't paying them any attention, so Jaye was a bit frantic there for a while.

At this point, though, after a call to the 24-hour emergency vet and some deft feline midwifery, the NEW KITTENS all seem to be relatively OK.  And while mama's not yet tending them solicitously, she's not rejecting them, either.  Some are nursing, so that's a relief.  Schmoop and CR are still there & on task, too.  (I'll be bringing human food soon, ladies!)

Updates and multimedia to follow.  But for now, and before I forget, peeps, we've got NEW KITTENS.

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Bou_banner_teho

Just a quickie... made a new banner for Mama Boudica. Green theme for summer.  Enjoy!

(feel free to borrow it, if you like)

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