Boy did the weekend suck. Sniffles, the most sick of the kittens, died Friday. Cyclops, the other small kitten, looked like she was getting worse. She wasn't eating at all. I went to the shelter and they showed me how to feed her from a bottle. Ryan and I fed her as best we could all weekend, but her breathing got worse and interfered with feeding. She died early this morning. So my heart is broken times two.

Momma and the two bigger kittens are doing well, though. I decided to name the mom Isis (that's the name of Catwoman's cat). The boy is going to be MacGyver. I haven't decided on the girl's name yet. Here are some more pictures. I haven't got a good one of MacGyver yet because he is always eating or sleeping.


Any name suggestions for this cute little girl?

At this point in time there are 9 kitties in the house!
Last Saturday Ryan and I went to PetSmart to buy a new scratching post. As usual, we stopped by the kitties for adoption just to look. A woman from the animal shelter was there checking in and asked us if we could help. As she explained, due to the recession the shelter is severely overcrowded, with cages and pet carriers full of animals stacked in the hallways. She asked us to consider becoming foster parents to a cat.

Of course I thought it was THE MOST WONDERFUL IDEA IN THE WORLD! Ryan took more convincing, but I promised that I would give them back and not adopt them permanently. Later that day I dropped off a foster application to the shelter and on Tuesday I got the call that I was approved and could drop by that evening. The lady gave me the option of an adult or litter of kittens, and I jumped at the chance for some itty bitties. They are only 2-3 weeks old and still nursing, so momma came with me too!

Momma is kinda small, a little smaller than Stormy. She's a little wary but friendly. There are four babies. Two are dilute calicos (like Grem! but they are mostly gray), so those are definitely girls. One of the other two is gray with faint tabby stripes (like momma), and the other is gray with faint tabby stripes and white patches under the chin and on the belly (remniscent of Jib).

None of them were named by the shelter, so we get to name them! We are leaning toward a theme, such as characters from a TV show. For now, I'm calling them Momma, Pudgy (plump gray/white), Grem II (plump calico with more orange and white than the other), Sniffles (small all gray), and Cyclops (small calico with orange spot on the forehead).

The kittens are all on twice-daily antibiotics for respiratory infections, but most of them seem to be getting better (Sniffles is lagging behind, hence the name). I also have to rub their eyes with ointment twice daily so they don't get crusty and stick together. The shelter lady was really glad that I could take care of them because being getting away from all the other cats at the shelter will help them get healthy faster.

I will try to get some better pictures and videos later...my camera died in the middle of the last batch. Momma will be here until the babies are weaned, then she can be fixed and put up for adoption. The kittens are here until they are over 2 pounds, since that's when they can be fixed and then will be available for adoption. With all the overcrowding at the shelter, though, maybe they'll have to stay longer or maybe I'll have to take a different batch :)