So sorry for no post yesterday, folks. Twas a heck of a day. As I mentioned, it's going to be reruns and very little visiting for a while until the January regulatory filings are done. *sigh*
Wednesday night was a run with Bitty up to the emergency vet - she had a broken tooth when she came three years ago and we think it has flared up. She saw Doc Ed on Thursday (he's Doc Andrew's dad!) and he put her on antibiotics. She's not "owie meowie" any more, but she's now hiding under the bed. *bigger sigh* She drinking, but not eating. If she doesn't eat soon, she's going back on Monday. Anyhow, after all that excitement, I crashed Thursday night.
On the bright side, I saw Sonia and the three Angels on their way out at the vet. :-) Big Girl, Cheeks and Noel came through their surgeries like little champs! Everyone is doing well and bouncing around like nothing happened. Daddy Frank couldn't wait to get Noel back! What can I say - the girl has him wrapped around her dew claw!
So, our rerun for the day is the Maples at three weeks old, bellying up to the milk bar. One of my favorites!
Monica let us know that things have calmed down enough over at Chez Hannah to give us an update on the Angels. (Can't wait to see a pic of Big Girl!) Here's a reprint:
I'm Cheeks and I'd love to love you!
Hannah is still fostering three of Abigail's Angels who need special loving homes.
Big Girl who is a very quiet and beautiful cat. She has a unique wrinkle in one of her ears that gives her a distinct look. She is big and very shiny and elegant.
Cheeks who is very vocal and sweet as sugar. She has a cute and sassy personality!
Bunny who is very warm and calm. We think she just might have a home!
We are happy to say that Lucy (aka Fluff) and Jasper (aka Big Boy) are loving their new home together and are spoiled and pampered.... Baby (now NOEL) has found a very special home with a very beautiful kitty friend, Shiloh, who welcomed her and is her new Big Sister. We can only hope the other Angels find as wonderful homes as their siblings!
Today will be a big day in the foster home. Big Boy (now Jasper) will be going to his new home at Hannah's best friend, Meghan's house. It's not definite but we think they are considering adopting a second Angel. We are soooo excited that we almost can't believe how lucky we are because they are wonderful pet parents and we have no worries with them at all. Plus Hannah can visit and watch them become adult Angels. How could that have turned out any better? Even with all this joy Hannah had a rough night last night. She and I spent a lot of time with the kittens last night and then I let her have some time with them alone. When she came to say goodnight, she was filled with tears. We knew this would be difficult. It is so hard to see them go but we know these (two?) will have the best of care and an amazing home.
And, yes! It is two... Big Boy and Fluff are officially Meghan's!
The previous Thursday, they'd been to the vet, too (same day that Peggy Sue had their spay!). Here are just a couple of shots, blatantly stolen from Monica's blog. Head on over and see the rest! :-) I understand it was a real party... Abigail, all six of the Angels, Hannah, Monica and Sonia finally got to meet the good Doc!
So that means we've still got Cheeks, Baby, Big Girl, Percy, Peggy Sue, Aggie and Grey to place.
Well, our newest adoption poster should clue you in to some good news that I forgot to share! Two of the Angels have homes! Foster mom, Hannah, is taking little Bunny Angel and her BF, Mehgan is taking Jasper, formerly Boy, Angel. (Wow, 2 Jaspers, now!! You started a trend, Phyllis!)
How could I have forgotten to tell you????? I dunno... maybe because they both seemed like such natural fits. And the Angels' mom, Abigail, will also be staying at Chez Hannah'n'Monica!! I am soooo familiar with that syndrome. I fall in love with the momcats, too... Bitty, for instance, is now part of my General Population!
Colston & Ashton Very good news - the adoption went through on Wednesday. Colston & Ashton have a wonderful new home!!
The sad news is that Melissa is taking this pretty hard. She loves these boys very much and it's been soooo difficult to make this move. The evening of the adoption she retired early. I suspect she needs a little time to come to terms with giving up her furbabes, even if it's for the health of her biped baby. Big hugs comin' to you from everyone at Space Paws, Melissa! We know you did the right thing and we know how hard it was to do! Thank you again, from Melissa and Space Paws, to everyone who passed the word about this very special adoption need! And a big thank you to Ashton's first mom for the referral!
Grey Sharonson Sharon and I touched base today. Sweet Grey has an infection in one of his paws and Sharon has been treating him through her vet. He's coming along nicely (she's got him safely tucked in her basement), but we decided it was best to wait until Monday to transfer him to my house. I can't wait to greet our newest adoptee!!
The delay actually works out quite well (goes without saying that is other than the fact that Grey is hurt!!). Miss Peggy Sue is still recovering from her spay on Thursday and is still moving quite gingerly. We've got her in quarantine (the spare bedroom/den "suite") and I think she'd do well to have another day or so without having to deal with the General Population.
Do check out the comments on yesterday's post for more info from Grey's dad, Chris.
Jasper & Kona New mom, Phyllis, sure is keeping us up to date on the goings on in DC!! Here's the latest set of pics from Kona & Jasper. Kind of self explanatory, actually!! They're getting along great! Lots of playing and Kona continues to marvel at kitten craziness! Turns out she thinks Jasper is actually quite delicious! Enjoy!
And, in Medical News
Monica and Sonia report they really liked Doc Andrew. They took lots of pics of the Angels first shots and will be sharing them with us, soon. Mimi picked up Gus today after his neuter and relates that's he's doing well. (Thank you, Doc Hess, for the no-cost spay and neuters you are providing for Space Paws!!). We expect Gus will be back to terrorising... errrr, playing with, Tory by tomorrow!
Still swamped at work, and there's a lot to tell you about, so this is a bit choppy! Year end closing is over on Thursday so more regular, and "together," posts will recommence this weekend... I hope!! :-)
The Small World That Brought Grey to Space Paws Today I'll tell the round about story of how Mr. Grey came to Space Paws and tomorrow I'll start filling you in on his story!
A couple of weeks ago I got a message from a co-worker, Shireen, saying that a friend of hers, Sheryl (the wife of a former STScI staff member), had a friend in Baltimore who was trying to find a home for an adult cat. I thought, "Whew, that's a bit round about," but asked Shireen for her friend's contact info. Next thing I know, Sheryl contacted me and I saw that she works for NOAO!! NOAO and STScI are part of the same non-profit corporation (NOAO operates Kitt's Peak Observatory in Arizona). OK, a bit less seperation now!
Sheryl let me know that she would give my info to her friend in Baltimore. When I read the email, my jaw dropped! I KNOW Sheryl's friend, Sharon!! Five years ago, Sharon, who works for Johns Hopkins University, and I worked together to streamline the post-graduate billing between our institutions! Not only that, Johns Hopkins is STScI's landlord! Is it a small, small world or what????
So that's the story of how Space Paws came to be placing Mr. Grey Sharonson! Saturday, Sharon will be bringing Grey over to my place and he will be housed in the den/guest bedroom suite. Stay tuned for Grey's story, but to tide you over, here's a short clip from Sharon:
(Sharon has already sent several other clips, so we'll get to enjoy them over the next few days!)
Medical Updates We've got a couple: Thursday is a big day! The Angels go to Doc Andrew for their first shots and Miss Peggy Sue goes to Doc Hess for her spay. And then, on Friday, Gus will see Doc Hess again for his neuter and I'll pick up Miss Peggy Sue!
Today's Jasper Update 10/6, 9:04 am I left them out together [today] - they were having too much fun. They're playing a game that looks like tag, and sounds like the Calgary stampede. I feel a bit like I got Kona a really good toy ;) Phyllis
Miss Aggie is Back in Circulation
Well, this is a "mixed" update. As you might remember, Aggie was scheduled to go to her adoptive home this fall. After we had made arrangements for a summer adoption, her prospective mom, Carrie Ann, was unexpectedly asked to board her sister's boyfriend's (SB) cat, Big Turkey, because SB's roommate wasn't treating the cat well. This being family and all, Carrie Ann said yes.
SB was to find a new place by fall. At first we thought September. Then we were looking at October when things moved more slowly than planned. You can guess the rest of the story... today Carrie Ann said that, while it wasn't 100% certain, she was now getting the distinct feeling her boarder was going to become a permanent resident since SB has not been making many moves toward relocating. In fact, at this point, for a lot of reasons, she doesn't think giving Big Turkey back is the best thing for the sweetie she's come to love.
So, the down side is that we need to find another home for Miss Aggie.
The upside (and there are several) is that Big Turkey will get a parent who really wants him (and a new name!) AND Miss Aggie is now much better socialized with other animals than she was a few months ago.
One of the reasons this had been a good match (and I was willing to wait) was that Carrie Ann, besides being a terrific gal, could only take one cat because she lives in an efficiency. At that point, Aggie loved people but did not mix well with other animals... a perfect only cat. But being around the General Population, Miss Peggy Sue and the kittens for a couple of months has mellowed Aggie to the point that I think she could mix in well with most households. Funny how a window opens when a door closes!
So instead of being disappointed, I believe we should celebrate Miss Aggie's new social skills and that Big Turkey has found a fantastic new mom!!
Another installment of the giggle fest we had at Monica & Hannah's house over the weekend. Again, we aren't a quiet bunch!
Saturday will see the last S-H-O-T-S and the following Thursday will be the S-N-I-P-S for Percy and Fred. Don't want to make the boys nervous, you know!
I don't know if I mentioned that, since we don't have the pressures on us that shelters do, we're following Doc A's recommendation to take care of the itty parts at the four month mark, if possible. He completely understands the shelter rules, but, with this litter, we have the luxury of allowing the kittens to get all their shots first. New parents Jill and Peter are lining up the same thing for Ginny and George in October (it's in the adoption agreement, in case you were wondering).
Momma Peggy Sue will be freed of her not-so-itty parts in a few weeks. I do still see a little bit of evidence that the lads may still be getting their heads in every so often, but the mammaries have almost receded. I have to wonder if the little scamps wait until she's asleep because I haven't seen her allow nursing in a very long time. Every time they try, she firmly rejects them... and, as a result, they don't even try very often.
We'll be working with Doc Hess to make arrangements for the Angels. Most of them aren't quite at the two pound mark yet. Whew! It's going to be a busy fall!!
Can you believe it? The Angels are 8 weeks old already!! This video is a bit noisy as yesterday's visit really had a bevy of Angel fans present: Hannah, Monica, Mehgan (Hannah's BF), Sonia & Monica's mom as well as 'tute folk Sonia, Melissa, Flory and yours truly. Hannah says this is the first time she's seen an extended sibling bath!
OK gang, the Angels are old enough to interview prospective furever parents! We'll be lining up the V-E-T stuff soon (don't tell them!) so if you'd like to arrange a meet'n'greet, send us an e-mail.
And don't forget our handsome Mr. Percy... he's the quiet one, you know... very suitable for someone who wants a laid back love... he will snuggle his way into your heart!
Oh, by the way, Fred & Percy officially no longer fit in the "cave" portion of their cardboard scratching pad. This does not stop the play, however! I'll try to get a clip of one of the boys wedged in, with pieces parts hanging out, and his brother attacking said parts. It's really quite hilarious. They then proceed to "explode" the scratching pad, which I put together again for them, so they can do it all over again! ;-)
Hi everyone! Well, I crashed tonight when I got home (think I'm coming down with something... *sigh*) and woke up not long ago. So here's a quick one from the Angels visit. Introducing Miss Cheeks!
And thank you, everyone, for all your good wishes on the adoptions! My fingers'n'toes are all crossed, too, hoping for good news in the coming week! Have I mentioned lately that you guys are the best!?
Since I don't believe in jinxes, I'll share this bit of good news, even though nothing is certain yet. We have several folks interested in Gus, Fred and Percy!! Meet'n'greets are scheduled for the coming week to see if these are good matches. Yep, no names or identifying info because it's important that everyone feel comfy. It's just as important that prospective adopters feel OK about saying, "Not this time," as they are saying, "Let's sign on the dotted line." Every furever family is different and making a good match is important for both the critters and the family (including the resident critters) that is considering opening their hearts!
Blessings have poured our way lately... let me catch you up on the gifts toward Gus' surgery. First, we want to thank everyone for their moral support. A kind word, a funny quip - these are gifts worth more than gold! Reading your encouraging words turns a crummy day (yeah, there have been a few) into sunshine. Knowing there are caring folks keeping our critters in their thoughts and, sometimes, prayers is priceless! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
To date, between the 'tute staff and our Internet friends, 50 wonderful folks have sent a little something our way. Let me say again, we never expected this and are touched beyond words! Since a couple of gifts are coming snail mail, I don't have an exact total, but I expect it is about $1200!! What an incredible help this has been! We'll continue to keep you updated.
But wait! There's more!!! Yesterday we received two more gifts!! Margaret is knitting us a blankie to help keep the fosters feeling safe and snug. She's done one for her own Freddie and it still comforts him on those nerve wracking trips to the V-E-T!! We can't wait to see it!!
And Franca sent along not one, but two, nests for our fosters. Here's what happened when I put one out: The boys immediately rushed over to check out the new object in the living room. Soon they were joined by Miss Aggie, who just had to see what all the fuss was about.
Percy quickly claimed the space as his very own.
But made the mistake of getting out to see what his brother was up to when he heard noises coming from the couch. Percy, not so politely, asked Miss Aggie to vacate the premises!
And once again asserted his sovereignty!
He refused to grant Fred access, clearly stating this was a one kitteh nest, at least for now! And Fred just laughed... "Then this one is mine, mine... all mine!!"
See Franca, you didn't know you'd given a toy as well!! Tomorrow we'll put out the other and see what happens!
And, finally, to wrap up our time together, a little sunshine for you! May we present, Fluff'n'Stuff!
What would this little guy be saying if only he could speak?? What do you think? For some reason I just love this shot - it screams caption! Below is a tighter crop of the same pic.
Hi!! Just a couple of quick shots of the Angels, the Maples, and Gus before I head out to a Labor Day BBQ (yeah, yeah, I know our family has the wrong day... but this is the day most folks could make!). I'll be uploading some videos while I'm gone so you can see action shots.
Mr. Gus is doing fine! He's putting some weight on the leg now and he has discovered he can jump without using it... so we're up on the bed, the top of the crate and the chair now. Gives me a heart attack to watch but Doc Hess said he can do whatever he feels up to doing so I'm quashing my instinct to try to keep him quiet. Giving him Amoxi is getting to be quite the challenge! The incision still looks good, so he's just gonna have to suffer through it - we want it to stay lookin' good.
I slept in the guest bedroom last night (actually ON the bed) and we had a nice cuddle. Unfortunately it's only a twin and he abandoned me after about an hour or so, taking up position under said bed. When I got up this morning, he quickly appropriated the warm spot.
And here's some other random cuteness...
A still from the "Do You Love Her" video session.
Somehow this shot seemed, well, angelic to me!
Three shots of our boys chilling on a lazy Saturday afternoon.
Yes, this is Peggy Sue, Fred AND Percy (you can barely see a sliver of his back) squashed into the upper tier of the living room cat tree on Friday night. It is an evening shot so it's a bit dark. The cat tree is their bed of choice, but usually mom is on level two and the boys are on level three.
Gus Update Unfortunately it is late and I've got to get to bed. I promise more details tomorrow. Here's a (very) condensed version:
At 8 this morning I spoke to the surgeon, Dr. Hess. At 9:30, Gus was in the exam room. The good news: the operation has a 98% success rate. Yay!! Doc Hess explained the procedure in detail, and went over the alternatives. In the end we decided to go with a thin plate, which will be formed to the bone and screwed in place. I felt very comfortable giving Gus into his care. The Doc, his tech, Janet, and their greeter, Alice (you'll get to meet her tomorrow!), were just as nice as they could be.
Tomorrow morning, Gus will be in surgery. So, folks, please keep your good thoughts coming for our little boy!
On Saturday Hannah, Monica, Sonia, Abigail and her Angels and I spent hours and hours together! It was so good to be there again! The babies are growing just fine, but still soooo small compared to the big Maples boys. You know, it's getting hard to remember the Maples being so small, now!
Hannah is a natural born foster Mom. You'll get to see her delicate touch in the videos. Miss Abigail is sleek and content and just as lovable as ever! The kittens are frisky and bold as brass. Guess that's what comes from feeling safe and loved.
I've got loads of video clips and pics so I'll be feeding them to you over the next week or so. Here's the first... I could barely speak at the end, I was laughing so hard!
Major Covet Look what Monica found at a sidewalk sale outside of a pet store. It was marked down to $75, and our sharp gal snagged it with an offer of $60. Whoa! For those times when you need to keep a cat (or cats) confined, is this awesome or what?
Quick Gus Update Our boy is doing fine. Today being Sunday, he got lots of snuggles, off and on, all day. Gus is such a hugger and he likes to be held... not just in your lap, in your arms! Burrowing his face under the chin is a favorite maneuver. And, now, at 2.5 days, my chin is getting a little sensitive from all the baths. I shall persevere, however! ;-)
It is getting tough to keep him still. When I'm at the computer, he wants to come up near me. I tried pulling a chair next to me, but that only satisfied him for about 15 min. The he wanted to be on the desk and then he wanted to climb on me. It's also very hard to get good pics of him. He seems to view pointing the camera in his direction as an invitation to play. *sigh* Keep your fingers crossed, tomorrow we hook up with the surgeon and find out what our next steps are going to be!
Monica is treating us to an introduction to each of the little Angels... go on over and check out the adorable personalities of each of these six little tuxie darlings!
This week I've been on a "staycation" and, of late, I've been playing & working on a project for church, so sorry for the lack of posts. But I do have a few, quick items:
First, scoot on over to Love and Hisses, if you haven't been there already. Robyn's current foster litter, the True Bloods, need our cyberhugs and support. All of the babies in this litter have a congenital eyelid abnormality that became evident once she was able to clear up their crusty eye problem. Robyn is waiting to hear what options are available from the vet.
Second, scoot on over to Monica's World for the latest shots of Abigail's Angels (I see several of you have been there already!!). There are actually a couple of posts, so be sure to page down. Hannah's little darlings are ready for naming and Monica and Hannah would love any suggestions you may have.
Miss Agnes came through her spay surgery with flying colors. And she was chipped at the same time. She's been resting quietly, without feline company, in the bedroom/den suite. The poor Maples have been, once again, consigned to the basement while she recovers.
For the first few hours after Aggie got home, she choose to go hide in the spaghetti behind the computer desk. She correctly identified that as a place no one ever goes! ;-) (That's the edge of the crate in which her litter pan is housed, next to the desk.) Even though it's the last place I'd choose for her to rest, right after surgery, she returned to it twice, after being offered more comfy (and less dusty) alternatives. I finally decided her feeling safe was the most important thing and let her have her way. I don't know if I told you, but Aggie's surgery had been delayed twice due to her going into heat. *sigh* Poor little Aggie... she was so miserable both times, but Doc Andrew encouraged us to have her done when she was out of heat, if possible.
Now that she's feeling better, she's a very active kitty and keeping her quiet is a challenge (that's why she's alone). Every time I tried to take a pic she thought it was an invitation to play, so I finally put my hand in to keep her still! LOL! Fortunately, as long as I'm reading or on the computer, she quietly rests beside me.
The final installment of the meet'n'greet photos will be coming next week. In answer to the question in the comments, yes, there was interest in adopting at the meet'n'greet! :-) Due to multiple vacation plans, we'll be following up the week of 8/24.
I am repeating some of this from my comments to Lisa but just in case others don't read the comments....here is a quick update on Abigail's Angels.
They are growing and really getting active and we knew the "box in the corner" was not going to contain these little ones for much longer. Just so happens, I happened upon a sidewalk sale at a pet store on Friday and they were selling a "cat house/crate" type thing that is tall and has several levels. I purchased it and have moved the family in till they get old enough to roam their room. Abigail did not seem pleased at first and did not want to go into the new "home" but we are able to keep the doors open and have put the "box" into the new home till she felt comfortable enough and till we know they can't escape. They seem so tiny to be so curious but as soon as their eyes opened they obviously decided "there is a big world out there" and they are determined to see it.
When Lisa came to visit we talked about the difference in sizes of the kittens. Four of them seem to be about the same size and then we have our "little runt" and our "big girl". Little "runt" is quite a bit smaller and seems to be our noisy one and "big girl" is significantly bigger and is really quiet and less active than the others. What is curious is that the two of them seem to have teamed up so to speak. They always cuddle together and seek each other out when they aren't nursing. When it comes to nursing it's every one for them selves and seems to be to a constant struggle and tug of war until they each settle in and eventually fall asleep. Well, I just realised this was suppose to be a "quick" update and I just keep on going so I will end for now but rest assured there is no end to the cuteness and smiles when we are with our Angels.
