Bath Time for Kittens

Here's some of the pictures Dino took of the kitties the other day. We measured the water level at 8-1/2" before Eris got out.

Eris, Hermes and the Little Birdie Who Couldn't

So I was sitting at the computer this morning and Dino yells out something incomprehensible. I run to the kitchen door asking what is wrong.

As she starts to tell me that there was a bird in the house, it does a u-turn directly in front of my face, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision.

Before I can finish the sentence "how did a bird get in the house", Eris had already caught it.

It was bound to happen ;)

The children are home

Well, as most of you have heard us obsess over, we went to pick up our kitties yesterday. They are doing really well. They don't seem to be freaking out or sad or anything, and have been playing with us and each other. Currently, they are asleep on the bed with Dino.

I had planned on getting some really good pics of them, but last night they were more interested in exploring than sitting still for a picture ;) so we had to cheat to get a picture of them sitting still together. We'll get some better pics up soon.



This one is really out of focus but I think it shows their facial structure real well. I snuck a picture of them this morning (in the dark) but the camera focused on something else closer in the frame when the flash went off...

Bengals

Yes they have arrived.

I am planning for you a brown spotted male and a silver spotted female. There is only one silver female in the older litter. If I do not keep her for a breeder she will be yours. Otherwise there is another litter that had 3 girls in it from my silver girl. I will hope one of the girls will be a silver.

So it won't be that much longer until you will have your new additions.

Shady

As some of you may know, it has been a year today since Shady passed away.

Please send some kind thoughts Dinos' way today.

Female Silver Spotted Bengal

Well, I have put a deposit down on a kitty... Now we just need to wait for a new litter.

Kitten Selection cont...

So I found this site which lists various breeders in Oregon. They have links for breeders that specialize in 6-toe kittens to ones that raise munchkins to recommendations for kitty food for the bengals to ones with available 2nd generation females.

Kitten Selection

Dino and I have been discussing what type of kitten we would like to get... I thought I would go ahead and start posting notes and research to help us decide....

First of all, I am not usually into splotches, etc... But I think the Bengal spots (shown here) are kinda kewl.

One other thing we haven't really decided yet... On one hand, we would like our kitty to be an indoor/outdoor cat.. but do to Punky having Feline Leukemia, and that it can be transmitted cat-2-cat... We think that the neighborhood cats (you remember those scroungy ones that always got into fights with him?) probably have it. If so, letting our kitties outside would make them at high risk for leukemia.... The other option is indoor only. If they are going to be indoor only, we are debating getting two from different litters and not having them fixed. Partially because Dino felt bad that Shady seemed to want kitties and couldn't have them. But, realistically, if we are going to purchase Exotic cats, we might as well let them breed and get ourselves a litter down the road :)

Wikipedia has an article about List of Cat Breeds.

Starting with the Bengal above, they are bred to be friendly yet look wild (specifically like an Asian Leopard). The Savannah cat is characterized as a dog in a cat's body. The Serengeti is an attempt to make a cat that looks like the Savannah without using recently wild cat breeds. The Toyger is meant to look like a Tiger. The Cheetoh (to the right) is to look like a Cheetah and is known to be "extremely large size".



Chausie are combinations of domestic cat (usually Abyssinian) with Jungle Cat (or Swamp Lynx).

Surprisingly, with almost no fur and no whiskers, the Sphynx cat is worse for allergy sufferers than normal longer-haired cats, because it does not deposit its fur onto furniture and clothing.

Munchkin Cats are short-legged... Looking around, it appears to be a spontaneous mutation, but there also seems to be a breed based on it.

The Habari cats also look like leopards...


If I had more land, I would prefer something like the one to the left here... but I don't think that is going to happen for awhile.






Here's a snippet from the Austin Zoo:

Wild Cats -- A variety of wild cats have been turned over to the zoo for a number of Tigers are the most purchased cat followed by Cougars, Bobcats and Lions. The Austin zoo is contacted 6 to 10 times each year by an unhappy wild cat keeper.

Many varieties of house cats are large and beautiful. A Maine Coon cat is a very large, durable house cat. This breed of cat has a reputation of being good with children.

Although some breeds of cats have distinguishing colors, many different kinds of cats can have a tabby coloring. In fact, different tabbies are actually similar to the wild cats in their coloring. The classic tabby has dark markings in the form of swirls, sometimes making a bulls eye on the cat's sides. Mackerel tabbies resemble little tigers. There is also a spotted tabby, which resemble a tiny Ocelot. A Lynx Point cat will
have tabby markings on the face, ears, legs and tail. If your favorite is the black panther, there are a large variety of black cats from which to choose.

Many of these cats are homeless and truly need the care and love of a guardian. An adopted cat quickly becomes attached to its new owner. House cats are much easier to care for and much less expensive. Best of all, a grown domestic cat will never look at your friends as a potential meal.

To be continued....

Punky

I'm not going to go into too much detail right now... but Punky passed away at about 2:20pm today.

WILL POWER!	That is uber suxor.  Punkers was totally my buddy.  Good on you guys for giving him a good life.  My thoughts are with you tonight. Posted by WILL POWER! on Wed Nov 29 12:56:00 PST 2006
Merciful Release	I am so sorry, Mal! My thoughts are with you and Dino.  Posted by Merciful Release on Wed Nov 29 23:15:00 PST 2006
Layne	I am so very sorry.  I am sending both you and Dino big hugs and kisses Posted by Layne on Thu Nov 30 01:04:00 PST 2006
Sarah	Punky was very lucky because he was so loved by his family.  You guys were great kitty parents.  He couldn't have asked for more.  If you need to vent, give me a call.   Posted by Sarah on Thu Nov 30 06:30:00 PST 2006
Jason	Sorry to here about the punkster. Take care. Posted by Jason on Thu Nov 30 23:48:00 PST 2006
SparrowHawk	I'm sorry to hear about Punky. Lots of love and hugs ~L Posted by SparrowHawk on Fri Dec 01 02:13:00 PST 2006
KerryRose a.k.a. "Santa's Mistress"	I'm so sorry, Mal.  He had a very good life though, and was lucky to have such a good adopted family in you and Dino. Posted by KerryRose a.k.a. "Santa's Mistress" on Tue Dec 05 06:44:00 PST 2006
Jamie	Omagosh, I am so sorry. I don't know what to say.   Well I will be there soon. Love you guys. Jamie Posted by Jamie on Wed Dec 13 13:47:00 PST 2006

Punky

Well, good news and bad news...

We had taken Punky into the vet originally because he got his eye hurt in a cat fight and we got some antibiotics for it...  While giving said prescribed meds to him, he started becoming antisocial and not eating/drinking.  The vet ran some tests on him, and said that all the tests looked fine (other than he was a little underweight).  He had given us something to help with his appetite, and he is eating some.

However, the vet said that Punky's white blood cell count was elevated, and that signified cancer.  I'm not quite sure how he made that leap, since I thought the body produces extra white blood cells whenever it fights off ANY infection -- but... he said that he thinks Punky only has a couple weeks to live.  The REALLY bad part about that comment is that is what he told us the day before Shady died.

So, try to bear with us if we are a bit antisocial for the next few weeks. Probably going to be trying to spend what time we can with him.

Sarah	I am so sorry.  Unfortunately, he's correct. An elevated white blood cell count is the sign of Leukemia.  Totally understandable if you guys are antisocial, because I'm sure you'll want to be with him.  Posted by Sarah on Fri Jul 21 05:14:00 PDT 2006
Malachi	See that's weird too.. for Leukemia, they suggest increasing the cat's immune system... but our vet is suggesting that we give him steroids, thus lowering his immune system. Posted by Malachi on Fri Jul 21 05:18:00 PDT 2006
WILL POWER!	Sorry to hear it. On a selfish note, hope it doesn't keep you from the wedding. Posted by WILL POWER! on Fri Jul 21 11:44:00 PDT 2006

Shady pt 2

We have always known the cats were getting old.  According to the vet's chart, the cats are in their 80s in cat years.  In fact, they were no longer considered Senior, but Geriatric...

But, even knowing that - this change in Shady seems pretty rapid.  A while ago, she got fleas again (she is indoor/outdoor cat and there are a lot of neighborhood cats).  Being alergic to them, she got really skinny again.  We didn't think much of it because it has happened to her before and after we got rid of the fleas, she had gained some weight back.

A couple weeks ago she started acting very odd around the car.  At first, we thought she wanted to go with us because she kept climbing in the car -- even on the dash.  We even took her for a ride to Fred Meyers, only to figure out that wasn't what she wanted.  After that, she started standing next to the tires or laying under the car. I think she was trying to keep us from leaving the house.

In the last week or two, her belly got really distended.  We couldn't keep track of how much she ate or drank because we have two cats and the neighborhood cats kept sneaking in too.  So after taking her to the vet, we decided to keep her indoors so that we could try to monitor if she was eating or drinking anything.  The vet thought that she might not be doing either.

So we bought her some wet proplan food, cuz she loves it and punky doesn't (so we knew that if it was eaten, she had done it).  She scarfed it down, though it seemed very difficult for her.  She would grab a bite, hold it for a moment, then chew it up quickly at which point it sounded like her teeth were gnashing on each other.  Remember, this is wet food - it shouldn't sound crunchy.

We also noticed that she is now laying between the litter box and back door.  Literally - her body kinda stretches from one to the other.  Kinda odd though, cuz she is a black cat laying under a ladder and under a partially open umbrella.  Seemed so odd noticing that.

Last night, we noticed that she is not moving much now. Remember that two weeks ago she was climbing on the car dash.  As of this morning, I am not convinced she can move at all.  I went to lie down with her for a few minutes and she cried at me without opening her mouth.  I recovered her with a towell (she is hypothermic) and pet her for a bit.  She was purring, but I noticed that petting her chin or her paws didn't make her flinch or move in the slightest.  Not a good sign at all.

I woke Dino up and have her spending some time with Shady right now.  I am sorry that we are not hanging out with any friends right now, but I am seriously starting to think she isn't going to last very long at all.

As a side note, I am pretty sure that both cats know what is going on.  Even though Shady and Punky have not gotten along since we brought him up here, he has been sniffing noses with her and we have caught him checking on her.  The other day, she was laying in the front yard when we drove off. We realized we forgot something, came right back, and Punky had walked all the way around the house and was standing next to her.  He's also taken to coming and sleeping on our bed in the last couple days.  I think he is trying to make us feel better.

This is really hard on us, but especially Dino.  She has been with Shady almost her entire life -- longer than she has known any of us.

Malachi	After a while spending time with Shady, we realized that she might be trying to hold on so that we wouldn't see her pass.  We decided to let her have some privacy. About 1/2 hour later, I peeked into the kitchen to check on her, and noticed that she was lying on her side moving her front paws.  I had Dino come with me to check on her.  She meowed at us, possibly in pain, I am not sure.  It seemed like she really wanted to sit up, but couldn't. We helped her turn over -- Dino lifting her body, and me lifting her head so it wouldn't flop over.  She seemed really cold. We covered her back up, and put a toy under her arms.  A few moments later, we realized that we could no longer tell if she was breathing.  We both tried to check if she was breathing or had a heart beat, but couldn't tell.  We noticed that she wasn't blinking.  That was around 9:45 am. We have an appointment in just under an hour to take care of final arrangements.  At the very end, she seemed to have a smile on her face, had both her parents with her, and was curled up to a stuffed animal. Shady, may you rest in peace.  We will miss you more than you can possibly know. Posted by Malachi on Sun Feb 12 03:09:00 PST 2006
Santa Baby	Hey, Mom called me last night and told me Shady wasn't doing so hot. I guess I was hoping she's last a little longer. I would call you right now but I'm afraid I might cry and I really don't want to do that right now. I am so so sorry. I know how much you both loved her. I remember one time Shades ran away and we thought she might never come back cause she was gone for a like a week but thank god she did and spent a long happy life making us smile. As heartbreaking as it is that she is gone she lived a long long long happy happy life.  I doubt there are many cat's in the world that had it better. I promise to call soon. My deepest sympathy, Love, Lori Posted by Santa Baby on Sun Feb 12 09:11:00 PST 2006
Malachi	Thanks Lori.  I completely understand about the crying bit.  I wasn't even able to get my name out when we talked to the funeral home on the phone. We tried calling you quite a few times today, but can't seem to get through to you.  I think it would be nice if you and Dino were able to talk before she tried to go to work tomorrow. Both the kitties were so old....  We are thinking we should take Punky in to have a vet take a look at him.  He seems healthy, but.... Thank you for taking the time to respond. It means a lot to both of us.   Mal Posted by Malachi on Sun Feb 12 09:23:00 PST 2006
Dawn	I'm so sorry. Even knowing that they are old never helps much. Give Dino a hug for me and know that I am thinking of both of you. Love, Dawn    Posted by Dawn on Mon Feb 13 09:40:00 PST 2006
KerryRose a.k.a. "Santa's Mistress"	Mal, I am so very sorry.  Most people don't realize how much our pets enrich our lives.  I've only had Lugosi for 2 1/2 months and I would cry a lot if anything ever happened to him.  Hell, I cried when you told me about Shady today while I was driving to school.  I'll never forget you getting in the car while wondering what the strange noise outside was.  It wasn't a beaver or woodchuck.  It was Shady's unique little meow.  I'll never forget her.  Give Dino a hug for me. Love, KerryRose Posted by KerryRose a.k.a. "Santa's Mistress" on Mon Feb 13 11:52:00 PST 2006
Darkangel	i have not to say but my condolences. i have one of my own and it at times is the one thing keeping me sane. be well. Posted by Darkangel on Mon Feb 13 15:45:00 PST 2006

Shady

I know it is going to make Dino really sad to read this -- but I am posting it so that she doesn't have to keep re-explaining it to everyone.

We took Shady to the vet today.  He thinks she has a cancerous tumour.  He said that she could go any day now and that he recommended euthanasia.  As he said he doesn't think she is  in pain, we are not going that route.

He gave us some steroids to try to help her quality of living, and we are going to try to keep her inside some so we can make sure she is eating. Please do not keep emailing or calling Dino asking her what happened.

Silver	I'm so sorry to hear that, I hope she goes peacefully. My thoughts are with you guys. Posted by Silver on Sat Feb 11 08:34:00 PST 2006
Malachi	Thanks Brett. We are going to do what we can to make her comfortable and feel loved. The doctor also said that he thought she was anemic and hypothermic (she was 3 degrees too cold), so we are going to try to keep her in for awhile and carefully monitor food intake and stuff -- we bought her some food that we know Punky doesn't like so we can make sure if she is eating. I don't think Lori reads my blog. Maybe you can make sure to let her know what is going on? Thanks. Posted by Malachi on Sat Feb 11 09:38:00 PST 2006
Kittybat	ohh-- ! give her snuggles for me :-( (both Shady and Dino) Posted by Kittybat on Sat Feb 11 18:41:00 PST 2006