Foster Kittens

[nancyjac]

Maggie Moo and Baskin Robbins were adopted yesterday!  Yeah!.  All of my fosters were bumped from the surgery schedule on Monday because there were just too many others to do, but hopefully, all but Good Humor Man and Blue bunny, who are still too little, will be spayed or neutered tomorrow.  Blue Bunny will probably be ready for adoption in about another week and Good Humor Man will still be with me for a while.  Once Blue Bunny is at the shelter, I'll probably bring 3-4 others home for fostering.  I need to keep the numbers at 5 or 6 max I think.  10 is just a bit too much while I am spending so much time at the shelter with kitten day care and other things.

[Sarajmt]

GHM has gotten so big!  He has that mischievous look!

My Smutttly has started the under the bed feet attack.  We have to be careful when walking by the bed!  I don't want to squish him.

[Jade59]

I'm envisioning the cute scene :)

This is happening - I can feel it- GHM has found his forever home :)

Nancy...once everyone has responded today, please start a new thread.  This ones getting difficult to get to the bottom.  For me anyway.  All about me, you know, hahaha  

[nancyjac]

LOL...GHM doesn't need me to put him in hubby's lap.....he goes on his own.  Zylo sits in hubby's lap whenever hubby sits in his recliner and GHM usually jumps up two and snuggles with both of them.

[Jade59]

AAAAAH....I KNEW it!  OMG...wish you could see my eyes light up and huge smile come to my face.  I knew it!!!!  Not only do you love GHM, but you are his mommy now after all these months.  Oh, Nancy, fingers crossed husband relents completely.  Quick, go put GHM in husbands lap, lol...

Going to go look at your new pics!   So Happy! :)

[nancyjac]

I've added some new photos of GHM and Tucker.

[Sarajmt]

Sounds like GHM has found a great home.  Boy, do I understand having to slip it by DH!!  I'm sure he'll give in.  Who could resist that cute little guy???

[nancyjac]

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh....(looking both directions to see if anybody can overhear me).....I'm not.  I've been gradually working on hubby.  I have him to the point of "3 cats are enough....but if we were to have a 4th one it would be GHM."  I've had him for almost 3 months now and I figure I should keep him for at least another month or two as a foster just to make sure he is really strong and stays well.  Hoping by then he will agree that he has become a permanent member of the family and we will adopt him.  If that doesn't work, I'll turn on the tears and promise to never ask him for anything else ever again....LOL.  Hate to resort to that though because I would hear about it for years....LOL.

[Jade59]

Great to read such positive reviews on these two little ones for a change.  Not surprised to see them excelling under your loving watch, Nancy.  Can't wait to see some new pics.  How are you EVER going to give up little GHM????  Know that's the name of the game, but this one's gonna be hard (nothing against sweet Tucker : )

[nancyjac]

My babies are becoming monsters too Apple...LOL.  GHM is looking so handsome now that he is almost well and he has grown so much and Tucker is almost as big as my small adult female, Zena.  I need to take some new pictures of both of them.

[AppleBr]

Sooo cute... Happy for babies and for you.Great news, hon.
My "monsters" are about 9mo - I could barely remember they at yours age ...
It was when the started being really BIG, I remember this :-)

[nancyjac]

My two foster babies are doing quite well.  Tucker is about 3 months now and will be getting neutered next week in preparation for adoption,  GHM is pretty much back to his old self.   He is 4 months old now and almost up to 3 pounds.  He still has one eye that is a bit cloudy but seems to be improving.  If he suffered any vision loss in that eye, I can't tell.  His behavior indicates that he is seeing just fine.  He discovered mirrors the other day.  Was so cute to watch him play with his own reflection.  He couldn't quite figure out why he couldn't smell this cat he was seeing in the mirror....LOL.

[nancyjac]

If you click on my name, that link will take you to the page where my photo albums are.

[April2]

nancyjac, I just looked at your pictures and they all are so adorable! I wish I could take them all! I think what you are doing is wonderful. I pray they each find a loving home and remain strong and healthy. :)
And I love all those ice cream names! Maybe some day you'll have a Rocky Road or Neapolitan or fudge ripple, lol! Oh the possibilities! :D
God bless you for what you are doing!

[Jade59]

Thanks a lot for the additional info on L-Lysine.  I see it's good to give just in general and not necessarily to ward off herpes.  I've not done any research on it, so thank you!

We totally lucked out with Jade since she takes meds fairly easily and has a very easy going nature.  Even the vet loves dealing with her 'cause she's so easy.  Our first cat, Abby, was an entirely different story!  

[nancyjac]

Opus,
Yes, I have been using Tinactin which is an OTC athlete's foot cream, but I'm still not sure that what he has is ring worm, but as you said it can't hurt.  I rub it in pretty well and he has been really good about not licking it off so haven't used a cone collar. At first it looked just like ring worm with the little spores but their was no hair loss,.  The small spot on his back is just about clear (not scaly anymore) and the place on his back leg is a bit red but not scaly either.  Whatever it is/was doesn't seem to bother him in the least.  He isn't licking or biting at it like it itches or bothers him in any way.  

Jade,
Like just about everything else, the shelter uses L-lysine on kittens with URI when it has it and the budget permits getting it.  Right now they are out and don't have the budget to get more.  The vet I took GHM and Tucker to also recommended it.  It provides general immune system support that helps them to fight off URI as well as other viral eye infections.

Cats can be so different when it comes to getting meds and supplements.  I know when I do meds at the shelter, some will happily swallow anything and others fight me tooth and nail (literally...LOL). GHM fights me when I give him anything in a syringe but Tucker is fine with that.  They are just the opposite with eye drops.  GHM doesn't mind them but Tucker will squirm like crazy.

[Jade59]

Okay, this is so funny since I was thinking how Lucky you were that Nemo would still eat his food with all you add to it since Jade is the same with the 'pindrop' of Lysine or Glu/Chon and I mean if there is even a SPECK of something that's she's on to, she won't eat it.  Guess we'll start syringing.  Thank God Jade is a good patient.  She gets used to that sort of thing if done on a daily basis.  

Thanks, Opus! :)

[opus88]

you are so right about hte simple thing escaping us at times...you have no idea how many little things I need to keep a note for!!!
When I use Glu/Chon on Nemo I mix a dab of water with the powder than give that by syringe also...he's such a stinker about eating anything mixed in his food, I swear I put a pin drop size of Vit E in his food and he'll refuse. Many use Krill Oil as a Omega 3 supplement and say their cats 'love' it.....NOT my Nemo, takes so many tricks to get him to even try normal foods that pretty well all cats love, such as fish...even tuna.
good luck

[Jade59]

Good news about Tucker.  Fingers crossed he stays well so he can get his surgery over and done with.

Nancy, I figured you were on top of the Lysine - it's just you've never mentioned it so I thought it couldn't hurt just in case.  It must be difficult to get a runt like little GHM healthy since his immune system is so compromised in the first place.  He just picks up one thing after another.  Is it standard practice to give all the little ones L-Lysine when they display the UTI symptoms?

Opus...filled up my little quarter tsp with the L-Lysine this morning (it's a gel) hoping Jade would lick it off, but nope.  Part of the problem may be she's not hungry a bit after having a large breakfast so I'll try again tonight.  If she refuses to take it herself, we have plenty of droppers and will start using them.  Thanks so much for that simple reminder!  I have no excuse, but you know how sometimes the simplest solution gets lost on you until someone else says it?  LOL!  

Got any ideas on how to make her accept the Glucosamine Chondritin?  It's tuna flavored in capsules you open and sprinkle on her food.  Worked for a few days, then she wouldn't eat that either even though I mixed that capsule up in an entire can of food!  

[opus88]

Nancy do you know you can use OTC antifungal cream such as athletes foot cream,here in Canada a brand name is Canesen. Its also for ppl ringworm but safe to use on animals...cheap too, just use a cone for a bit so GHM doesn't lick off.
This tip came from the ask a Vet forum.
good luck with my little man

[nancyjac]

LOL....you two crack me up.  

I've been using L-lysine in powdered form mixed with their food.  Started that when GHM was being tube fed and now I just mix it into their bowl of food. You don't need much, just about 1/4 teaspoon, and it is pretty much tasteless, so I mix it into (instead of just sprinkling it on top) of a spoonful of canned food.  Then once they have eaten all of that I give them the rest of the canned food.

Now on top of everything else he has been through, I think GHM has ringworm.  I say think because he doesn't have any hair loss, but otherwise it looks just like ringworm.  A small spot on his back and another area on the lower inside of one of his back legs.  Toby and Jo Jo had a minor case of ringworm they got during one their stints to get adopted at the shelter so I guess he picked it up from them.  

I took Tucker off of meds yesterday and if he stays healthy, I'll probably get him neutered in a week or so.  

[opus88]

lol....Jade you were asked because of your sweet nature and total sincerity for everyone you reply too....you always have just the right words of encouragement, gentleness and grace my dear, we are a pair...one picks up what the other lacks.
pawsitivily yours Opus.

[Jade59]

God Opus, I wish you could see the look on my face.  I never thought of the dropper or putting the dose on the roof of her mouth.  Duh!  

I can see why you were asked to be CL, but me, tell me why me again??? LOL!

[opus88]

yeah good news Nancy!!
Jade, give Jade the L-Lysine with a syringe or dropper or if its too thick just put some on your finger and put it on the roof of his mouth or on his paw and he'll lick off, since L-Lysine is so important for him....no need to waste the tube.

[Jade59]

I'm so relieved to hear GHM and Tucker are improving.  I'm wondering, Nancy, could these babies have herpes?  I'm sure you know it's very common.  Jade was actually diagnosed with this through a specific blood test and I have L-Lysine to put on her food.  It ended up being a waste of money though since after 3 days of it being mixed in her food she began to turn up her nose.  I have a whole unused expensive tube of the stuff that's going to expire...