As a foster kitten parent who frequently raises the youngest and most at risk bottle baby kitties, I can tell you from experience times can be tough. Fostering is not all unicorns and rainbows. There will be kittens who are too sick and weak to make it and pass away on your watch, like my foster Hercules and his brother. Others may appear to be healthy like one of the kitties in this litter but unexpectedly get very sick very fast, and despite you providing all the loving, warmth, baby kitty formula, and glucose you can, won't make it through. Then there are all those viruses and bacterial infections kittens suffer from that'll have you cleaning up things coming out of both ends. You'll find yourself giving medicine in mouths, eyes, and bums. (Remember fierce little Beth who had to be wrapped like a burrito for her eye medicine?) Wiping noses, cleaning out eyes, and running humidifiers are not all that unusual. And ringworm kittens like my Duck Tales where you are changing clothes a dozen times a day (with as much cleaning and laundry you'll be doing it'll feel like a dozen more) is not fun at all.
And even if everyone is healthy and strong, the tiniest of the bottle babies start out needing feedings every two hours. Round the clock, day and night like McKinley and Denali back in May. Have to help them go to the bathroom, and it's not in the litter box.
But as foster kittens get weaned, start using the litter box independently, and gain more strength, the weeks get better and better. Now that these little ones have passed the two pound mark, we are in the best of times.
Personalities pop out.
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McKinley is like the toddler who fights going to sleep.
We call her the free spirit. |
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Denali is the softest and snuggliest little boy.
But maybe a little crosseyed sometimes. |
Leaping and jumping are frequent.
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| Tryouts for the track team. Hurdles look to be his sport. |
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| Free spirit McKinley thinks leapfrog should be a track and field event. |
A lot of the day is spent running and chasing and catching toys. I think the fish won this battle.
Let's not forget all the time they spend wrestling with each other. All. Day. Long. These two are definitely best friends and partners in crime.
And partners in what looks like synchronized swimming.
As a foster parent it's weeks like these where you can relax just a bit and enjoy the kittens. Let them entertain you (which they do) and love on you (which they do) and know in your heart you (and they) are doing just fine.
Yep, the best of times.
