I am so not maternal

The Little Kitty whose name has morphed into Taki is doing as well as can be expected. Her bodily functions seem to be working. I hate that during the day, her meals are constrained to my schedule, but in the evening, she snacks at will.

This morning, there was a large bowel movement in front of one of the bathroom doors: the evidence indicates it was from Taki.  She has really objected to my "helping" her recently, but she needed to do this. 

I am putting her in the litter pan when I think she might be ready to pee or poop, with moderate success.

Taki has taken to wandering through the house, trying to find me, when I am not in the computer room.  I will move her about, to decrease her stress, from time to time.  Other times, I keep her enclosed in the computer room.  

She has bonded to the towel that I use when I feed her: I am guessing the formula she spits out iand s drooling onto the towel is comforting to her.

Going Back to Bed (This Might Be More Information Than You Want to Know)

Taki, the new kitty in my life, is growing and developing in amazing ways. This kitty was urinating in its sleep shortly after starting to eat well.  That has stopped.  Now, urination is occurring after a meal, and I am able to put her in a litter box to encourage its use.

Taki does not poop regularly, but with stimulation, does. The kitty did poop spontaneously once, when it was in the litter box. So, this is encouraging.

Tonight, Take wandered around and around, and after a meal, found the way into the sleeping basket.  This is amazing to me!

I am so hopeful this kitty will survive.

Sunday is Sheet Washing Day

Sunday is sheet washing day, and today was no different.  I pulled the sheets and pillow cases off the bed early afternoon, at an opportune time when not one of the cats was on the bed.  All the laundry has been washed, dried, and what could be hung up or placed in drawers, was put away. The pillow cases are back on the pillows.  But, since about 7:30 PM, there has been one or two cats on the bed, constantly.  I try very hard not to disturb the cats to make the bed. But sometimes, it comes down to that. It is getting late. It may come down to that.

The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend... Sort of

Neither Sake nor Haiku are very happy about having TLK in the house.  Haiku, being so much more mellow, is more accepting.   Sake is just mean and bitter.  Haiku is breaking the rules, and more and more, exerting her place, and sitting where Sake is: both on the sofa back, both in the open window in my bedroom (each on their own side), both on the bed at the same time, and not separated by as much bed as possible.  

So, either Haiku thinks the enemy of my enemy is my friend, or, since she is no longer "low man on the totem pole" she has more confidence that allows her to exert herself.

Medicine Droppers

I bought pet feeding bottles for TLK.  However, the nipples were very stiff. Even with a much enlarged hole, the amount of effort required to produce contents from the bottle through the nipple were such that I did think that TLK could successfully suckle from the bottles.  So, I used a large plastic medicine dropper that I had.

When TLK became constipated, and I thought mineral oil could help, I bought additional medicine droppers to use for the mineral oil: these were in a blister pack, glass, with one straight tip and one bent tip.  I got to thinking about it, after a few days (I am very slow) and realized, if something happened to the plastic medicine dropper, I would be stuck.  The glass droppers would do, but not as well as the large plastic dropper. 

I was in a grocery store last night, (a local chain that does a lot of community service, http://www.unitedtexas.com/) and amongst my list of to look for items was a medicine dropper.  I could not find one, so asked the pharmacy technician.  He informed me that the store gave those away, and they gave me one.  Wow!....

Doing Better, I Think

I think TLK is dong better.  Both eyes are now open.  The kitten can climb into and out of the shallow basket that has been her home.  The kitten made 3/4 of a circle from the basket and around the living room to get to me, to be fed. I was concerned because the kitten did not waken hungry, and did not waken until I woke the kitten for feeding.  Today, that has changed. I did not work today, and the kitten was in the living room with me as I was reading. More than once it awoke, and cried until I picked it up.  It was not consoled by being picked up, but the tenor of its cry changed.  Mmmm.

From almost the beginning, urinating was not a problem.  Until last night, bowel movements were few and far between, even with the help of mineral oil. But last  night and today, the bowel movements, while not large, have been consistent as to be expected for a baby.

I am feeling encouraged. I do hope this kitten survives.  I have no delusions that while it seems to be doing well, things can still happen.

The adult cats have settled in.  Haiku comes around to sit with me on the bed, on the sofa and at the computer, not quite as always. She does not use the chair to the right of the computer, as the kitten is on the floor in the basket, to the right. But otherwise, she is cool.

Sake is not happy. She will come into the living room when the kitten is there, but only with very vocal complaint. She is wanting attention, but in other rooms. And she hisses at the baby.

Cat-O-Rama

It is a luxury not to have to do a lot today.  Many of my Sundays are very restful, for which I am grateful. Today started, as it does every day, with feeding the adult cats.  Added to that, I fed the baby, which went well. 

Sake was inconsolable about not being able to go out, so soon after I finished feeding the baby, we went out front.  After a while Haiku joined us.  This was fine with me.  It was a beautiful morning, and I read the newspaper and did the puzzles while they were out.

By the time I came in, it was almost time to feed The Little Kitty again.

So, much of my morning was taken up with cat care.  How blessed I am to be able to have this luxury.

The Little Kitty

I really do not want another cat. I have two, and the balance of acceptance between them is precarious at best. Even as adults, after 8 and a half years, they do not always get along.  It is rare they can both be on the bed at the same time.  It is rare they can both be on the sofa at the same time.  The only place they can both be at the same time regularly is the garage. I am not in there, so I do not know what kind of aggression or abuse occurs in the garage, if any.

Yesterday afternoon, I found a very listless kitten in my backyard. I knew of this kitten's existence for about a week, and the mother seemed to be feeding it, although the mother did not spend a lot of time with this kitten (and it's litter mate, whom I found dead, later on yesterday.)

I really thought the kitten was dead at first, and brought it into the house to wrap it to put it in the dumpster.  Dummy me. The kitten was alive.  I quickly made some powdered milk with melted butter in it, and dropped some food into the kitten after I finally found the medicine dropper. I put it in a cushioned basket, and went to a nearby pet store, where I got some kitty formula and nursing bottles.

I tried several times to get the kitten to drink, and it was very resistant. I could only get it to take drops.  Although the guides say to feed a kitten every 2-4 hours (depending on the guide), I decided to let it sleep through the night, and see what I could do in the morning. 

So, in the morning, I got drops down the kitten.  I was talking to a friend about this, and recounted, how, once when I was tending an orphaned calf, he did not want to eat.  We added Karo syrup (sugar syrup) to the formula, because I knew that farmers put molasses on hay for cows in the northeast, to stimulate their appetite.  So, I made up some sugar water, and used it for mixing the powdered kitten milk. I do not know if it was the sugar water, or strength from the little milk the kitten was consuming, or prayers answered by God, but the little kitten had a good dinner later afternoon.  

Early evening, I fed the kitten again, and again it had a good meal, as compared to the drops it was taking earlier today, and last night.  I have to think it is the sugar water, and our faith that what should be will be.

Companionable Silence

I tend to be a quiet person, and have for all my life.  I find that when I am sharing space with someone, I do not have the need to always carry on a conversation with them. I can sit quietly near someone, and not need to speak or visit with them (although I may talk to my self.)  This is especially helpful when in a work setting that requires shared space.

My cats do not share companionable silence. They rarely both sit on the sofa with me at the same time.  The same is true for the bed. Even rarer, will they share the sofa or bed when I am not there.  Today, I saw them sitting close to each other. It was probably not for a very long period of time, less than minutes, but for just that time, they seemed to be sharing companionable silence.  Or, I was experiencing wishful thinking.

Sake

My cats are aging. Sake will be 10 this year, and Haiku is 9.  That is not old for cats, but it is middle aged, I think.

I have noticed a difference in Sake. She is more hesitant when she jumps, and sometimes, does not do the seriously high or difficult jumps, after she thinks about them.  This breaks my heart. But, so far, she does not seem to have injured herself by an ill-fated jump attempt.

The other thing that is happening, is that she is not as able to keep herself free of mats. She has always had trouble with her britches, and right now, they are really matted. I spend a very few minutes every day trying to work on those mats, but she is not very tolerant, and I understand that it is painful to have the fur pulled while I am trying to just cut out the mats.

Most recently, she has had severe mats under her chin that she does not seem to be able to tend to. I have worked on them regularly. She does not like that, but after the work is done, she seems to acquiesce that something needed to be done, anyway. I hate to hurt her, and try to be gentle, but know that mats are tough.  I cut when I can.  I comb softly when I can. I hope for the best.  

Interestlngly, when I show her the fur, she seems to realize where it came from and she does seem to feel better when she does not have serious mats...

The Paper Eater

Haiku is the paper eater.  She likes to scratch at the newspaper put under the litter pans or the food dishes.  She likes to chew on the corners of papers that I have on my desk. She likes to chew on the corners of magazines and books.

Haiku loves envelopes. She likes the sharp corners, and also really likes to lick the glue and shred the flap. 

Hence the name "The Paper Eater."

Of Course, I Am Tired

Last night, I awoke about 3 AM after having a dream about dogs invading my old Victorian style house (I do not have an old Victorian style house). I could not get the dogs out, and I could not keep up with cleaning after them.  My cats, some what miraculously, were safe.  But the dogs were hell bent on destruction.

I actually have an idea about the message that this dream was sending to me. It is a recurrent theme, and one upon which I will have to take action soon. And should have taken action sooner.  Dreams are amazing.

Take Over

I have a nice office chair to use at my computer desk. A very long time ago, Haiku commandeered the chair, so I have set up a folding chair for me.

More recently, I have set up a folding TV tray next to the chair, for paperwork, or if I am eating a meal at the computer.  Well, the girls have commandeered that as their place to sit while I am working on the computer.

Cats are insidious. They just take over whatever space they want. 

Cat Wars

We had cat  wars today.  Recently, I moved an afghan off the sofa. Sake has now started sleeping in the spot on the other end of the sofa from where I sit.  This is where Haiku used to sleep, when I had the afghan on the sofa.  Haiku joined us, and sat on the arm of the sofa, then moved to my lap for some time.  So, that was good.

Sake became impatient for breakfast yesterday, and ate the food in Haiku's dish.  Tonight, when I fed, Sake pressured Haiku to abandon her food so Sake could eat it.  I replaced if for Haiku who ate some, then moved on. Later, Sake went to where her food was, and ate some.

There has been a lot of racing and chasing today. At one point, Sake was very upset that I was on the computer. Haiku was in her chair in the study.  Finally, Sake sat on the TV tray next to my chair in the study.  Usually, she just complains because I am not where she wants me. 

The Girls

After I spent 10 days of vacation at home, I returned to work today.   The girls seemed to understand I was back in the "go to work" mode when I got up and followed my work routine versus the non-routine of my vacation days.

I came home from work as usual, but knew I was going to a Lady Raider basketball game, so parked the car in the driveway... I fed the cats, ate dinner and left for the game.  Both cats wanted to be in the garage and expressed consternation that the Vue was not in the garage:  I am not sure if that was because they like to sit on the warm hood, or because that is a signal that I will be going out again.

When I got home from the basketball game, both girls wanted something.  I was not sure what:  they had dry food, I tried milk, they both had some left of their dinner, I had given them deli sliced meats.  I could not figure out what they wanted.  Eventually, they settled down... Haiku ate some more dry food, and Sake decided she just wanted to be in the garage... Haiku opted for a laundry basket...

I just wish I understood cat language better than I do... I need to remember to talk to them more.  I talked to Mack all the time, and he obviously understood me, and was able to communicate with me quite well....

Silence

It is a day off from work.  Earlier in the week, I had projects that took me out and had me up and about the house.  I ran errands this morning, but since returning home, have mostly indulged in reading.  One of my errands was to the library, where I picked up several books.  I read a lot of mysteries, and prefer to read the series ones in order.  So, I am going back and forth between libraries (I could order them to my closest library, but do not mind the trips to other places) to where the next book is. 

I have a list I keep with me, regularly updated, that includes the various series I read, and what book comes up next.  Sometimes, I have to order the books from inter-library loan, but that is okay.  While I am waiting there is plenty else to read.

I also belong to two book clubs: a mystery book club and a general club, for seniors.  The general club forces me to read books I would otherwise not read, and even the mystery book club introduces me to authors I have not read before, and might not have tried.

So, today, after running errands, I am home.  I usually have the TV on, or music going.  But sometimes, I like the silence.  Today, I am enjoying the silence.  Sort of.  There is some neighborhood noise and a lot of wind noise.  The dust is blowing, so the winds must be close to, if not gusting at, 40 mph mark as predicted, and I can hear the sounds of the wind.

I am reminded of the silence in the home in which I grew up.  After my father died, and I would go home to visit my mother, the house was silent a lot, especially in the afternoon.  My mother would knit or doze, and I would often go out for a walk or to do something.  But being in the house, the silence was good, comforting. That is the silence I have this afternoon.

My cats have stirred a little now and again this afternoon, but I think they like the silence, too.  Soon, I will turn on the TV for my regular fare of mystery shows.  But, now, I can enjoy the silence.

Sleeping Cats

Today was a day of on going relaxation with some effort to do chores... The chore of the day was raking leaves, and was easily managed.  Unfortunately, the dumpster was filled quickly, and only the front yard was tended to.. But that is okay.

Early this morning, the cats told me to wake up... It was about the time the alarm went off.  Since I did not need to rise that early, I shut off the alarm, and waited for later in the morning to rise.  Hot tea and breakfast were fine.

After breakfast, both cats slept. Most of the day, both cats slept.  At various times, Sake wanted to have the back door open, or the front door open, but mostly, she slept.  Haiku spent most of her morning in hiding, but spent most of her afternoon on the sofa... She also has spent most of the evening on the sofa. 

Sake spent parts of the afternoon on the  arm of the sofa.  Also, she wanted to be held for a while early in the evening. 

The cats have their own rhythm.  I hope they are okay with mine.  

What Do You Want?

I am a dog person.  When I had a dog in my life, it was seldom that I did not know what the dog wanted.  He communicated well with me and, I hope, I communicated well with him.

Now, I have cats.  While we communicate well on routine matters, we do not communicate well for unusual or non-routine situations...

I understand:  I want to be fed (although they always have dry food out); I want out (but not on my terms of being in a pen or being on a harness); wake up; let's sit in the living room; I don't want to sit on the sofa if the other cat is there; I want out in the garage; I want in from the garage.

I do not understand what incessant crying and pacing on the kitchen counter means. I do not know what racing and chasing each other means.

Maybe I need a cat dictionary.  

An Immediate Interest

I won a door prize at the work Christmas party, and did not need to be present to win.  So, today, the coordinator of the party arranged for me to get my prize at work, and I brought it home tonight.  I brought it into the house, and put it on the stove top, as that is a place that is off limits to the cats.  The gift basket was two hand painted wine glasses, and two bottles of wine, in a basket with straw. Immediately, Sake jumped on the stove top to check out the gift basket. I put her down. 
I ran some errands, and later returned home.  I put the gift basket down on the floor for Sake to check out, and she did.. But not for long..Once the basket was not off limits, it was also of no interest.

Cats are not Dogs

For years, I used to sit outside with my dog:  we would go to the park and sit, we would sit in our back yard.  Sometimes the weather was not so great, but he wanted to be outside, so we would sit outside.  I would be in my winter jacket, wrapped in a blanket, or in my summer clothes, gasping for shade.  Mack loved to be outside.  And so do I.

I have cats now, and they like to go outside for a little while.  They like to eat grass. I do not let them roam free.  Unlike Mack, who was content to roam the fenced back yard, they are not. So, to keep them from climbing fences, especially Sake, I put them in a pen or on a tether when we are outside.  That is not as interesting for them... They seem to be content, more often than not, to be inside.  But, they want to be with me. Even when I am outside, they often cry, not to be outside with me, but for me to be inside with them.

I spent the better part of this glorious morning and afternoon outside, but Haiku wanted company inside. The minute I stepped in to get a fresh drink, so wanted company. Inside.  So, I am spending some time inside.

I have an errand to run later, though, and plan to take a quick trip to the canyon, just for a refreshing junket outside... That will be nice.