On the Maddy front (yeah, I guess that’s going to be her name. I think it suits her.), things are going well. Yesterday evening I was worried enough to call the shelter and talk to the manager, because the first three feedings I gave Maddy, she ate about 2 tablespoons of kitten formula. The next two feedings, she ate about 1 tablespoon at each feeding, then just wouldn’t take the bottle, but she’d lay there and howl. I couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on, but was assured by the shelter manager that they’ll eat more sometimes than they do others. Since she was pretty active, pretty vocal, and was peeing well (and had a bowel movement! Yay!), then I should just keep an eye on her weight and make sure she wasn’t losing.
I had heard her sneeze several times, though, and the shelter manager – okay, it’s time to give the shelter manager a name since typing “shelter manager” is annoying me. Let’s call her Susan, shall we? – told me that if she kept sneezing to call back, and she’d have someone run some amoxicillin down to the pet store for me to pick up. When Maddy had a sneezing fit around 8, I called Susan back and told her I thought we’d need some amoxicillin.
At her 9:00 feeding, Maddy only ate a tablespoon of formula, but she was peeing well and she seemed interested in crawling around, so I made a little playpen of my legs and let her explore.
This morning when I opened the carrier to feed Maddy, she heard my voice and came out of the carrier directly to me, as fast as she could. I got her to eat one and a half tablespoons, then burped her and let her explore, and then went to get a washcloth to clean the formula off her face. She squawked while I did that, then started climbing on me, making sucking noises. I gave her the bottle, and she sucked down the other half a tablespoon of formula and seemed content.
So she’s had a bowel movement – that makes me feel SO much better, you have no idea. I bet it makes HER feel better, too. Ha! – and she’s also purred several times. I feel like I read somewhere that orphans start purring earlier than kittens who are kept with their mothers, but I also seem to recall that the first batch of fosters we had, the kittens were purring when we got them, and they weren’t much older than Maddy is.
Anyway. I know y’all just come here for the pictures, so let’s get to it!
Maddy sadly contemplates the vast expanse of my thigh. How will she ever cross it and reach freedom?!
She always looks amazed by just about everything.
Maddy frantically eats, while sinking her needle-sharp claws into my hand. Those things HURT.
Mister Boogers growls from the doorway. I can guarantee you that if Maddy took one step in his direction, he’d run away like the great big wimp he is.
I actually made a short movie of Mister Boogers making a jerk out of himself, growling at the tiny baby kitten. You’ll have to turn the sound up – you’ll hear Maddy meowing, and then the unearthly growl that is Mister Boogers.
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Previously
2005: I sure hope they get adopted together.