Fred’s new book, The Convert, is now available for purchase! I personally think it’s the best thing he’s written, but of course I might be the tiniest bit prejudiced (but seriously, it’s reaaaaally good). Any questions or comments about the book can be directed at Fred over at his blog.
Buy it at Amazon, here. (It’s only available at Amazon for now; you know you don’t actually have to have a Kindle to download and read Kindle books, right? There are Kindle apps for just about every electronic device in existence. Just thought I’d mention that.)
Connie is having a commentathon – for every comment she gets for the first 400 comments, she’ll donate 25 cents to the shelter she fosters for, and for every comment after that, she’ll donate 10 cents. Go comment!
Myrtle Beach was fabulous, and I really enjoyed the break from scooping. I might have missed the kitty love, but the kittens (and Miz Poo) more than made up for it when I got back.
Seriously, those Pickles are the HAPPIEST kittens ever. They purr from the moment they get up, to the moment I shut the guest bedroom door at night. They probably purr all night long, too, but I can’t swear to it.
I took this picture when Dandelion was still on medication for her ears, thus the reason the fur around her ears is yellowish. She finished her medication the day I left for Myrtle Beach, and so far her ears look great. (I love this picture so much that it’s currently my computer wallpaper.)
Annoyed by me and my stupid camera.
Miz Poo was sound asleep when Percy climbed in with her.
Snoozin’ Joe.
“How did THIS happen?!”
Magoo, recycling inspector.
“Yer doin’ it wrong!”
Miz Poo moved on, Joe took her place, and Percy decided Joe needed some cleaning.
Thistle, skeptical.
He looks SO much like Loony Jake.
“This is not comfortable.”
“If I slip over the side, I hope I land on that box…”
What better thing to do on a rainy day than pile up and sleep?
Petey and his belly spots (and Polly next to him).
Joe Pickle and his girls.
Back at the beginning of the month, when I took Dandelion to the vet to have her ears checked out, I had them Combo test her so I could see if she was still testing positive. I also took Purslane along with us as a travel buddy for Dandelion, and I had them test her as well.
Dandelion is still positive, but Purslane is now negative. When I got back from Myrtle Beach, the first thing I did was take Thistle off to be tested.
Thistle is now negative for FIV.
(As a reminder, when I first got the Weeds, all three tested positive for FIV. Their mother is positive for FIV, but it’s unusual – though not unheard-of – for a mother to pass FIV to her kittens.)
On Thursday, all three Weeds girls will be going to be spayed at the spay/neuter clinic. At that point, when there’s room for Thistle and Purslane at Petsmart, they can go. Dandelion will stay here and be tested again in a few months. As I understand it, if a cat tests positive at 6 months, chances are good that they won’t convert to negative. The Weeds just turned three months old last week.
If Dandelion turns out to be truly FIV positive, she’ll stay here with us until someone adopts her.
If anyone out there is truly interested in adopting Dandelion (or really, any of the Weeds or Pickles), let me know and I’ll send you an application and the shelter manager’s contact information. I have hope that Dandelion will still turn out to be negative, but even if she isn’t, FIV isn’t the death sentence that it used to be. Cats can live good long lives with it, and I know that white cats with blue eyes tend to be adopted quickly, so I’m not too worried about her.
Spanky was taking a bath, and then forgot to put his tongue back in his mouth. I was laughing at him, and he was all “What? What’s so funny?” I love it when they do that.
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Previously
2011: No entry.
2010: “They was skeery.”
2009: “HEY! There are BOTTLES in that mug!”
2008: We now have 10 cats.
2007: Litter Enforcers! Coming soon, to KittenTV.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry
SPANKYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!! (regains composure) Where was I? Oh yeah…
The OCD side of me wants to reach into the computer screen and “straighten out” Joe Pickle and his girls in the two beds photo. The bed on the left is full of neatly stacked and lined up kittens while the bed on the right is not.
Does it help to realize that the appropriate state for kittens is one of chaos so that it’s the group which is neatly lined up which is ‘wrong’?
🙂
Ha – so true, Doodle Bean! 🙂
Not to my OCD mind… nope. 😉
Welcome home! All fingers and toes crossed for negatives in a couple months
I know with some tests, false positives are common. The ELISA test for ADV on ferrets is famous for it. It is a snap test. Have you thought about running a different test if needed later?
Yeah, if she keeps testing positive with the SNAP test, we’ll have a Western Blot test done to confirm it, since the SNAP has (from what I’ve read) a high rate of false positives.
Great to have you back, Robyn, and I agree with Gail. My younger cat failed, then passed, then failed the simpler FIV test before being given — and passing — the more complex one. The one test he’s always passed? The most spoiled, sweetest, handsomest pussycat in Christendom. Dandelion will have a huge crew pulling for her, but meanwhile, I’m so pleased for her sisters. Thanks for today’s wonderful Pickles and Weeds and the ever-young Spanky.
Many apologies for failing to congratulate the amazing Fred on the latest of his many accomplishments — wow!
Welcome home. I am sending up prayers for Dandi. I am happy the rest were negative (PTL).
Percy’s belly…gah….
Love the pic with all the kittens in the two beds!!!
Yeah, you just think Spanky forgot about his tongue. He’s acutally thinking, “Thhhhhhpppppttttpppp” at you!
😉
P.S. Welcome back! Also, best wishes to Dandelion fluff on her FIV status next time she gets tested.
yeah for new test results!!!
we love all those kittens piled up, but you may have to consider slight bigger beds. 🙂 welcome back!!
Why do I suspect that even if they did have bigger beds, they’d still all pile up together at one end of them? 🙂
because you understand the nature of the kitten pile
Glad you’ve had vacation time AND left us posts so no withdrawal, congrats to Fred, and here’s hoping Dandelion passes the 6-month test and finds a good home as well (well, that’s foregone, if nobody steps up she’s a perm resident, right?)
I’d just thought to myself after the first pic of Magoo–wow, there’s Jake’s looniness in his face plain as day…then you mentioned it shortly after–too cute, they all are!
Of course, if no one adopts her she’s welcome to stay here with us – but I’m really hoping someone adopts her. 🙂
Congratulations to Fred on the new book!
Yay! for negative FIV tests for two of the Weeds, but aww, Dandelion. Fingers crossed for a negative test in a few months. I’d like to think there’d be a crowd of people wanting to keep her even if the next test comes up positive, but then again I’m speaking as someone whose household will be a FIV+ one when she can adopt kitties.
OMC, the kitty piles in front of the windows! How do you stand that? I’d never get anything done.
We currently have a half-grown kitten in our FIV building at the no kill shelter. She’s a sweetheart–so important for them to get a good home while young. It makes a world of difference in their life expectancy. We’ll be purring for Dandelion.
Great news that Fred’s book is out!
Glad you enjoyed your vacation Robyn. Congrats to Fred! and congrats to the negative tests. I LOVE the piles of kitties you have. Thistle is just gorgeous.
what is it about knowing you aren’t where you are ‘supposed’ to be made me miss you??? Just call me silly 🙂
thanks for the shout out about my blogoversary.
Congrats to Fred, I hope it sells like gangbusters and they make a movie out of it. 🙂
that last photo of the kittens in the bed made me sing “ring around the rosie” 🙂
I know what you mean, it’s like “Get back where you belong!” 🙂
I just downloaded Fred’s new book at Amazon. Can’t wait to start it, maybe tonight. I’ve read, and enjoyed everyone of them. I’ll be sure to add my review, too.
Thanks, Catsy – I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Now we have Inspector Magoo?
He’s very nosy, so occasionally he feels the need to step in and judge various things that he feels I’m doing wrong. 🙂
Do you give him wet food and pack him off for a nap?
I’m confused. Aren’t the Pickles older than the Weeds? If they are, then why are the Weeds going to Petsmart before the Pickles? So confused.
The Pickles are actually ready to go to Petsmart now, we’re just waiting for a big cage to open up for them. The Weeds aren’t necessarily going before the Pickles, but if they do it’ll be because the two girls don’t need as big a cage as the 5 Pickles. With the way adoptions are going – very slowly – there’s no danger of anyone going anytime soon. 🙂
It’s sad that placing these wonderful souls comes down to availability of space.
I really wish society would step up and take responsibility for the creatures we chose to domesticate.
Welcome back!! Glad you had a relaxing break!
All the best to Fred and the kitties! Take care
x
Welcome home! Congratulations to Fred! Thpppppppp back atcha Spanky! Lovin’ those kitten pictures! Add our purrs for Dandelion testing negative next time! She’s too pretty to be held back from adoption!
Welcome back! I was so glad for the auto-uploads of kitten goodness. I lost my job on Tuesday, and to have no kittens on top of that would have been devastating.
Oh noooooo, Noelegy, I’m sorry to hear that! Please accept ALL the Pickles as consolation? 🙂
LOL! I don’t think my five permanent residents would agree with that. Well, the younger two might, but the senior citizens definitely wouldn’t.
Although I have been looking at things to do with my time until I get working again. I’m sure my hubby wouldn’t put up with me fostering kittens, but I’ll bet I could find a shelter to volunteer at.
What a good idea! I know our local cat rescue group is always looking for people to socialize and care for the residents. I’m sure that is true of ALL cat rescue groups!
Best wishes to you in your job hunt!
I am so sorry to hear about the job loss. Volunteering is a very good idea. It is always easier to find a job when you have a job because employers think that it shows you are more responsible.. by having a ‘job’ at a shelter it gives you another reference that is going to be glowing, it gives you a + on the karma points to employers (unless they hate pets, in which case you don’t want to work there) and it gives you something to do.
Oh no! Augh, that’s awful. I’m sorry to hear that.
Dandelion is really adorable. I think she is my favorite!
Purrs
Oh, man, I would so love to adopt Dandelion – I just love her to pieces. We had a FeLV+ kitty so are not daunted by the medical status – it’s just that I live five states away from you. And we have 2 cats and can’t get another until our 20-yr-old decides to leave us. And the other kitty is blind, so I’m not sure how he’d do with a totally rambunctious kitten type (although he LOVES other cats so might dig her? And he’s mostly white, so we’d actually have only monochromatic cat hair to deal with for a change! for a while we had a gray, black, and orange cat, so really, we were doomed whatever color we decided to wear/use to decorate our home). Alas, we are not in a position to get a new kitty – but Dandelion is so lovely!