As the last hours of 2008 wind down, we still have two kits (Ferris and Cider) awaiting adoption at the shelter. Two of our fosterlings (Uno and Poe, both of the Nanos litter) succumbed to fading kitten syndrome when they were only two weeks old. But that means 31 of the 35 inmates we fostered at 50K this year are beginning 2009 in their new homes. So – on the kitten front at least – this was a very good year.

While groping around for something to write about, I thought maybe I’d post links to 5 or 10 of the Hijinx entries that seemed most memorable to us, or that summarized our experiences with litters 13 through 18. Naturally, 5 or 10 turned into 50. Here goes:

We brought the Glamour Pusses home on Jan 3, but they were really the final litter of the 2007 season. Their tenure with us predated this blog (and our current camera) so we don’t have many good shots of them. They were super-cute, friendly, and quite healthy. After they left, we had a six-week break.

The Topcats (Benny, Blue, Ham, JJ, and Otter – all siblings) arrived in mid-April.

Despite his suckling habit, Otter’s affectionate ways and loud purr-motor made him one of our favorites.

All of the Topcats enjoyed hanging with their peeps.

By the time they were ready to graduate, our little ragamuffins was all growed up.

Ham met a friendly organgutan at his new home.

Before the Topcats had even left 50K, we got the call to pick up four black neonates. We called them the Nanos, and had to put tape on their tails to tell them apart.

For the first few days, things went smoothly as the Nanos locked in on their bottles, pooped, and purred.

Nickel was the first Nano to open his eyes. For a few days, we felt good about their chances.

Our optimism faded when one-by-one the Nanos lost weight, developed white/green diarrhea, and started to fade. We got them on Clavamox just in time to save Whitey and Nickel, but we lost Uno and Poe.

We felt a cathartic relief when it became clear that Whitey and Nickel were going to be OK.

In June, our Nano boys graduated from the nursery and moved upstairs to the bunkhouse…

…and six weeks later, they were ready to take on the world.

Since one of this year’s themes was overlapping litters, we’d already welcomed litter 16 – the Vixens and their Mom Julia – to the 50K villa (aka the guest bedroom on the first floor.)

These guys were absurdly cute. The shelter mistakenly told us that Sonet was a female.

Julia was a devoted Mom, even though she couldn’t provide enough milk and the stress of mothering took a toll on her.

It’s a good thing Samara had nine lives, because she used up two and a half of them during her stay at 50K.

The Vixens loved to rock and roll in the villa nest.

Weaning took a while, and required a full buffet of menu options. We also tried every anti-diarrheal med under the sun…

…on Mom Julia, who tattoed the villa with her “chocolate rain.”

But the Vixens benefited from having their Mom around, and grew sleek and strong.

After the Nanos graduated, we moved Shilo and the other Vixens up to the bunkhouse and playground, leaving Mom Julia alone in the villa.

From the top of a wicker hamper, Samara fell into a heavy cardboard tube propped in a corner and was trapped for hours. By the time I found her, she was badly overheated and almost asphyxiated. It was her third near-death experience at 50K, and one of the year’s scariest moments.

The Vixens soon mastered the playground terrain…

…while Julia tried to overcome her intestinal issues in the villa. After we moved the Vixens upstairs, we started to realize how social a cat Julia really is.

After Whitey was adopted, Nickel got sneezy at the shelter and they demoted him to sick bay. We brought him back for a post-grad session at 50K, where he promptly spooked all the Vixens.

Julia's maternal hormones subsided and she eventually overcame her diarrhea. During her last week with us, we let her join us for breakfast.

By the time the Vixens graduated, they were super-kittens. Even with lots of other kittens on view at the shelter, we knew they’d go fast. They were all adopted within a week.

The Figs arrived at 50K the week after Labor Day, a few days after we returned from our vacation in Yosemite.

Lyell was a charmer from Day 1…

…while Flynn looked like he’d swallowed a grapefruit. We thought he had worms.

With Flynn and Ferris leading the charge, the Figs knew how to chow down.

For almost their entire stay with us, Gretel and the other Figs had nagging URI symptoms… especially weepy eyes.

Those nagging URI symptoms prevented the Figs from going on view until they after they started losing their kitten-ish looks. Ferris weighed over 5 lbs by the time we took him back. And seven weeks later, the poor guy is still there!

Aside from the URI issues and some intermittent diarrhea, the Figs were a typically active and playful litter…

…especially Shelley, who spent her first few days under the bed. She gradually metamorphosed into an athletic and outgoing alpha female.

Tenaya wins our “hardest to photograph” award for 2008. The camera usually depicts our little Sasquatch as a featureless ball of dark fur.

Gretel’s weepy-eye syndrome would come and go. Sometimes we’d find her or Tenaya with an eye stuck shut after a nap. Large doses of lysine – in treats, oral gel, and food-additive powder – eventually solved the problem.

During their extended stay with us, the Figs learned how to follow the sun around the playground.

The Figs got so big that they inspired us to install real bunks in the bunkhouse.

Eventually, they all went back to the shelter. Gretel and Tenaya went home together, Shelley and Lyell went home separately, and Flynn and Ferris shared a cell for weeks. Now that Flynn is finally home, it’s Ferris’ turn.

The Eels arrived in mid-November as a hybrid litter: two tabby sibs and three tortie sibs. There was lots of hissing at first, but relations thawed after a few days.

Right from the start, Ella knew how to sing for her supper.

Cider was the smallest and weakest of the three torties when we met her. By the time she left, she was the biggest and strongest.

Milo was a little orange guy with a big-cat attitude. He also like to hang with us and purr.

When the tortie-tabby feud ended, Ella was ready for some good-natured wrasslin’ with Lark…

…or some napping in the box with Cider.

A week before graduation, Vera stumbled into a few days of weight-loss and needed a visit from Captain Tuna.

But by their last day at 50K, the Eels were lined up and ready to rumble.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still reading ?! Thanks for hanging out with us during Kitten Season ’08!

As soon as our first wave of ’09 furballs arrives (in Feb? March?), you’ll be able to read about them here. Until then, we’ll post an entry every week or so just to keep our pilot light lit through the winter. The 50K staff are all still here, and maybe one of them will have something entertaining to say.

We hope 2009 treats you and your furry companions well!

Cheers, Ted and Martha

filed by: TS

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