Small Update with Lots of Pictures...

Since my last post, the kittens have gotten cuter (as if you thought that was even possible!) and quite energetic.  Play, play, eat, litter box, sleep....ohh what a life!  I have to scoop out the box 2-3 times a day now, with the three of them.  A small price to pay, I suppose.

Yin is still doing amazingly well with her movements.  Most of the time she walks, runs, and jumps normally, with the very occasional faltering movement.  But it's rare.  She is becoming quite sweet and friendly, being the first to come up to me when I come into the room, and instant purring as soon as I start to pet her or pick her up:)

Little Miss Thumbs (or Miss T) is a bit shyer, but loves to play "on" me (my legs have climbing scratch marks) and tolerates my cuddles.  You can tell she'd rather be playing than cuddling, but I'll get her there.  She seems to have inherited a little more fear from Fluffy than Yin has.  I was just talking with a friend yesterday about genetic fear traits, and other genetic traits that have been bred in (or out) of domestic dogs and cats.  It's amazing to me that such instinctual emotions can pass through genes.  I'll look up some studies and post the links here.  I know there are a few I've read before and the results are not only fascinating, but they give incredible insight into domestic vs. wild behaviours and how to assess them.

In the meantime, here are some recent pictures and videos to keep you entertained:

Some typical play time fun...I LOVE how they will attack random spots on the blanket!  You can see that Yin can jump and run so well:)

More playtime:)  Also, so that you all know, I only let them play with that ribbon when I'm around.  I don't leave it out in case they get tangled up or decided it would be a good idea to eat it.  That would be bad!

And now enjoy the following pictures I've taken over the last week:)

 

The Family:)

I was going to take a little nap, and then she decided to look very cute so a picture had to happen...

 

This is what I walked in on the other morning:)  Some basking and lounging in the sun.  The cutest! 

So basically a lot of playing and cuteness is going on right now.  Today the kittens are 8 weeks old, so I'm organizing their first exam/vaccine appointments for later this week or next.  Also on the agenda is to get Fluffy in for her spay surgery soon, so that she can fully meet Stitches:)

Well that's my update for now, hope you all have a great week!

What an emotional week it's been!

It's been a week since I updated, I know, but time has been strange for me.  This past Monday, the kittens turned 6 weeks old...the time has simply flown by where they are concerned.

Also on that same day, time stood still as a tough decision that had been made on the weekend was carried through.  To leave the world with her dignity still strong, we had a house call vet come over and our beloved dog Spice was put to sleep.  She had 14 amazing years, of which I was present for 11 of them.  I adopted her from Adopt-a-Dog, Save-a-Life when she was about 3 years old.  She was scheduled to be put down soon because nobody wanted her, and had been boarding in an animal clinic for over 3 months.  She had dog and prey aggression issues, but I gave her a chance and never regretted my decision.  Even when she bit a dog once, and I had to pay half the vet bill!  Later in life and with some hard work, she managed to get along with a couple of dogs.  I just avoided dog parks and things went smoothly, as she was the best behaved dog in other aspects that I'd ever seen or heard about (and I heard about a lot in the years I worked as a vet tech!).  She was my first ever pet dog (having been raised with cats) and will probably be my last, as I don't think any other dog could ever live up to her.  Here's the last picture I took of her:

She hadn't wanted to be in that chair for weeks, then all of a sudden wanted up there a few hours before her passing.   She needed help to get up and down out of the chair, couldn't do stairs without help, and she had stopped sleeping in our bed months ago:(  I've helped and counseled countless pet owners in making the right decisions for their pets, but honestly I never struggled more with anything in life than I did to make this choice.  I chose to give her dignity, and not wait until she couldn't walk at all and lost control of her body functions (which I've sadly seen numerous times) as she was losing nerve function and mobility.  She was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy over two years ago, so it's really amazing that she hadn't lost control of her back legs until quite recently.  It's a progressive disease with no treatment or cure:(  As it was, she fell over at least once a day.  You can read more about it here:

http://www.caninegeneticdiseases.net/DM/basicDM.htm

Sigh.

Well, on to some good news!  Yin, my little luxating patella trooper, is doing SO MUCH BETTER.  It's hard to even tell she has a problem anymore, with her walking, running, climbing, using the litter box...all normal progressive things that kittens do best:)  Every now and then, one of her back legs slips to the side, or one of her knees kinda "locks" and she shakes it a bit.  But since her visit last Tuesday to the vet, she's made vast improvement, which makes me happy and relieved that she can probably have pretty normal mobility.  I must say, between my dog's leg issues and Yin's...I was going a bit mental, trying to do what's best for everyone.  Working with Yin to test her abilities (meaning: lots of kitten play time, hehee) and giving my dog all the love in the world during her last days, I barely had the time or motivation to do anything else.  Here's a couple videos where you can see how great her movements have been:

Now, I'm grieving for Spice, but focusing on the cats and getting my life in order.  Stitches now has the run of the house (except the room with Fluffy n' kittens) and he's happier than ever.  He will sit outside Fluffy's room sometimes, and I think it's a good way of slowly introducing them.  He loves the front windows in the dining room, as there are always birds on the front lawn and the sun comes in:) 
Here's a picture of him basking:

Fluffy is getting quite brave with me in the room, though she is still super shy when anyone else enters, and typically she will hide under the futon.  I've had some friends over for kitten cuddles, and she won't budge from her hiding spot.  The family who found and was feeding Fluffy came over on Wednesday to visit and meet the kittens.  Fluffy wouldn't come out to see them, which I know made the children unhappy a bit, but hopefully they can be happy with the fact that she's healthy and doing well being inside, where it's certainly safer for her.  They generously brought over toys and treats, and both Fluffy and the kittens are playing with the new toys:)  Fluffy sure does enjoy those treats as well! 

Here's a few pics I've taken over the last few days.  I have this ribbon for kitten play time, that I don't leave out when I'm not around.  I want to get them used to playing and interacting with people, and they LOVE that ribbon!  They also love to climb my legs and play with my feet, however...

Here's Fluffy and the kittens as well...she has no problems wandering about when I'm around, even will nurse them near me.  She still shies away from being handled, but I think it will be a long time before she's comfortable with that.  I had a dream last night, er, this morning, that Stitches and the family got along and were all playing together.  I hope it's a sign of good times to come!

Now to prepare for the start of a busy weekend filled with good friends, dancing, cats and kittens, and meeting new people!

Yin's First Vet Appointment, Real Food and more Play, of course!

This week has been difficult but also full of hope, and the knowledge of making the right decisions.

I was fortunate to get an appointment with a TCR vet nearby for little Yin on Tuesday morning, to assess her legs and find out the cause of her walking issues.  The bus ride there, although short, was her first exposure to the outside world and full of loud noises...she hid under the blanket in the carrier:(  I decided to take a cab home even though I didn't really have the finances to do so, as she was so scared before.  At the vet, she was a trooper:)  The exam found her healthy overall, with good heart/lungs and proper weight, and confirmed she is a girl!  Upon examining her hind legs, the vet found that she had issues with her knees called luxating patellas.  This means that the kneecap, instead of staying in the groove of the bone, can move to the left or right side.  This causes mobility issues, limping, shaking of the leg to "right" the kneecap (which I've seen her do) and can be painful if the kneecap doesn't pop back into place.  There can also be a level of hip dysplasia involved, and the causes of both can be due to trauma at the time of birth, or congenital.  She didn't have any pain reactions to her spine or hips, and has good strong pulses and feeling in both hind legs.  This makes the chances of nerve dysfunction extremely low, which is a good thing. 

Here's a good website I found that helps explain the condition:

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/healthinfo/LuxatingPatella.cfm

We didn't do an x-ray, but depending on how she develops, we can do one when she's 7-8 weeks old as there is a chance that she does have some level of hip dysplasia.  After discussing her progress with the vet, the consensus is to encourage her to use her hind legs (walking, running, climbing) to help the muscles and tendons strengthen the knee area, which will help support her legs.  She has shown some improvement, taking more and more "normal" steps and can keep up with Yang while playing and climbing.  She runs!  Kinda like a bunny, but she can move pretty fast when she wants to:)  I got a little scratching post for them with a bed at the top, so they're running around that and climbing it now, though the chair and futon are still the favourites. 

Here's a video I took last night, and you can see her running around.  Also, you can observe how Fluffy is becoming more social with me, even stopping to sniff my feet.
(The noise in the background is me watching "So you think you can Dance" on my laptop...we all have our vices!)

Last night I scooped her up and she fell asleep in my arms, and was dreaming...adorable!  This morning she was purring super loudly when I came in to see them:)  High hopes, indeed!

Yang is super cute and sometimes forgets he has extra thumbs.  He's practicing his stalking, pouncing, and sideways "scared kitty" looks.  He's becoming a talker too!  Now whenever I come in, he mews at me:)

They're both taking an interest in solid food as well, which I'm happy about.  I leave extra dry and wet food out now so Fluffy doesn't have to share as much. I've seen Yin trying to chomp on some kibble:)

Here's a couple pics from the last few days:

 

I gots a mouse!!

 

Sleeping after playing with one of their favourite toys:) 

 

Watching Mom use the litter box.  Hoping they'll get the hang of it soon.  Right now, they're more interested in playing with the litter:p

 

This is the first time they came up to snuggle with me:)  It was late and I was thinking of heading to bed, but then this happened, so I stayed up for one more episode of the show I was watching (The Wire).  

This weekend will be their first nail trim experience. They're getting caught on everything!  I'll do it when they're sleepy, so it shouldn't be a big deal.  I've already gotten them used to me touching their feet:)

So the situation is that next week, we will find out how Stitches reacts to the babies.  I have my fingers crossed that he will like them (or at least tolerate them at first, then like them). 

I'll leave you with one more video, of morning play-time!

The Road So Far...

In the adventures of life, there will always be uphill climbs and some slippery slopes to challenge our paths.  This may seem very obviously cliché to say, but it aptly describes the last week for Yin, Yang and myself.

I was entirely too occupied with trying to get things organized for the art show I was participating in this past Sunday, and had a few snags (the canvas prints I ordered didn't arrive in time...now they won't get here until tomorrow:p).  The show would have been successful if the weather hadn't been so terrible.  There were a lot of talented artists, and we all had very low sales due to the lack of people who ventured out.  But we also made some great contacts, and possibly some residual sales from people who were interested but not quite committed to buy on the spot.

In kitten life, there's been a lot of playing, pouncing, learning and cuteness extraordinaire.  There's also been a bit of a struggle, with Yin's walking ability still uncertain.  She can climb though!  She's having a hard time getting her back legs fully under her to support her weight, and there's a thought it could be either very delayed development, or a congenital defect.  I'm getting a vet appt this week to get her checked out.  She's SO sweet, and playful...doing everything else a kitten her age should do:)  She plays really well, is curious, running about (which she does better than walking!) and "stalking" toys.  They're both drinking water now, and I'm getting them interested in some real food!  Here's a picture of Yin climbing up the side of the futon to see me:

I took some video of her walking, so you can get a better idea of what I'm talking about.  Though yesterday I saw her take a few shaky steps with her back legs completely under her, normally they tend to be correct for a couple steps and then splay out to the sides.  But when she's moving fast, she has better control, or compensates with her front legs.  Right now I'm watching her and she's standing properly, and took a lot of correctly positioned steps!  It's like when she really concentrates she can do it.  I have high hopes for her, but still I feel more comfortable getting her examined by a doctor.  Yang, on the other hand, is running, pouncing, and all over the place! I'm picking up this scratching post tomorrow that I ordered.  I wanted a bigger one but it won't fit in this room:p  They will still have a lot of climbing fun:)

 Here's some videos of them playing and walking:

Last night, feeling tired and and disappointed that the show got rained out, I went into the room to watch some shows on the laptop and my daily dose of kitten love.  I was greeted by Yang sleeping on the futon, and he stayed there with me while I chilled out, even purring until he was dreaming:)

Then he woke up and discovered my laptop!

Later, Yin woke up and they were playing together:) 

So I've heard it said that you always end up keeping your first fosters....Well, certainly if Yin ends up having actual issues with her legs I'll keep her, since trying to adopt out a "special needs" kitten is tough.  And well, Yang supports her too much to try and separate them!  So the bottom line is, whether I adopt them or not, I think they need a forever home together:)  Fluffy is certainly coming out more often, is playful with her babies and I can interact with her through her toys.  She will come up and sniff my hand, or my feet if I'm sitting in here, but shies away from being pet or handled. She hides away from anyone else who comes in here.  I hope that once her hormones balance out she will be friendlier.  If she adjusts well I think she will find a good home, either here with me or with another family.  Really, all of this depends on Stitches.  The first kitten introductions will be in another week or so, when they are 6-7 weeks. I'll start by putting them in the carrier and letting them sniff through there, to see how Stitches reacts.  I'll need to know before they are 8 weeks whether things will work out, as that's the time they'd be placed for general adoption and get their first vaccines and deworming.  Although we do have 2 floors, and they enjoy this room, I don't want to have more animals that I have to keep separated from each other.  It's been hard enough with the dog and cat having to be on different floors! 

Now just waiting for the vet appointment to be confirmed.  I'm hoping Fluffy and Yang don't freak out to much without her there for a few hours:(

I will be sure to keep you all updated on Yin's progress!  Also, my next art venture will be a fundraiser for another animal rescue organization, so stay tuned for details as I plan and organize:)

Ohh, and I almost forgot...kittens are 5 weeks old today!