Updates

It's been pretty busy around here lately, so here are a bunch of updates:

1. Several kittens went home in the last two weeks: Hudson went to a home that had an adult cat, and Ajani and Tibalt went to a home together with an amazing couple.

2. Speaking of Ajani and Tibalt, Lily's kittens had their retesting done last week...and all four came back negative!  My beautiful, brave, strong Liliana managed to give birth to six perfect babies with NO FIV!  Just Chandra and Jace are looking for their forever homes now.

3. Jezebel, the skinny little stray, went to the vet yesterday and tested negative.  She's been vaccinated and ready for a new home.  She isn't quite ready to be spayed yet though, the vet wants her to gain some more weight for about a month before spaying.

4. RIP Cody.  He also went to the vet yesterday for evaluation and testing.  It was ultimately decided by the vet that he was too old to be socialized, and was taken away from his mother too young to have the survival skills to be put back outside.  They decided it was most humane to euthanize him.  I feel very responsible for this little life having been lost, since I should have started socializing him sooner but just didn't have the proper environment to do so.  I had just gotten him a nice cage and was ready to start, but the timing just ended up not working in my favor.  I don't think I could agree to this decision again if it comes up, but what's done is done in this case.  I'm so sorry, little guy.

5. When I went to an adoption last week with 6 kittens, I came home with 7.  The AC&C van had dropped off a bunch of kittens that the group pulled from the kill list and the director asked who wanted kittens.  We agreed to take a solo kitten who had been thrown out of a car window and onlookers brought him to the shelter.  His name is Prize, though we call him Sir Prize.  He is about 8 weeks old now.  Both he and Hermie have people interested in them!

Path of the Planeswalkers

This post has been a long time coming.  Back in early April, my husband called me with his now-famous line: "Tell me I did the right thing."

He was walking home from the bus stop and saw a pretty tuxedo cat.  Then saw her giant belly.  He immediately picked her up and took her home.  She looked to be VERY pregnant.

First of all, about the names you are about to see, and the title of this post for those who don't recognize it: My husband and I both enjoy playing a trading card game called Magic: The Gathering.  There are different types of cards, and some of them are called Planeswalkers, people with extraordinary abilities, to keep it short.  There are quite a few of them at this point in time.  When we knew we had a litter coming, we knew that's the theme we wanted, and the mother, Liliana, got her name (Liliana Vess).
 
A couple days later, we took Liliana to the vet to get tested and general checkup to make sure everything was going okay with her pregnancy.  We have went through the rescue process many many times.  By now, testing for FIV/FeLV is just a formality to be safe and to have the records to give to whoever might end up adopting the cat.  My heart sank down to my feet when the vet tech came out and said the test was positive for FIV.  They retested her on the spot with a fresh sample, since the tech left the test unattended for a few extra minutes and just wanted to be sure.  Again, she tested very strongly for FIV.  The vet also told us she probably had about 2 weeks to go in her pregnancy, even though she was already massive and looked ready to pop.

It was a scramble to learn everything I could about FIV, especially since kittens would be coming into the world and I had to know what to expect.  Thankfully, from my time volunteering at the animal shelter, I learned a bit about FIV already: that cats could live long lives with it, and that even friendly cats could live with non-FIV cats since it's only transmitted through deep bite wounds.  During my research and talking to several vets, I further learned that it's actually pretty rare for kittens to get it from their mother, they don't get it through the mom's milk, and that kittens could falsely test positive up to 6 months old due to having their mother's antibodies.  So things looked good to have healthy kittens.  Side note: if you have any questions about FIV or want more information, please contact me - I'm more than happy to share what I've learned.

Exactly two weeks after the vet predicted two more weeks, on April 21, the kittens arrived.

We had went out to run some errands, and Lily wasn't even in labor.  She looked peaceful and content when we left (we knew it was getting close!).  By the time we got back a few hours later, she was delivering kitten #3.

This is where the story gets very sad and tumultuous.

Lily gave birth to 9 kittens, but 3 of them were stillborn.  Those 3 are now lovingly buried in our garden and will not be forgotten.  She had a very rough time during delivery and I had to help her out a few times.  Even so, she was a great mom.  Around 1 AM, she started settling down and it had been awhile since the last kitten, so I thought she was done.  However, her belly still felt swollen and possibly like there were more in her - but she also ate a LOT of wet food during delivery, so I thought it could have also just been her very full tummy.  I called an emergency vet just to find out how to tell if a cat was done giving birth or if there were more.  The triage tech assured me that cats usually deliver without any help and she should be fine.  We finally went to sleep.

The next day, Lily started leaving the nest box already and lying on the floor or on our bed away from her babies.  We have been through two litters before and this is unusual.  As the day went on, we started seeing puddles of diluted blood on the bedspread, much more than what I'd expect.  I called the same vet again and spoke to someone else.  When I described how large the puddles were, she advised us to bring her in ASAP.  So we packed up Lily and her 6 beautiful babies and away we went.  She was examined, x-rayed and ultrasounded.  All they could clearly see was gas bubbles in her uterus, which meant she either had an infection or decomposing kittens still in there.  They told us to get her spayed the very next day if we could (they don't like doing spays there since they are just an emergency vet and charge a lot more).

That night, I contacted one of my rescue acquaintances and set it up for Lily to be spayed at their vet the next day.  I had to sign about 4 different waivers releasing them of liability if she died on the table (which they were so sure she was going to, because of the FIV) as well as papers agreeing to take care of the kittens if the mother didn't make it.  The next day, off to the vet she went, leaving us with kitten duty.  I had never bottle-fed a kitten before, and it was a learning experience.  It was a crash course in kitten care.  Around 3 PM, the vet's office called me to tell me that Lily made it through the surgery and was doing great - they had never called me before when I've used them for rescues, so it was a surprise to them that she made it.  It turned out that there were, in fact, 2 or 3 more kittens in her that didn't make it.  That means she was carrying 11-12 kittens - no wonder she was so massive!

We were warned that it would take her at least a day to recover from the surgery, and the vet said she wouldn't be able to produce milk at all.  Still, we were hopefully, based on other research (specifically TNR) that she would be able to take over nursing when she was feeling better.  I made arrangements with my boss to work from home half-days so I could feed the kittens around midday to hold them over until my husband got home from work to feed them again.  We kept the kittens in the box with a heating pad while Lily recovered

Lily snuggling with a stolen kitten. Another is under her arm.

A couple days later, my husband came home and 2 of the kittens weren't in the box.  He found them in the closet with Lily; she had started stealing her kittens back.  Every time we'd put them back in the box, within a few hours, 1-3 of them would be gone again.  She had steel stitches so we were nervous about her having them and trying to nurse, since the kittens could get hurt, but we just couldn't keep them apart.  We put the box back in the closet for her and over a few more days, she was back in the box being full-time mom.  We just watched really closely; thankfully none of the kittens got hurt on the stitches.

Lily never did start producing enough milk for all of them.  She produced a little bit, but just not enough.  They would still suckle on her, but it was mostly just comfort at that point.  We ended up bottle feeding them all the way until about 5 weeks old, something we never wanted to do since we both work full time, but we made it work and survived.  All 6 kittens thrived and are healthy little terrors now.  They are just about 3 months old.

The kittens already went through their first round of FIV testing.  Two of them tested negative right off the bat, which is great news.  The other four tested weakly positive and will be retested again next week; they will continue to be tested once a month until they either test negative, or until they are 6 months old.  At 6 months, if they still test positive, then it is almost certain they have FIV.

Without further ado, meet the Planeswalkers:

Ajani

Chandra

 

Gideon

Jace

Nissa

Tibalt

So far, Gideon and Nissa have been adopted, and it was pure coincidence that they were the two who tested negative already.  Gideon went to a home with another solo kitten, and the woman had an adult cat as well.  Nissa went to a home with three dogs and a gorgeous adult red male tabby.  I'm hoping the others get adopted soon; especially with black cats, the older they get, the harder they are to find homes for.  There are already smaller and more colorful kittens to compete with at adoption events.  They are all very friendly and people-social, probably because they were bottle-fed basically since birth.  They are available for adoption through Anjellicle Cats Rescue.

As for Liliana, Lily, Lilybelle - she will be staying with us for now.  We love her dearly and we aren't afraid of the big bad FIV.  If someone is specifically looking for an FIV cat, we will happily let her go to a new home, but we aren't going to actively seek one out for her.

Jezebel

This past Thursday, my husband sent the following picture to my phone with no explanation while he was working:

Somehow, I already knew what that meant.  I did leave some doubt in my mind that maybe one of his coworkers got a new cat and just brought it to work to show it off or something.

An hour or so later, he called me and gave me the details.  His boss had found this friendly little tortie girl outside his house.  He asked his neighbors if it belonged to anyone, and when it was a resounding no, he called my husband at work and asked if we could take her.  Shortly after, he picked my husband up and brought him and the cat to our house.  My husband told me she was thin, but I had no idea until I got home.

 

Her head is wider than the rest of her body.  I can't say she is the thinnest cat I've ever seen - everyone has seen pictures of cats so starved ALL you see is bone.  But she is the thinnest cat I've ever seen in person.Even the picture is misleading.

She ate so much when she first arrived that her tummy couldn't handle it; she threw up.  Besides the wet food, the rest of the contents was inedible objects - rubber bands, rocks, paper, things like that.  She was eating whatever she could find when she was outside.  It broke my heart.

She is very friendly, though she doesn't like other cats.  If I had to guess, she's somewhere between 6-12 months old.  We already have money set aside for her vetting and spay when she gains some weight, she is too thin for surgery right now.  We aren't sure what we're going to do with her since she's not with a rescue group, but she's safe now and that's all that matters.

Hello There, Little Guys!

Rory & Zigby

A few weeks ago, we accepted 2 adults from the rescue group to be fostered.  They came to us from their owner, who had to give them up due to allergies and moving to a smaller place (the combination of the two).  Usually allergies is an excuse, but I could tell their owner really loved them, and she was heartbroken to give them up.

Zigby is a purebred Ragdoll, who came from a breeder originally.  She has gorgeous blue eyes.  She took longer to get used to us than Rory, and she was ill when she first came to us - she had an eye infection.  Once she started feeling better, she came out of her shell and we started to get to know her better.  She is very sweet, but on her own terms.  She is quite the character - she'd get mad at something one minute, and the next minute she can't help but come looking for attention again.

 
Rory is a beautiful tortie.  She does not have any "tortitude" at all - calicos and torties are usually thought to be very snooty and moody.  Rory is an absolute sweetheart, very affectionate and vocal.  She would have warmed up to us faster than she did, except that she hid under the dresser with Zigby for a couple days just to keep her company.  Unfortunately, Zigby didn't show any of that affection towards Rory.

We wanted to keep them together when they were adopted; especially since it would be Rory's best chance to find a home if she had to go with such a pretty purebred.  It became apparent to me though that Zigby really preferred to be alone; if she had any bond with Rory, she didn't show it.  She also would not have done well in a home with other cats, since it took her a month just to get along with Rory when their owner first brought Rory home.

Two weeks ago, a couple wanted to meet Zigby.  We explained that we wanted to keep Rory with her, but they could only have one cat.  I brought Zigby to the adoption event that week so they could at least meet her; if things went well, then we would discuss adopting her out alone.  It was absolute love at first sight.  Another volunteer suggested letting Zigby roam around in the adoption area so they could get to know her, but she ended up hiding under a cage for awhile and they didn't get much time with her.  They said they would take a few days to talk it over and decide what to do.

In the meantime, I spoke with some of the people from the rescue group, as well as with my husband.  We ultimately decided that if they wanted Zigby, they could have her by herself.  This couple was head-over-heels for her, and just the way they spoke of their former cat showed how much they would love Zigby as well.

Last weekend, they wanted to meet her again and make their decision, since they didn't really get much time with her the first time.  I offered to bring her to their apartment, and if they decided to adopt her, I could just leave her there.  By the time I got there, the decision had already been made - Zigby was staying!  I'm glad my husband came with me for this, because he got to see the kind of life Zigby would have, and her new owners are amazing people.  Rory is still with us, and we will find the perfect home for her as well.  We are happy to have her with us for now.  Here is a picture of Zigby from her new owners, already ruling her castle!

New Arrivals!

There is still one "spotlight" post to be done regarding cat #6, but my husband will be writing that one, since I can't do him justice.

However, the little guys above just arrived at our house tonight.  Another volunteer with our rescue group cares for a colony of ferals out in Queens.  She found these guys coming out of an old factory near the colony and took them in.  She doesn't have room for kittens, so the rescue sent out a plea for a foster home with an extra room to isolate the kittens for a few weeks until they can be tested, vaccinated, etc.  Not many people have the kind of space we do since most of them live in apartments in the city, so we stepped up.

They are 5 weeks old and all boys.  From top to bottom: Hoodie, Hudson (who is long-haired!), and Hermie.  They are soooo cute.

Spotlight: Permanent Cat 5/6 - SHARKY!

When I introduced Sabrina, I mentioned that we adopted two cats from the shelter we volunteer at;  Sharky is the other.  He is about 8 years old and weighs a whopping 20 pounds (not even very chubby - just a big boy!).

Sharky has an old hematoma on his ear, as you can see in his picture.  I've always loved it, it gives him character.

The cat room Sharky was in at the shelter was where they put all their "bully" cats, since they could defend themselves against each other.  Sharky was definitely one of those bullies.  It took me a long time to work up the courage to pet him, and eventually, befriend him.  Let me tell you, when you've earned the love and trust of a massive cat who is, quite frankly, intimidating, it is the best feeling in the world.

He was miserable in that cat room.  He didn't like being around so many other cats, which is why he was so ornery.  He had to go on quarantine for awhile away from other cats, and all of a sudden, he was a sweet boy who loved attention and could be easily handled.  Of course, I already knew that underneath all the gruff was a mush.

Sharky's quality of life and disposition changed so much once he was in our home.  While we do have other cats, the house is large enough and has enough rooms that he can get away from them if he wants.  He ignores others for the most part, but he has never once attacked one of them unless they were accidentally in his way, which would earn a growl and maybe a halfhearted swipe.  He's a lover now and he curls up by me at the computer every night.  He's usually the first to greet us and rub up against our legs.

Just an idea of how large this cat really is (that is my husband!):

I also wanted to mention how many other volunteers have approached me and were thrilled that I kept my word - I always said that I was going to adopt Sharky and Sabrina, and as soon as the house was ours, we did.