Hewwow

July 15, 2015

Kitten Litter Boxes

I’m no expert, but the simple truth is that cats naturally want the litter box experience. They want a designated space to bury it. Ad if you provide that, they’re going to use it.

Yes, there are many reasons why cats choose not to use the space you provide, but kittens are usually blank slates without the issues cats have. So kittens generally take to a litter box quickly on their own. It sometimes helps to put some of their poop in the litter box so they know this is the place to do it.

As for litter boxes, we’ve had a variety of kitten ages come through here (and box skills), and one helpful thing we’ve found is the disposable aluminum trays and pans you find in most grocery stores in the paper towel and plastic bag aisle. They come in all shapes and sizes, and when they get gross, you can switch them for new ones.

The little 1″ deep ones are great for new kittens just learning how to crawl into the tray, and the big deep turkey size ones are great for when you have to confine an adult cat to a crate with limited space. I usually keep the cake size pans (14″ by 10″) or brownie trays (8.5″ by 8.5″) on hand for whenever things pop up. They’re about 2 inches deep, great for your average kitten’s legs. Plus you can buy a two pack that comes with the clear plastic lids that are the same dimensions and can be used as litter trays also. Again, you can go through these quickly when a litter of kittens is learning, and sometimes missing.

I am not a fan of disposable stuff because why junk up the planet. But sometimes the safest and cleanest option is to toss a poop-draped aluminum tray so the yuck doesn’t get trailed everywhere.

And if you have extras after the little ones grow up, you can always use them for their intended purpose.

More helpful litter box advice:

July 14, 2015

Family Watering Hole

Back when I had multiple big dogs, I invested in a nice ceramic Pioneer water fountain water bowl. The big dog thought it was cool but the backup medium dog was suspicious that it would leap at him and give him an unexpected bath. It was all too much for him.

The cats on the other hand… the cats find it endlessly amusing. It is the one thing they all seem to agree on. It’s the cat family watering hole. They like the big pond-like bowl, and the blurbly top bowl, and the wobbly slide of water into the big bowl. It’s the bee’s knees.

Cats don’t naturally drink a lot of water. They usually get their water from the meat of their prey. But we domesticated them, and now give them dry cat food (or gross canned stuff), and so we need to give them a good source of fluid. Some cats develop issues with drinking enough water.

A water fountain is a great way to keep your kitties drinking good water. The only drawback is that in all seriousness, it needs to be kept clean, and it needs a deep clean once in a while. We had a mild lip infection whip through our cat population recently and I feel guilty because one source may have been the water bowl.

It’s a soggy process to take apart the bowl and wash the ceramic parts. And the plastic filter housing gets popped open and scrubbed out (I just do hot water and a tiny, tinny bit of soap, with a sponge and an old toothbrush to get the corners). And I don’t change the filter every time–guilty to say I’m cheap. The tough part of cleaning is that you have to keep going, like a Russian nesting doll. The little pump should get opened up and carefully cleaned (no soap at this point, just toothbrush finger tips). I recommend a few q-tips to get the tight spots, and especially the chimneys where the water is pushed out. Those get super gross if ignored.

A while back, my pump was just not moving water, and was making a funny sound, but the thought of ordering a new pump plus shipping–I’m just not ready to toss money at a problem. So I poked around online and stumbled across a video by the Pioneer folks showing how to clean the pump. And they pointed out that these instructions were in the original fountain paperwork. So, duh.

You can get a cleaning kit,or you can use things you have like toothbrush and q-tips. You can buy the filters (they’re not expensive). You can even buy a new pump if yours goes out (also not terribly expensive). There’s just going to be some maintenance and care for this fountain.

Totally worth it.

Once everything is cleaned, put it all back together making sure to line up the outflowing chimneys, fill up the bowl, and plug the pump back on. Your cats are going to be more than happy to hang out and slurp up good water. If the water gets low, you’ll hear the pump start to hum, so keep it topped up. And if you have more than a few cats, you’ll need to clean it more often because the fur gets sucked in to the grill. Still, totally worth it.

Links:

*I’m not in any way compensated by Amazon or Pioneer for this. I just like this fountain, and the cats love it.

July 5, 2015

Izzy the Sassy

Temporary Name:

Izzy, (a.k.a.) The Sassy

Gender: Female
Color: Torbie & white
Fur: Long
Born: Approximately 6/9/15
Mom: Unknown
Family: Unknown

Update: Adopted!

Izzy came to us suddenly on a hot Sunday. A friend found a kitten in her apartment stairwell and didn’t know what to do. After a few hours, the kitten had moved up to the third floor landing, with little intention of going down again. She was filthy and starving. I drove over to pick up the single kitten who was much smaller and dirtier than the pictures.

Now Izzy has had a spa break at a foster mom’s house, she’s back in action and ready to meet potential new friends. This little girls is a firecracker, and will tell you exactly what’s on her mind. She is bold and adventurous, and even when she’s nervous, she’ll charge full blast into a new situation. But when she slows down from her wazzies, she’s aggressively cuddly.

If you’re interested in bringing Izzy home, make sure you’re prepared for a super energetic and active kitten. She’s going to have long fur and will need some help with that throughout her life. She’s getting used to lots of other cats, and a dog. And she spent a few weeks with toddlers. So she’s going to be a great kitty friend to you!

Update 8/26/15: Izzy was officially adopted by her new mom and re-named Jade because of her amazing eyes!

Sponsor Izzy getting adoption-ready. She’ll be spayed, get her rabies vaccine, and be treated for parasites. Total cost is only $80 through No More Homeless Pets. Send any support by PayPal or Google Wallet to radhakrueger@gmail.com. Check out our Support page for full info.

Health history:

On arrival, Izzy got a bath, but she still had sap or something in her tail. She was very hungry and skinny, but otherwise looked to be in great health. There was the usual crusty eyes and nose of a street kitten. I would estimate that she was almost three weeks old and probably away from her family for a few days.

Izzy’s first bath, 7/5/15

Izzy update, 7/15/15

Izzy, 8-4-15

Izzy in stairwell, 7/5/15

Izzy in a little box, 7/5/15

Izzy’s ride home, 7/5/15

Izzy cuddlebug, 7/15/15

July 3, 2015

The Hard Days

I don’t get paid to do what I do for animals. I do it because I care. And I think somehow it makes a small difference.

But not all days have rewards. Some days are tougher than others. Today was a tough day.

Moxie has been sick for almost a week. Throwing up. We got her roundworm medication, which also made her throw up. I took her in to the vet to get weighed this morning because of how skinny she’s gotten. She weighs 4.75 pounds right now. Which is down half a pound from her peak at 5.25. Which doesn’t sound bad. But she was 4.5 on her first weigh-in. So she’s gone almost all the way back to the beginning.

I was also contacted by the folks that work with Animal Services on feral and stray cats. Of the three cats confiscated from my hoarding neighbor, one had already been returned to the neighborhood, and the two girls had been put up for adoption. But apparently there was so little interest in them, that Animal Services wanted them out. At least it wasn’t euthanasia. But the girls were going to be returned to the neighborhood.

The only problem was that my hoarding neighbor and her family were at the house working on the yard all morning. So I asked for a delay on releasing the cats.

This afternoon she brought the girls to release. Zelda took off in a blur of fur and panic. Zoey tried to curl up in a corner of my porch, meowling. I don’t know if she’s ever been outside.

She’s tiny. She’s scared. Her belly is still shaved from getting spayed. And she has no idea what’s going on. I couldn’t just leave her out there. She was happy to sit in my arms. So I brought her inside. A friend gave us a medium/small dog crate she wasn’t using and it came in handy for the moment. Zoey is in a quiet, dark, calm space for now. I have no idea what is best for her, but it’s obvious she’s on her own now.

I hate that there’s no room for these little ones. I hate that animals pay the price for people being stupid. I hate that I now have 20 cats in my house. Five are mine. I spoke up for them. But the other 15 are cats that no one seems to want.

The alternative is life on the street. Is that really an option for a little cat that probably hasn’t been outside before? I can’t accept that as an option.

These are the days I wonder why I do this.

On the other hand, I controlled myself from crossing the street this morning and starting trouble with the hoarding neighbor and her family. So I guess *gold star* for me there.

June 23, 2015

Yoshi “The Paw”

Temporary Name:

Yoshi, (a.k.a.) The Paw

Gender: Female
Color: White with black
Fur: Short
Born: Approximately 5/10/15
Mom: Magnolia
Family: 4 kittens

Yoshi is a sweet, playful girl who is looking for a special family to be patient with her. Quite a few all- or mostly-white cats have hearing or vision deficits, and we suspect she might have minor hearing loss. She does have an extra thumb on her right paw, and wonderful markings!

She had been on hold for a late adoption, but that fell through recently, so she is back on the adoptable list.

Currently available for adoption!

Yoshi was the fourth of four kittens we caught at our neighbor’s condemned house. She has amazing markings, and was one of the biggest and healthiest of her litter. She is also the feistiest, and we’re working hard to socialize her to humans. She’s very playful, has taken to the litter box quickly, and loves tasty wet cat food.

She has a tiny additional thumb, complete with tiny claw, on her right paw, giving her a subtle mitten look to that paw. She has a fondness for large, fuzzy, older female cats, and also loves to play with anyone willing to chase and wrestle. In her months with us waiting for her adoptive family (which unfortunately got canceled), she has grown into an exceptionally gorgeous little lady, with lush double-thick fur remarkably like her mother’s.

Health history:

Several of Yoshi’s litter mates had slightly crusty eyes. We didn’t see anything abnormal about her eyes but cleaned them for the first two days she was with us. Otherwise she seems fairly healthy.

8/20/15 – Yoshi was spayed and given her rabies vaccine at No More Homeless Pets.

Note: Yoshi needs a patient family. We haven’t been able to have her professionally evaluated, but we feel she may have some hearing loss issues. This is not abnormal for all- or mostly-white cats. She needs a patient family willing to help her adjust to a new home and new people since she is sensitive to sudden movements or unexpected attempts to pet her.

Quick Details

Litter box: A+
Other cats: A+
Cuddling: C- [She has some hearing issues, see health note]
Food: A+

Yoshi cuddling Charlie 10-10-15

Yoshi cuddling fuzzy cats 10-21-15

The Littles as babies 6-17-15

Yoshi in sunlight 8-6-15

Yoshi with extra thumb! 6-24-15

Yoshi, 6-18-15

June 23, 2015

Kawaii “The Cute”

Temporary Name:

Kawaii, (a.k.a.) The Cute

Gender: Female
Color: Black & white
Fur: Short
Born: Approximately 5/10/15
Mom: Magnolia
Family: 4 kittens

Update: Adopted!

Kawaii was the third of the four caught. Her name is a Japanese pop-culture word for ‘cute’ or ‘super cute’. She is also the smallest of the four, as well as the most calm. Her facial markings are very unique. She loves napping in her kitten hammock the most!

Health history:

On arrival, Kawaii had clear eyes, but on the second day, she seemed to get a little crusty like her sister’s. We didn’t see anything abnormal about her eyes but cleaned them for the first two days and they cleared up. Otherwise she seems fairly healthy.

Update 8/30/15: Kawaii was snapped up suddenly by a friend of another adopter, and quickly won over her new family’s hearts!

June 23, 2015May 5, 2016

Steve “The Girl”

Temporary Name:

Steve, (a.k.a.) The Girl

Gender: Female
Color: Black & white
Fur: Short
Born: Approximately 5/10/15
Mom: Magnolia
Family: 4 kittens

Available for Adoption

Yes, Steve is a girl. We were picking temporary names, and I wanted to call her Kiki but it was pointed out her sisters were Katana and Kawaii, and having three K kittens was weird. So I jokingly called her Steve and it stuck.

She and her sister Katana were the first two kittens we caught, and they’re so rambunctious and playful, they’re having no trouble being socialized. Steve is the second smallest of The Littles, and she loves to play and climb. She is doesn’t seem to be afraid of very much right now, and is learning to like cuddles.

Health history:

Several of Steve’s litter mates had slightly crusty eyes. We didn’t see anything abnormal about her eyes but cleaned them for the first two days she was with us. Otherwise she seems fairly healthy.

Update 8/27/15: Steve was officially adopted by her new family, and especially likes her new fluffy fur-buddy friend. Her new name is Nami, and she is adored by her new hoomans!

Update 3/3/16: Life is challenging and things didn’t work out with her new people for the long term. This happens. But Steve doesn’t understand. She is home here with us and a little depressed. After a few weeks of unwinding and evaluation, she should be ready to meet new people and maybe have a furever home this time.

Steve loves her hammock, 6-24-15

The Littles together, 6-17-15

Steve & Katana

Steve cuddling, 6-16-15

June 23, 2015

Katana “The Brave”

Temporary Name:

Katana, (a.k.a.) The Brave

Gender: Female
Color: Gray & white
Fur: Short
Born: Approximately 5/10/15
Mom: Magnolia
Family: 4 kittens

Update: Adopted!

Katana has been a brave and outgoing little girl since she arrived. She is super energetic, loves to play, and keeps her sisters going. She’s not afraid of much. Although she enjoys the kitty hammocks, she loves stretching out on the floor and sleep all sprawled out.

Health history:

When Katana arrived, she had a very crusty left eye. We didn’t see anything abnormal about her eyes but cleaned them for the first two days she was with us. We still keep a careful watch on her left eye, and clean it regularly just in case. It seems to be healing well and is less puffy every day. Otherwise she seems very healthy.

Update 8/28/15: Katana was officially adopted by her new family and loves her new friends!

June 18, 2015

Trapping The Littles

Steve & Katana 6-16-15 — Steve & Katana eating

The same day I saw a kitten playing with mom cat on the abandoned car in my neighbor’s driveway, a guy came by to measure that house to come back and board it up on order of the city. I was talking to the guy when a neighbor came around the yards to ask me if I was still into rescuing cats because there were kittens behind their shed that backed up to the same fence. Likely the same kittens of the ones I already had on my radar.

I did a full perimeter check of the condemned house for the first time ever, knowing now that it was somewhat under the care of the city, and my trespassing wasn’t so bad now. It was clear that the place where two sheds backed up to each other would always be an ideal place to have kittens. And this litter was likely now hanging out with mom in and around the abandoned car in the carport. (The car which had mountains of stuff in and around it, and tires flat to the rims.)

Trapping these kittens was going to be tricky because there was no obvious nesting area, and there were so, so many places for them to run and hide. Persistence and tenacity. I started by bringing a ceramic plate over to the abandoned car and leaving dry or wet cat food there every day. Then I left a cat trap next to the food, unset, to get them used to the idea.

On the Saturday before the June Operation Catnip clinic, I set all seven of the traps I had, including three around the car. I trapped one kitten almost immediately. A little black and white puffball. And much later in the evening I trapped a second one. This time a grey and white little fluff. But that was it for the night.

I continued setting out food, and any time I knew I would be home (in the evenings and mornings especially when they would be most active), I set the traps with no bait food, in hopes of getting only the curious little kittens.

Luckily I did get one more kitten the following Monday. Because Tuesday morning as I was rushing around, getting ready to head off to a client’s for the day, I noticed a code enforcement car in front of the neighbor’s house. I ran over there and found out they were having a truck in to tow the abandoned car. Where mom and the last kitten lived. I moved my cat traps, and stood on my front porch watching.

It was awesome to see them finally move that car that has been sitting there for over four years. (Oh, don’t get me started on how much we tried to get the hoarding house some kind of official attention up to this point.) But this meant that mom and kitten #4 might run off and not come back.

I put the traps and food back in the spot previously occupied by the car. Persistence.

After a few solid days of checking and worrying, I was getting to a point that I wasn’t sure I’d ever get the fourth kitten. But the same night I said out loud that I was giving up hope, I took five trips across the street and successfully came home with a trapped kitten. We had the full set!

And thus came about The Littles. And our struggle to get homes for these little furballs. But I had to take a moment to savor the small successes.

June 15, 2015

Operation Catnip, June 14, 2015

With no July clinic, I focused on trapping for the June Operation Catnip clinic to get as many of the neighbor’s cats as possible. I had been feeding them for over a month, and I started leaving traps on the property a few days before so they would get used to the sight and smell. Plus there were the kittens to account for.

So I started setting traps at 6PM. And moving traps. And putting out more food. I checked traps as often as possible. I set my alarm to ding every 20 minutes so I knew when to make the rounds. As it got dark, I schlepped a flashlight, blade, food, spoon, trap covers, and traps in the dark. Finally at 12:30AM I did my final rounds and disabled all but two of the remaining empty traps.

I ended up with four adult cats, including tiny Binky. And I also trapped two opossum and a raccoon, none of whom were amused. The opossum just skitter off, but the raccoon pulled two trap covers into the cage and shredded them.

We also got two of the four kittens. And I did trap Mom, but with two kittens still in the wind, we decided to let Mom go to take care of them. Of course the second I released Mom from the trap, she frantically ran and ended up running into another trap. My heart hurts so bad for her.

The cats in traps got lined up in our Furtress of Catitude, out of the elements and covered up. For the kittens I set up our big dog crate with a litter tray, food/water bowls, and a small cardboard box with holes in the side to act as a cave. Most trapped kittens need a safe, quiet place to hide initially while they get used to indoor sounds and smells.

It was painful dragging myself up before the crack of dawn to check the last traps (this was where I found the raccoon) and stacking the cats in traps in my car. After dropping them off at the clinic, I had exactly enough time to come home, have coffee and a shower, take care of our cats, get changed, and head back to the clinic for my afternoon shift.

Four newly nipped cats 6-14-15 / Clockwise from top left: Mouse, Kevin, Peaches, and Binky

This would be my second clinic working the discharge desk, which is a lot of talking and organization. Instead of the 120 cats we were expecting, we got in 167. Two people brought cats in squirrel traps which got transferred to regular traps. There had been new volunteers at intake so the intake lists got a little goofed up. And I had two new volunteers transporting (getting cats from recovery and bringing them to their caregivers). So needless to say, the paperwork was all goofed up and the afternoon was a little mad.

Afterwards, I hurried my four cats home in my super hot car, driving as fast as I could to get air circulation. Binky had banged her forehead against the crate repeatedly in anxiety, leaving her forehead raw and bare of fur.

In the wee hours of Monday morning, I took food across the street to their usually food tray so they would know it was there. And then one by one, carried the traps across the street and released each of the four freshly nipped cats. Two boys and two girls who were now removed from the breeding cycle.

And of course there’s the kittens now. Two more. Plus about 10 more cats across the street to trap and nip. The next Operation Catnip clinic won’t be until August. We’ll have to find other ways to get these guys taken care of.