# Foster Batch 5: Mom and 7 babies



## Venusworld21

Picked them up tonight from the shelter. They're about 2 weeks old. One runt. Mom is pretty tiny/skinny. I'm supplementing them with extra formula. If they can all get through the next two weeks, everyone should be fine. Fingers crossed for them.

Pics to come. Gotta go take care of the other 13 floating around here first.


----------



## Lotu

7!?!?? Looking forward to the pics


----------



## Venusworld21

Yep, 7. 6 of them are black or mostly black, but randomly there's one mostly white one that looks like it'll darken into a siamese/pointed looking adult. Weird.  Mom is black as well.


----------



## Jetlaya67

Venusworld21 said:


> Yep, 7. 6 of them are black or mostly black, but randomly there's one mostly white one that looks like it'll darken into a siamese/pointed looking adult. Weird.  Mom is black as well.


There is always a rebel!


----------



## Lotu

So many black kittens during the Halloween season will be fun to see! Will you do something to identify them (collars) or are you able to tell them apart? Our kittens came from a litter of 6 and 4 of them were black (2 boys/2 girls). The foster mom says that she couldn't tell them apart.


----------



## Jakiepoo

Ahh, so exciting! Can't wait for pictures, fingers crossed for all the babies!


----------



## wallycat

Can't wait to see them! You are so great for fostering!!!


----------



## Carmel

The single colorpoint is less of a mystery when I apply my dismal understanding of genetics... something about how if a black cat mates with a colorpoint, offspring are black, masking the fact that they were ever from colorpoint ancestry. However some may carry the colorpoint gene... so down the line, you could have two black cats mate with the recessive colorpoint gene and end up with a few color points mixed in the litter. Anyway, I think I kept that vague enough to kinda be accurate haha. I don't have a 100% full understanding of it.

Looking forward to pictures!


----------



## emilyatl

Whoa! 7 is a big litter! Bless you for taking them all in! It's always fun to see a family grow and their personalities develop. Hopefully many of them will get adopted together.


----------



## Venusworld21

Two of them have tabby-ish markings (white eyeliner, a few white stripes on the head, but are mostly black), one is kind of a brownish/grayish/black, one is the white and the other three I *think* I'll be able to tell apart based on various small features (one I saw for sure has a white spot on its chest, and I haven't looked to see boys vs. girls yet).

They had breakfast this morning and someone had got poo all over everyone else, which mom hadn't cleaned up, so I wet-wiped everyone off as I fed them. They're sooooo tiny and frail looking, but plenty feisty, so I'm really hoping everyone will do well.

I'm hoping not to have to do collars to tell everyone apart...I've never had to before with a batch. Trying to keep up my perfect record, lol.

Pics soon. Just got home and gotta feed everyone first.


----------



## Leazie

Can't wait to see pictures of the new ones. Thank goodness they came to your house as it sounds like Momma might be a bit overwhelmed.


----------



## Marcia

WOW! You've got your hands full, huh!!??


----------



## Venusworld21

Hands full...yes. Mama from this batch is going to be Nala....and she's not nearly as accomplished at mothering as Minerva, from my other batch of fosters, is. I'm doing a lot of extra work with her babies to keep everyone fed and happy. She's been here 2 days now and is settling down a bit and spending more time with the babies again. Everyone still seems to be doing well. And finally, PICTURES! 

Mama Nala:



I think the babies might be closer to three weeks old (based on the milestones they've got) but a bit stunted (based on their size). 









And just the babies:


----------



## wallycat

SO CUTE. I love the little white one amongst the cute black ones.


----------



## Jetlaya67

Cuteness overboard! So adorable.


----------



## kittiesmom

You sound so busy but so happy, I love what you do. Good Luck.


----------



## CatMonkeys

Oh my gosh look at all those kittens! Nala looks like she's taking good care of them. I'm kind of jealous that she's surrounded by a bunch of kittens and I'm not


----------



## pkbshrew

7 is hard work as very experienced Mamma Tory taught me! Nala looks pretty young, Tory was on litter number 5 and knew what she was doing but still struggled a bit with 7. Good on you for being 2iC Mamma. Nala sure has her paws full!

Oh, and the babies are BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!


----------



## emilyatl

They are so cute! The last one really shows the tabby stripes on that kitten on the left. How unusual, he's a black tabby!


----------



## Venusworld21

Well things have not been going well at all with this batch. Mama Nala has decided that she has no interest whatsoever in the babies and now spends her days diligently avoiding and ignoring them. I lock her in a crate with them a few times a day and she feeds them (she's so full of milk it makes me sore just looking at her), albeit grudgingly. Meanwhile, I've taken over mothering duties for these guys, and I'm not very accomplished at it either. All 7 are still alive, and eating "goop" (meat baby food, wet cat food, ground up kitten crunchies, warm water, kmr milk powder, probiotics and pumpkin all smooshed together), but we're having problems with diarrhea now and the shelter vet is trying to help get it under control. If we can get through the next week or so, I think everyone will be in the clear. Also, the poo is getting everywhere and on everything, including the kittens. I'm going to end up having to wash it off them, I think. Wet wipes just aren't touching the mess at this point. 

They've been waking me up every few hours during the night for food, so I haven't slept properly in a week. Luckily my other foster mom, Minerva, is doing a great job, so all I have to do for them is clean the litter every day and admire how wonderful her babies look.


----------



## emilyatl

Aww, poor things. That's so sad when that happens with Moms and the babies. 

Regarding the baths, I usually use a large square tupperware container with just a tiny bit of warm water in the bottom and stand them in it, and a really wet wash cloth (so you don't have to immerse them in water and soak them) to wipe them off. Then, make if you have a heating pad, wrap them in towels and put them on the heating pad until they dry off. Poop is pretty easy to get off of them, pee is another story. I had a batch of fosters who had been sleeping in their litter box at the shelter and they smelled SO bad. It took a couple of weeks to get rid of the pee... 

I hope all goes well in the next week with the feedings and you manage to get some sleep! It sounds like you're doing an amazing job.


----------



## Lotu

Oh, so sorry to hear this...keep up your great work. 7 babies is a lot to care for. I take it Minerva can't take in a couple to help out or is that just not the way things work? What is the age difference between Minerva and Nala's litters? Enough questions...get some sleep


----------



## Jetlaya67

Oh I hope that it all turns good for the kittens (and you!). Please take it easy and try to get some rest when you can.


----------



## Venusworld21

They all got a gentle bath tonight. I used the bathroom sink. Filled it about 2 inches deep with warm water and set them in it. Held them with my right hand (keeping head above water, supporting their weight) and gently rubbed and scrubbed with my left. Once the water turned yellow/brown (oh yeah, it was lovely), I'd pick up the baby and hold it while I drained the sink and refilled it. Most only needed the water changed once, though for two of them I did change it twice. I'd run the shower before we did this, so the bathroom was all warm and steamy (my glasses fogged up) and each one was dried as best we could with a towel before we moved on to the next one. They're currently still hanging out in a crate in the bathroom and I've now scrubbed the (disgusting) floor in their laundry room. At the moment, everyone is basically clean. The little white one actually purred while I was massaging him and then perched on my hand like a little king until it was time to dry him. I like him...he's spunky.  (He then immediately pooped on the towel we were trying to dry him with...he's such a cat.)

Minerva's batch is 5.5 weeks, exactly. I'd guestimate Nala's at 4-4.5 weeks, so maybe 7 to 10 days behind them is all. But the size difference is extraordinary...Minerva's are at least double, maybe triple the size of Nala's biggest ones (and maybe quadruple the size of the Nala's runt). The shelter suggested I see if Minerva would be receptive to some extra babies. I tried one yesterday and she didn't attack it or anything, but she also didn't seem remotely inclined to take care of it (it cried and she walked away, and her own babies are so big that it can't fight its way to a nipple, and the minute her own babies finished, Minerva was done). And being that her babies are so healthy and Nala's not, I didn't want to risk making an otherwise healthy litter ill by prolonged contact.


So, for five minutes anyway, everyone is clean and happy and fed and quiet. We'll see how long it lasts. 


Also, I can roughly tell everyone apart now and was able to sex most everyone during their baths.

White one (male)
Black "black" one (looks very dark next to the others, who are more chocolate): female, I think. Only one I'm not sure of.
Thing 1 ---male
Thing 2 ---male (twins in all of their markings)
Runty - female
Big tabby --male (darker, longer hair)
Little tabby--female ("true" black tabby visible in the photos)


----------



## 10cats2dogs

Hopefully mama cat doesn't have 'Something'...that's putting her off of wanting to take care of her babies!! 
Keep an eye on her for any symptoms...
You certainly have your hands full!
Prayers and hugs!


----------



## Lotu

Sounds like the white-furred male needs a royal name...can't think of any suggestions off hand. I wonder if momma will come around? Thanks for fostering. I look forward to reading updates.


----------



## emilyatl

7cats2dogs said:


> Hopefully mama cat doesn't have 'Something'...that's putting her off of wanting to take care of her babies!!
> Keep an eye on her for any symptoms...
> You certainly have your hands full!
> Prayers and hugs!


That's a good point. Sometimes the Mom can reject kittens if she's sick (or if they're sick for that matter). Does she seem to be in any pain when she's nursing? Is she eating/drinking/peeing/pooping ok? It could also be that she's very young and inexperienced. I've seen feral Mom's disown their kittens too.


----------



## Venusworld21

I caught Nala in the box with the kittens last night of her own accord after they had their bath. When she first stopped nursing them, she acted like she was sore. Now that I've taken over feeding them and they're eating some solids and not so frantically hungry, she's slowly paying some attention to them again. I wonder if, in their desperate hunger, they were chewing on her or hurting her somehow--7 kittens is a lot of use of her poor little nipples. She hasn't acted ill or lethargic or anything else that would make me think she wasn't feeling well.


By the way, the clean kittens last approximately 12 minutes before one of them pooed and then walked through it. 


And I weighed them all last night. The biggest one (thing 2) is about 10 oz. The rest are averaging about 8 ounces. The runt is 5 ounces.

For comparison, Minerva's babies, roughly 10 days older, are all 1 lb 6oz to 1 lb 9 oz. Minerva's biggest baby is 5 times the weight of Nala's runt.


----------



## emilyatl

7 is a pretty big litter, she could just be overwhelmed. I'd imagine she is a little sore.  Hopefully it's nothing serious, but she sounds like she's coming around again. 

Ha! 12 minutes. That's pretty good.


----------



## Jetlaya67

I wished I lived close to you, I would gladly help with the little ones. You are so kind to those fur babies and their moms.


----------



## Venusworld21

I'm working on Harry Potter themed names for the babies, though I'm not sure I can come up with enough "N" names for everyone. The "blackest" black one is Nox. The white one is going to be Nimbus. The little runty girl is Nymph (adora). The tabby girl is Nagini and the tabby boy is Niffler. I have no idea what to call the two twin boys that starts with N. I can skip harry potter names and just pick awesome N names, but I'd kind of like to keep with the theme. 

I don't like "people" names and have already ruled out Neville. I like Nougat (as in Nosebleed nougat) but not sure of a good "twin" name for that.

Babies are doing a bit better today still. Hopefully mom just got overwhelmed and is getting back on track now. We shall see. I've started weighing them daily (tonight will be day two) so I can keep track of their progress that way. I still think that if we can get them through the next week or so, we'll be in the clear.


----------



## emilyatl

LOL, what about Nugget? Would Nouget and Nugget be too confusing for the twins?


----------



## NebraskaCat

Well, there's "Norris" ... of course it would be named for the cat, Mrs Norris, which isn't a male.


----------



## OSCARSMOM

How about Nargle? " The Nargle is known to infest mistletoe and to be a mischievous thief""http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Nargle#cite_note-OotPf-1


----------



## Venusworld21

Ooooh, Nargle, I like that. Nougat and Nargle for the twins. Now I've just got to figure out who's who, lol. 


Everyone is still alive. Lots of diarrhea still though. I'm taking a sample to the shelter tomorrow to test for coccidia and maybe they'll be starting on meds, depending on the results.


----------



## Venusworld21

Confirmed as coccidia by the shelter vet. Everyone is now on meds. Hopefully things start improving quickly.


----------



## Venusworld21

Runt girl Nymph died around 4:30 this morning, despite the best efforts of many. She weighed only 5.5 ounces at 4 weeks old, had coccidia, was unable to maintain her body temperature on her own (I was changing out heat rice socks for her every few hours) and pooping out exactly what we put into her, undigested. She was given sub-q fluids, treated with medicines and given a mixture of pedialyte and sugar water every 30-60 minutes for her last 24 hours, but none of it was enough, sadly.

RIP Nymph. You are loved and you are not forgotten.

The other 6 kittens are continuing to improve and hopefully we will not lose any more.


----------



## Lotu

So sorry to hear about Nymph...are the kittens/mom taking the medicine well?  Our kittens had coccidia and were on Albon for about 10 days before we got them and then we gave them the medicine for about 7-10 days after and they really liked it which made it less of a chore. Of course they were about 11 weeks old when I got them, so probably more coordinated. Luckily they never had runny poos at the foster home or at ours. I can only imagine the extra work that involves. Thank you for taking on these little ones and their mommas


----------



## emilyatl

Aww, I'm sorry to hear about Nymph. Thank you for all of your efforts trying to save her!


----------



## Venusworld21

The other kittens are on Ponzuril which is only given for 2 days at a time (I've used Albon in the past. The shelter gave me Ponzuril this time saying it's the latest treatment) so they've already had both treatments (Saturday/Sunday). It apparently tastes horrible, but the dosing is small (.1 cc per lb of cat) and they all weigh .5 to .75 lbs so it's not such an ordeal to get it down them.


----------



## Jetlaya67

Sorry to hear about baby Nymph.


----------



## struckers

So, so sorry to hear about Nymph. Very sad, but she will be remembered.  You are so kind to take care of these babies, and I'm looking forward to the updates. It's great it's only a small dose and hopefully that'll help them. They're adorable btw.


----------



## Catlover Danielle

ugh, so heartbreaking to hear. I just lost one of my foster kittens, too. It's so so sad. I can't stand how they're so fragile, and it's so easy to lose them. :| Esp when it's so sudden. Ugh. </3


----------



## Venusworld21

This was taken when Nymph was still alive. Everyone's grown quite a bit and I need to get some updated photos.


----------



## kittiesmom

So sorry about Nymph, but that is a lovely photo.


----------



## howsefrau32

So sorry about Nymph  I hope the other kitties are doing ok.


----------



## Venusworld21

5 of the remaining 6 now weigh at least 1 lb (so they're 8 ounces or so behind the weight they should be for their age, but all have at least doubled their weight in the last 2-3 weeks). The 6th kitten (Nimbus) is 15 ounces as of last night, so should make it over the 1 pound mark this weekend. 

Updated photos of everyone:






Nimbus (white), Niffler (far left), Nox (center), Nougat (top), Nagini (small tabby, top right) and Nargle (right center).







Climb the hooman is a favorite game of theirs.  They don't fit on my lap nearly as well as they did in the picture of all 7.











Nagin is such a ham for the camera:




Mama Nala:






Mom is still not interested in nursing anyone, but they're big enough now that they can keep up with her pretty well, and they're eating solids, so it's not critical like it was when she was their only source of food. 

All in all, everyone is doing pretty well. Coccidia appears to be resolved, box training is progressing smoothly, poo is solid. Some of them still have poo on their tails (I never did bathe anyone. Wanted them to be good and strong first) which I think I'll try and brush gently out, rather than soak everyone again. Nimbus is the lightest. Nagini has passed him in weight (she was the smallest, aside from Nymph). Niffler is the heaviest, though Nougat is right behind him. The entire batch, from biggest to smallest, are within about 3 ounces of each other though, so everyone is gaining steadily.


----------



## Jetlaya67

They are getting so big. They are beautiful.


----------



## emilyatl

Aww, pile of kitties! I'm sure you're so glad to be over the coccidia. That is NO fun at all (for anyone). Poo everywhere. I've never had to deal with it with that big of a litter (I think 4 at the most). So I can only imagine how much work that was. 

It looks like some of the black ones are getting lighter and have very distinctive tabby markings (or maybe it's just the lighting?). They're all so beautiful!


----------



## Venusworld21

Two of them are definitely tabbies (Nagini and Niffler). The other three black ones appear to be solid. Nox is the one that looks "really" black in the pictures. The other two, the twins (Nargle and Nougat) are a very chocolately black and have been all along. They both have white spots on their chests too. I don't think they'll end up with tabby stripes though. And then there's Nimbus, odd man out, lol. He's my little happy boy. You look at him funny and he starts purring.


----------



## emilyatl

The only one looking at the camera in the 6th picture down is so pretty/handsome. They're so funny at that age, they always seem to have a worried look on their faces. 

Mom is really pretty too. It's sad that she didn't bond better with them. Sometimes if they are very young, they just don't.


----------



## Venusworld21

That's Niffler. He's a fuzzball...he's got twice as much hair as everyone else. I'm wondering if he's going to end up being medium/longhaired. 

Right now their biggest worry is that they aren't going to get as much food as they can possibly shovel in their mouths, lol. It's amazing how well they're eating on their own, after all the trouble I had with them.

Nimbus is 1 lb as of last night, so everyone is at least 1 lb now. They're super interested in climbing things (my legs, for instance  ) so I'm going to move the cat tree back in there today. I wanted them all to be at least 1 lb before I did that. I think they'll really enjoy it.


----------



## Lotu

I noticed the cutie "Nifler" as well. Do you think some will keep the blue eyes? I don't know much about cats, but based on the cream one, is this litter a Siamese mix (obviously no papers, but you know what I mean)? Do Siamese or Siamese-mix usually keep the blue eye color?


----------



## Venusworld21

I fully expect Nimbus (the "Siamese" looking one) to keep his blue eyes, because that seems to be standard on cats with that particular coloration, though I'd be willing to bet he's got zero Siamese in him. That coloration can occur in cats with no Siamese blood, is my understanding. 

I'm sure the "really" black one (Nox) and the tabbies (Nagini and Niffler) will end up yellowish/orange, like mom, but I'm not sure about the two more "chocolate" black ones (the twins, Nougat and Nargle). I'm wondering if they're pointed, like Nimbus, and could keep their blue eyes. They're currently about 6 weeks old, so those whose eyes are going to change colors should be starting any time now. We'll know for sure in a few more weeks.


----------



## Venusworld21

Everyone is getting so big. I decided to check the sex on Nox again yesterday, as she was the one I was unsure of, and now that she's not covered in poo, it turns out that she is actually a he. So Nagini is the only girl left among her five brothers, since poor little Nymph died. The biggest is currently Nougat, who is 1 lb, 9 ounces. They're getting quite good at climbing the cat tree now and Nala is finding it harder and harder to get away from them.


----------



## 10cats2dogs

Where's the Pictures? ?!!!


----------



## Venusworld21

Pictures! These are within the last week:











FEED ME!!!


----------



## 10cats2dogs

LOL! I Love the little one climbing your leg! Its a Feeding Frenzy!


----------



## Venusworld21

Lol, that's Nimbus. I made the mistake of trying to take photos BEFORE I had put out their dinner, heaven forbid. 


Nimbus is *usually* my happy boy, and starts to purr if you so much as look at him sideways. He and Nagini are the sweeties of this group.


----------



## Lotu

In the 2nd pic of mama reaching down, it looks like she is either counting to make sure they are all there or instructing them to play nice  The "feed me!" one is adorable.


----------



## Venusworld21

She was actually jumping down to see if she could get me to pet her, but I like the way that photo looks anyway.


----------



## Jetlaya67

I used to love have Winston climb up my leg when he was a kitten! Thanks for the pictures, they are adorable.


----------



## Venusworld21

The babies have started coming out into the kitchen at least once per day to start to learn how to be house cats.  They really seem to enjoy having the extra space to run around. Even Mama Nale comes out and checks things out (and behaves herself with all the other cats running around here). The biggest kitten (Nougat) is now 1 lb 14 oz and the smallest two (Nimbus and Nagini) are each 1 lb 7 oz. They should all be big enough to go up for adoption before Thanksgiving. I'm gonna miss these little buggers once they've gone off to their new people.


----------



## Venusworld21

The twins, Nougat and Nargle























Size comparison...Mama Nala and tiny girl Nagini:


----------



## Venusworld21

Three of the six are going back tomorrow to go up for adoption. Nougat, Niffler, and a third who will be either Nox or Nimbus, I'm not sure which yet. The other three will follow in a week or so, and mama Nala will follow two weeks after that. I'm hoping to have most of these guys find their new homes for Thanksgiving.


----------



## Venusworld21

And Nala, hiding from the babies up on 'her' shelf:


----------



## Lotu

Great pics...does the place who adopts them out put pictures on a website/petfinder? Will you be using those pics?


----------



## Jetlaya67

I don't think they could be any more adorable! AHHH, my kitten fix for the day.


----------



## Venusworld21

I have the option of doing web profiles for the fosters, but I find that a write up is better for the kittens as it goes right on their cage(s) and they get adopted too fast to have to worry about bringing in people from outside the shelter. For the moms and older kittens or those having a harder time being placed, I'll do pages. I would use those pictures, yes. 

My girl Lotus Blossom (from two batches ago) is still there looking for her home, though all her sisters have been adopted so she has a profile. Mama Minerva's profile will be made active by the shelter (it's in there and saved, but not "active" until she's actually available) probably sometime tomorrow and I'll do one for Mama Nala before she goes back too.


----------



## Catlover Danielle

That would *kill* me, seeing my foster kitty in a shelter long term. This is why I'm kind of glad we don't have a shelter and are only foster homes. I'm happier this way for more than one reason; but that is definitely one of them.


----------



## 10cats2dogs

Lotus still isn't adopted, that makes me sad...
For some reason Lotus became one of my favorites...maybe her eyes got me!!
I hope and pray she finds a forever home soon...


----------



## Venusworld21

Nimbus and Niffler are already on hold. I stopped by the shelter on my way home tonight. Mama Minerva (from batch 4) hasn't made it up to the adoption room yet due to limited space. Hopefully in the next day or two.  

I had someone email me about mama Sanka (from batch 2) who is still here (she was adopted and returned to me when it didn't work out), but she's too shy for what they're looking for I think, so I recommended Lotus. I just sent the email a few minutes ago...who knows, maybe they're the people she's been waiting for. Wifey and I have talked about adopting Lotus ourselves if she doesn't find a home soon and networking for her out of our home, where she can at least have a relatively normal life in the mean time. We shall see.

It's very unusual that an adoption would take this long, in my experience. Generally my fosters are adopted out within days. The longest one prior to this took a month or so. I stop by and visit Lotus at least once a week and she seems to be holding up okay. I'm starting to pull some strings for her though.


----------



## Venusworld21

All three babies were adopted and taken home today, so it's just Nox, Nargle and Nagini who still need people and due to the high volume of incoming animals to the shelter right now, they're going to stay with me until after Thanksgiving when the shelter has a little more space. I know what I'm thankful for this year.


----------



## 10cats2dogs

Has Lotus found a home yet??
Poor little pretty girl...


----------



## Venusworld21

No, she's still there. I talked with the shelter about her today and they're willing to let me pull her and bring her back here and network for her from a home setting.  I'm just waiting to see...I might have another cat coming in (pregnant female) and I was hoping to get the other three N kittens adopted first. But I'd also wanted to have her out of there by thanksgiving...so I'm not sure.


----------



## 10cats2dogs

It's so wonderful that you have the outlook you do!
It is so obvious how much you care about ALL your babies and want them to find good homes and that you aren't in a rush to just push them out the door!

I think it would be great if Lotus got to come back to you while she waits for her forever home...so less stressful than at the shelter...to think she's been waiting two months...


----------



## Venusworld21

The other three kittens went back tonight. I'll check in on them this weekend and I hope they'll already be gone by then.  Now it's just their mama Nala here, and Lotus (from batch 3) who came back tonight, for my shelter fosters. It feels pretty empty around here without babies tearing up and down the hallway at top speed.


----------



## Venusworld21

I visited the shelter today. Nagini and Nox have been adopted, so it's just Nargle waiting for his people, and there were several people fawning over him while we were there. (Mama Nala is still with me while her milk dries up). Five down, two to go.


----------



## Venusworld21

I went back to drop off litter boxes (cleaned my garage and apparently I've been hoarding  ) and Nargle is gone, so all the babies are home now.


----------



## 10cats2dogs

Happy Tears!! Yay Nargle!


----------



## Venusworld21

Updated mama Nala photos. She goes back to the shelter on Wednesday and the hunt for her people begins. 


She loves the couch:


----------



## Venusworld21

I went by the shelter on the way home and Nala is adopted.


----------



## 10cats2dogs

Oh Venusworld, That is Great News!!
A home of her own! Yay Nala!!


----------



## Jetlaya67

AWW, that is wonderful news. Nala has a home!


----------

