It was supposed to be a rather quiet day.
Hah!
It began with the usual round of kitchen cleaning -- the elves are always busy and re-dirty it at night -- laundry sorting and kitten feeding, with me figuring out a moment in between to read email and brush my teeth.
Then it was time to take Bigger Girl to meet up with a friend and go to the nature center for a few hours.
There were errands on the way, and first was to swing past the vet's office to see if i could bring everyone in for a weigh in and get more lactated ringers solution. Tiff was there and said she was babysitting the office alone for a couple of hours, and it would be a great time to stop and weigh kittens, so i told her i would be back soon.
Then we stopped at the bank on the way so she would have money for the entry fee, and while there i asked what paperwork was involved in getting her account into her name now that she is 18.
All i did was ask about how long it would take, and the next thing i know we are sitting at a desk with a nice lady spending more time than we really had getting it sorted. At least it is done, except for the paper Sweetie has to sign and take back over there.
On to the friend's house, and Bigger Girl, by the way, is doing well with her driving lessons. She drove the whole way this morning. Back to the house after that so i could get the kittens.
The three new ones had a rough night, and i wasn't too hopeful for one of the females. As i scooped them into boxes and carriers, Cinderheart put on her cloak of invisibility and wouldn't take it off. So after a few minutes of fruitless searching, i loaded in 11 kittens and my kitten notebook, and headed out.
Tiff was answering a client's questions about flea meds and fielding phone calls when i went in, and just as that gentleman left another walked in. He wanted to visit Lucky, the cat he had left for surgery.
It was like looking at what my Sweetie will be like in about 30 years. The man sweet baby talked to his Lucky and apologized for having to leave him. He petted the cat, and promised to come back soon. It had me grinning, the guy just loves his cat.
While we were there weighing everyone, the very sickly female kitten died. Dr. P came in and looked at the male and just immediately offered to put him to sleep. When i told her the people who gave him to me want to keep him if he survives, she gave him fluids, antibiotics, prednisone, and some B12, and didn't charge me. She is so glad i took Maximus and Cinderheart and got them in the rescue program that she also gave me three recently expired but still perfectly good lactated ringers bags, so we are set for quite a while there.
We joked, the whole time, that as soon as i got home Cinderheart would take her cloak off, and it was true. She was coming out from behind the fridge the moment i walked in, and she had a "Where has everyone been?" look on her face. She was very surprised when i scooped her up, popped her in a box, let everyone else out, and raced back to the office for a weight with her. She protested loud and vigorously the whole time, but she's the one who missed the group trip, so it's her own fault she didn't have company.
Barely back in, and Bigger Girl calls for me to come get them. Home again, and as we are caring for babies and i'm fixing dinner, another kitten call.
Very nice young mother, trying to raise two that are about two weeks old. She intends on keeping them, and had them at the vet the day before. She was not happy with that visit, the vet seemed not very concerned about helping her with them.
They were not having BMs, and she was having trouble getting them to eat. So she brought them to the house and i broke out one of those new bags of fluids. They both got some, and ate for me, and i got the boy to poop. We talked at length about how much to feed them -- as much as they want -- and what to do for constipation, diarrhea, etc.
She had her two children, a babe in arms and a two year old with her, and they did well while i cared for the kittens and we talked. Apparently the boy had a good reason to behave. He dove right in to the car when i helped her carry the kittens and the stroller out, as he had been promised an Icee if he was good. He had earned it.
She has promised to call if she has any more trouble, or questions.
So back to my own babies and dinner and everything else going on around here. Teens tramping in and out, Bigger Girl still entertaining her friend, and this place hums like a hive of bees. That's okay, it keeps life interesting.
The remaining female kitten from the new litter, Emma, is doing well, as is little Tara. In fact, they are about the same age and weight, though Emma looks a bit bigger.
The boy won't eat. Absolutely refuses. He's living on fluids, and that's all i can get in him besides force feeding him sugar water. Whether he will recover or not i'm not sure yet. He is on that edge, but wants attention. Bigger Girl held him for a good while, and he just purred the whole time. We will continue with fluids and sugar water and hope.
Really, this is one of those time where, if it doesn't have a happy ending, i don't wanna know what's next.
In honor of National Humor Month:
A good pun is its own re-word.
I would gladly trade in my "Caller I.D." for a "Caller I.Q."
Louisiana State Police received reports of illegal cockfights being held in the area around Crowley, and duly dispatched the infamous detective Boudreaux to investigate. He reported to his sergeant the next morning.
"Dey is tree main groups in dis cock fightin'" he began.
"Good work. Who are they?" the sergeant asked.
Boudreaux replied confidently, "De Aggies, de Cajuns, and de Mafia."
Puzzled, the sergeant asked, "How did you find that out in one night?"
"Well," he replied, "I went down and done seen dat cock fight. I knowed the Aggies was involved when a duck was entered in the fight."
The sergeant nodded, "I'll buy that. But what about the others?"
Boudreaux intoned knowingly, "Well, I knowed de Cajuns was involved when summbody bet on de duck."
"Ah," sighed the sergeant, "And how did you deduce the Mafia was involved?"
"De duck won."
Today is
Buccaneer Days Celebration -- Corpus Christi, Texas; through May 8
Chicken-Tickling Day -- Fairy Calendar (Leprechauns)
Feast of Jamal(Beauty) -- Baha'i
Festival of Floralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (through the 28th)
Full Pink Moon/Sprouting Grass Moon/Egg Moon/Fish Moon
Great Poetry Reading Day
Hidaka Hibuse Matsuri -- Mizusawa, Iwate Prefecture, Japan (through the 29th)
Kiss Your Mate Day -- guys, do not forget this one. Kiss her, then read her some poetry.
National Blueberry Pie Day
National Day of Mourning -- Canada
National Heroes Day -- Barbados
St. Peter Chanel's Day
St. Vitalis and Valeria's Day
Take Our Daughters & Sons To Work Day
Texas Wildflower Day
Workers Memorial Day -- International
World Day for Safety and Health at Work
Anniversaries Today:
Maryland becomes the 7th US State, 1788
Birthdays Today:
Jessica Alba, 1981
Penelope Cruz, 1974
Nancy Lee Grahn, 1958
Jay Leno, 1950
Ann-Margaret, 1941
Harper Lee, 1926
Oscar Schindler, 1908
Lionel Barrymore, 1878
James Monroe, 1758
Today in History:
Nichiren Buddhism is founded, 1253
Captain William Bligh and 18 crewmen from the HMS Bounty are set adrift, 1789
Chinese and Irish laborers for the Central Pacific Railroad working on the First Transcontinental Railroad lay 10 miles of track in one day, a feat which has never been matched, 1869
Azerbaijan is added to the Soviet Union., 1920
The first night game in organized baseball history takes place in Independence, Kansas, 1930
A vaccine for yellow fever is announced for use on humans, 1932
Thor Heyerdahl and five crew mates set out from Peru on the Kon-Tiki, 1947
The Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty (Treaty of Taipei) is signed in Taipei, Taiwan between Japan and the Republic of China to officially end the Second Sino-Japanese War, 1952
Charles de Gaulle resigns as President of France, 1969
The Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure is signed, 1977
Millionaire Dennis Tito becomes the world's first space tourist, 2001
Stung on Saturday
5 hours ago
Prayers for the kittens -- the babies gone, the boy hanging on, and all that are thriving.
ReplyDeleteThanks, PonyGirl. We can stand all the good thoughts and prayers we can get.
ReplyDeleteNot a dull moment, yes? I must say, you have more intestinal fortitude than I do about that, I would... Well, Husband doesn't want me to foster animals, as he's afraid of what would happen if I kept them going, and more afraid of what would happen if I didn't keep them going. It's hard enough with the crew I claim as my own! I give you several stars in your crown! Will be thinking good thoughts and prayers that all will go well. (And no tornados your way, either!)
ReplyDeleteI loved that joke, hadn't heard that one before! ;D
Cat
I always get my money's worth coming here! A good read, trivia tidbits...
ReplyDeleteCat, thanks for the prayers and good wishes. It's hard to raise them and let them go, but it beats being overrun, or seeing them put down.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Suldog.