Kittens, Kitten,Kittens!

February 22nd 2014 I got a phone call from the Waikato SPCA responding to my foster parent application form that I had emailed the night before. They were ringing to ask if I was able to pick up 3 stray kittens that had just come in. I managed to finish work early that day and headed into Hamilton to pick up my fluff balls.
I was super excited to pick them and had no idea what to expect. When I arrive I met with the lady running the foster programme, she took me to where the kittens were and took me through the process. The kittens were wormed, de-flead and microchipped all in about 5 minutes, poor little kittens. They were then loaded into my cat cage and I was equipped with catfood, cat litter and newspaper. The trip home was a quiet one as the kittens were frightened and unsure what to think. It took them a little while to settle in and let me hold them but within the first week I one of the kittens was a lot more friendlier. I wasn't planning on naming the kittens but I accidentally named one cookie so I figured I better name the rest. Cookie- Black and white kitten,Girl. Mouse- grey and while tabby, boy. And Bun-bun- tabby,boy. Okay so maybe Bun-Bun isn't really a boy name, or a kitten name but mum named him cause she thought his fur was like a bunny. I think he looks like a tiger. Because they came from the same litter they tended to sit and snuggle together. All was going well until week 2 and then came the Catflu.... Mouse had very watery eyes, the sniffles and looked very unhappy. Luckily I was taking all three into the SPCA for a foster check a few days later. By foster check time two kittens now had this 'cold' . I dropped the kittens off at the SPCA while I went to class and returned to pick them up a few hours later. I was given three unsettled kittens and 2 syringes of catflu treatment. 10 days worth of antibiotics for Mouse and Bun-Bun. Cookie escaped it THIS TIME. What a mission it was using this tiny syringe. 0.1ml everymorning. Who would have thought it would be so difficult and frustrating. I also had to keep their eyes and nose wiped clean.Finally I got the hang of it and was onto the last syringe when cookie started sneezing. And the cycle started again. wipe the eyes and nose, steam the bathroom up to de-congest and give plenty of TLC. I then took all three into the vets only to find that cookie had catflu as well. At least this time I was educated about the cat flu and reassured I couldn't catch it. Mouse got to skip antibiotics and he was much better. So I started the morning routine again of antibiotics for Bun-Bun and Cookie. Now all three kittens are fit and healthy, de-sexed and ready for adoption, I'm taking them back to the SPCA this week so they can find their forever home.
So even though I have had to look after three sick kittens, I still managed to fall madly in love with them, spend hours snuggling with them as well as keeping their litter box clean and water bowl and food bowl full.

Favourite Moments

Cookie

Meet Cookie, The girl of the group. Smoochy, cuddly and very sweet. The funniest thing I have found with Cookie is that she gets jealous very easily. If I pay more attention to a different kitten, she will push her way past and demand attention. She has been my cuddle buddy when I am sad and has licked away my tears. Even as I am typing this she is by my side playing with the keyboard. She is an adorable kitten and the person who adopts her is one VERY lucky person.

Cookie had a traumatic experience today....somehow she got the hand strap on my camera AROUND her neck and then got scared and was running around the house trying to get it off whilst my camera was banging against everything. I tried to catch her but I couldnt, luckily the camera flung off her neck. poor wee thing, she hid under my bed for a while .It was so funny after it had happened and shes perfectly fine now and so is the camera from what I can see.

Bun-Bun

Meet Bun-Bun, my little tiger. He was the one that would sit by himself, didn't want to be held and cuddled. But after one afternoon of being tucked into my hoodie, he climbed into the fur hood and fell fast asleep. ever since he has been the most lovable, cuddly kitten. (He's secretly my favourite) He always wants cuddles and is the first to greet me in the morning with a cuddle and a kiss.

He has a belly to him and likes to sit at the food bowl eating all the food.

Bun-Bun also had a bad experience today except this time it was with my laptop. I was working on my laptop on the couch and he was snuggled up with me, he then moved the lie beside the laptop, he then started mewing frantically and when I moved the laptop he had his claw stuck in the USB port of my laptop. I carefully grabbed his foot and toe and plucked it out, nail still in tact and all is well :) The funny things these kittens do hahaha.

I will probably miss Bun-Bun the most and I wish I could keep him.

Mouse

And lastly, Meet Mouse. He has only just come out of his shell this past week. Before then he did not like to be picked up, would run away if I walked near him and would only sit on my lap if the others were there purring. I think that was because he felt poorly from the flu and possibly he missed his mummy. Now he is a bundle of joy. he runs around the house with the others, has brotherly fights with Bun-Bun and now he even snuggles with me. He has also developed his voice so I often hear his walking around looking more me or the others making cat noises. 

Now I realise this post is very long and my next ones won't be so long as I will post regular updates about any other foster kittens. Saying goodbye to these kittens will be very hard but I know I have given them a great start to life and saved them from being strays or injured. As hard as it is the take them back I will have the opportunity to help some more unwanted kittens and transform them into loveable kittens as well. 

I highly recommend fostering from the SPCA, especially now as it is kitten season and they are overloaded with young or sick kittens. The SPCA provide all the equipment, all you need to provide is a safe room and plenty of love.

Now to finish off this very long blog post. 

Thanks to anyone who has read this and feel free to comment and let me know what you think or share any cat stories you have.

Tortie xo

(Tortie is a nickname from when I was little cause my sister couldnt pronounce my name so I guess she just altered it haha)