Kittens

Let me tell you. Kittens are a pain!

First up, the photo I promised you all.

This would be 2-3 hour old kittens. I Photoshoped the images so you could see the
kittens against the dirty red icky nasty towel. Funny, all the girls that saw the original had no problems with it but the guys…

It has been one fight after the other.

Brother had picked up fleas from one of his midnight visitors. Right through the screen. I had been trying some natural remidies – such as dusting the cats with garlic powder. Not sure that worked all that well, but…

Anyway. I got some flea spray over the weekend before Sister had her kittens. This seemed to work pretty well. Well, after wrestling with each of the cats, they quite itching for a few days. Kittens come along. I didn’t think anything of it – but come this weekend, the kittens were just crawling in fleas.

Now what.

Well the flea spray says not to use on kittens under 12 weeks of age. Doesn’t give a reason why – I imagine it’s to horrible to put on the bottles.

Turn to the internet.
Bath in dawn. Ok, I can try that. Friday night. Bath in Dawn. Dry kittens off. Man where they pissed. Friday morning. Still fleas. Not so many this time. Another bath in Dawn. Bath water comes out red – so many flea bites that the kittens are bleeding pretty bad.

Went out Friday with a friend from college for the 4th. Come home. Kittens are missing. Search house. Find kittens – on the floor in the kitchen. Ok, Sister, used up all the good hidey-holes?

Friday night. Sister wakes me up several times with a kitten in my bed. I check the kitten. No fleas, to speak of, one or two. The dark orange kitten is really not doing very well at all.

Saturday. Go to walmart to look to see what I can find for kittens, and to do weekly grocery shopping. Find skip-flea shampoo. Not for use in kittens under 12 weeks of age. By this time, desperation is setting in. Notice kitten formula and bottles. So distracted by kitten plight, I leave without getting groceries. Give kittens bath in flea shampoo. Stuff seams to really work. Kittens seam really pissed now. Sister moves kittens again.

Saturday night. Sister brings kitten a couple of times in the middle of the night again. Tough to get sleep with Sister waking me up to tend to baby. Feel helpless – nothing else I can do for it that I know of.

Sunday. Sickly kitten looking really weak. Afraid for it’s life. Walk to walmart to get kitten formula. I raise a blister on my right foot from all the walking I have been doing lately. No bottle. Darn. Limp home. Get in truck. Drive to walmart to get baby bottle. Spend more in gas then in bottle. Get bottle, formula, and new digital camera, as all I can find is my cell phone, and as already discussed, it takes lousy kitten photos.

New camera is a movie camera.

It can take a movie in the dark. Here is Sister and her three kittens. The light orange fluff ball is doing well. The dark kitty is so-so. The dark orange kitten in the way very back is the one that is very sickly.

So. I try to feed kittens. HA! Kittens will have nothing to do with the formula or bottle. Minor flea issue. Another flea bath. Internet says sometimes it take a few tries to get all the fleas. Try bottle agian. Nope. Sister gives bottle a try. She likes it out of the bottle. Leave excess in bowl for her. Won’t touch it out of a bowl.

Bed time. 1 am. Work night. I am tired, my foot hurts because I wore a hole right through the padding in my shoe at the heal. Off to sleep I go.

2:30 am. You ever get woken up by having a cold, wet kitten dropped into the small of your neck? Sick kitty VERY weak. Try to fead it milk. Nothing. Try to feed it water. Nothing. Put it back to bed with the others.

4:30 Kitten is beside me in bed. Try to feed it. Nope – won’t have it.

5:30 Kitten is now in bed with me again. Try to feed it. Can’t even force feed it. Tries to drown itself first. Put kitten back.

5:45 Get kitten again. Ok. New tactic. Kitten is gonna die anyway. BOMB the kitten with flea spray. Spray on TP to wipe it’s face. Found all the fleas. No wonder it doesn’t want anything put it it’s face. It’s all fleas! Work kitten over good with flea spray. Fleas fleaing everywhere. Brother is sleeping it tub. No fleas there.

6:00 Get dark kitty. Hrmm, musta finally did the right thing on real sick kitty, Sister wants me to treat the not-so-sick kitten. Get paper towel, wipe down face with flea spray. Fleas running everywhere. Vengeance is mine fleas! Kittens liable to get cancer or something like that, but you fleas wont get them.

7:30, alarm clock goes off. Sister let me sleep an hour and a half. Tend to shower. Tend to kittens. Still won’t eat. Stubbern things. Sister looks to find new location for kittens. I open pantry closet door, put down towel under folding chairs, and leave for work.

Noon. Come home. Look for kittens. Only one. Huh? Search house. Find sick one in old spot. Looks dead – I guess sister moved kittens away from dead kitten. Pick it up to dispose of it. It moves and fusses. Not dead yet. Try to feed it. Nothing. Look for other kitten. In my closet, between some tubs, under some clothes. Sister couldn’t have gotten in that nook to get it out. I try to feed it. Nope. Put all kittens in current hidey-hole.

6:30 pm. Get home from work. Dead kitten at front door. Scoop down to pick it up. Ice cold. About drop it as it lets out a bellar!

OK, tough little kitten. Give it my best shot at all it’s nine lives. Run tap, get hot water. Fill plastic bag. Towel. Bottle. 1 hour of feeding, 5cc. Probably most of it is in the towel. Kitten finally settle down to comfortable sleep.

Check on health of other kittens. Try to feed the fat one. Nothing. Check for fleas. yep. Do the face trick, rest of body. DIE FLEA SCUM!
Check on dark one. Try to feed. It INHALES the half an ounce of watered down formula that’s left in about 10 seconds flat. Hrmm. Hungry kitten. Give flea facial, and flea bath.

Observations. Fleas suck!

I have yet to see sister with her kittens tonight. I am wondering if she has quite nursing? The healthy one is growing, so I don’t think that’s the case. Gonna feed kittens formula anyway.

Did I mention that fleas suck?

Sick kitten sleeping comfortably on hot water baggie. Time to feed myself.