GOING, GOING, GONE!

Batch #5 went up onto the *VOKRA database on Sunday, June 21st and by Tuesday, June 23rd, all four kittens had been adopted by their new families! Penee was adopted by a teacher in Burnaby, who plans to leash-train Penee so that she can take her out for walks.

ADOPTED!  Penee - June 29, 2015

Shellie was next to be adopted by a family who 'ooohhhed' and 'aawwwed' all over Shellie as soon as they saw her. Shellie will be joining a kitty that they already have at home.

ADOPTED!  Shellie - June 27, 2015

Rajesh and Lennie were then adopted by a family from Richmond, who were looking for a pair of siblings to keep their kitty at home company. Their kitty had just lost his sibling in May and they worried that he was missing kitty companionship.  I'm sure with the introduction of Rajesh and Lennie to their household, their kitty will not want for more companionship than these little bundles of energy.

ADOPTED!  Rajesh & Lennie - June 28, 2015

It's really amazing how fast these kittens grew up.  Eight weeks really does go by in a flash.  I'm looking forward to receiving pictures of these kittens in several months' time to see how much more they have grown.

Shellie just waiting on the balcony with me
for her new family to pick her up

They're here!  They're here!

I'll miss you little rascals and all your little love bites!

Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association

https://www.facebook.com/VOKRA

Adoption application:

http://www.orphankittenrescue.com/adoption_application/

WHO ARE YOU?

Mommy Aimee went to the vet to be spayed yesterday morning.  I don't know about you, but I had to double-check that females are actually "spayed" and not "neutered".  My quick internet research confirmed that:

FEMALES are Spayed and MALES are Neutered

When I picked her up later that evening, she seemed sore and I could barely hear her meows.  The clinic gave her an identifying tattoo, clipped her nails and put a cute little pink bandage on her paw where her IV was. She was flicking her paw around and licking the bandage when I took her out of her kennel, so I gave her some food to distract her while I took the bandage off.

I'm sure Aimee did not smell the same to the kittens when she came back home as they seemed genuinely scared of her.  Their backs were up, all puffy-tailed and growling.

WHO ARE YOU?!

STRANGER!  DANGER!  DANGER!

***

While admitting Aimee at the vet, I was talking with the front desk assistant and telling her how Aimee was uncharacteristically not talkative for a Siamese cat. She thought that Aimee might be a mixed breed of Siamese and Himalayan, but after looking at Himalayans on the internet, I determined that Aimee was not fluffy enough.

After some further research into Siamese cats, I found that Aimee is actually a Seal Point Siamese, not a Chocolate Point Siamese.  Some information that I gleaned from http:www.allycatsiamese.com:

Chocolate Point vs. Seal Point

There is a lot of confusion between Seal and Chocolate Point Siamese. Many "Chocolate Points" out there are actually Seal Points that have been accidentally "misrepresented" as Chocolates. True Chocolate Point kittens are rare!

A Seal Point's points are very dark (seal) brown, and can almost appear black, especially from a distance. A Chocolate Point's points are a lighter brown...more the colour of an Aero chocolate bar. The photo below displays the differences between the Seal and Chocolate Points. Jasper (left) is a Chocolate. Cleo (right) is a Seal.

Aimee definitely looks like a Seal Point Siamese

So now I've got to go back into Aimee's profile and update her coloring as being a Seal Point and not a Chocolate Point ... although I doubt anybody who is not a Siamese breeder or a fan of the breed will really notice the difference.

Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association

https://www.facebook.com/VOKRA

Adoption application:

http://www.orphankittenrescue.com/adoption_application/

DEWORMING - PART TWO

The second dose of deworming medication was due to be administered to the kitties today. Although I had no problem giving Mommy Aimee her medication the last time (I hid it in a piece of chicken), I didn't have such luck with a big piece of meat to hide her second dose this time around.  I just had a slice of turkey. Aimee ate the turkey, but promptly spit out the second half of her deworming medication. With hubby taking a nap, I tried to get the second dose into her mouth by myself. This was no easy task as each time I put it in her mouth, she was able to stealthy spit it out.  We played this game about 3 or 4 times before I finally got her to keep it down.  Needless to say, Aimee was not a happy camper (I honestly believe that I heard her *sigh* a couple of times).  I also have a ton of fur all over my shirt and pants from the struggle.

The kittens, on the other hand, were a breeze to give their second dose to. I just popped open their little mouths, put the dose in the back of their throats and closed them up.  A little tickle on the nose, they licked and the medication was gone.  Life should be that easy.

***

PROFESSIONAL PORTRAITS

It`s amazing what a good camera can do for your photos.  Tania Hennessy (www.Taniahennessy.com) sent me the kittens` professional portraits and I must say that she did an awesome job!  How she managed to get the kittens to stay still long enough to get pictures as good as these is beyond me. Most of the pictures that I take are blurrsville.  That`s why she`s the professional and I`m the amateur.

LENNIE
(www.taniahennessy.com)

PENEE
(www.taniahennessy.com)

RAJESH
(www.taniahennessy.com)

SHELLIE
(www.taniahennessy.com)

My sister received a new EOS camera for her birthday this past May and she took some more casual pictures of the kittens as well.  Although she didn`t have the nice background and lighting that Tania has, her pictures were pretty good too.

Shellie having a little nap

Sisterly love:  Lennie and Penee

Lennie contemplating life

Penee looking on

Rajesh`s mesmerizing gaze

The kittens are now 7 weeks old and will be ready for adoption in one week! I am looking forward to meeting all the potential adoptees for these little fur babies.

Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association

https://www.facebook.com/VOKRA

Adoption application:

http://www.orphankittenrescue.com/adoption_application/

SURPRISE!

The kittens were taken for a few hours tonight by the *VOKRA cat photographer for a kitty photo shoot.  Mommy Aimee already had her picture taken a few weeks ago by Tania Hennessy (www.taniahennessy.com) and what a beautiful subject she was.

Aimee`s first official portrait
(www.taniahennessy.com)

When Tania came back tonight, she said that she had a surprise for me.  I asked her if she had brought back another kitten for me, but no.  Instead of coming back with 3 males and 1 female, she brought back 1 male and 3 females. Apparently Shelldon and Lennord are both FEMALES!  Gender reassignment pronto!

Shelldon will now be called Shellie

Lennord will now become Lennie

All kittens arrive at their foster homes with an intake sheet which provides information like the kitten's approximate age, coloring and sex.  I automatically assumed that the sex on the intake sheets were correct and did not even think to double-check.

Rajesh is now surrounded by females!  However, all the surrounding females are his sisters and mother, so he won't be seeing any action.  

Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association

https://www.facebook.com/VOKRA

Adoption application:

http://www.orphankittenrescue.com/adoption_application/

MEDICATION TIME - DEWORMING PART ONE

The kittens are five weeks old today, which means that they are to receive their first of two de-worming pills.  I will be giving Mommy Aimee and her kittens a half pill each, with the other half to be administered in exactly 15 days.

Mommy Aimee's pill was easy to administer as I only had to hide it in a piece of chicken. The kittens, on the other hand, had to be administered by way of subtle force.  I put each kitten in my lap and slowly pried open their little mouths and put the 1/2 pill in the very back of their throats.  Then, I quickly closed their mouths and touched their little noses so that that they would lick their nose, thus causing them to swallow the pill.  I must say I'm quite the pro at it now, so much so that I don't even require the help of my hubby to hold the kittens while I administer the pills.

No love lost after giving Shelldon his
deworming medication

A few days ago, the kittens started eating canned food and using the kitty litter. Apart from a couple of accidents in their bed and on the floor, they have been doing really well. Penee was the first kitten to join Mommy at the dinner table. Mommy wasn`t too pleased that she now has to share her food with her kittens.

Mommy and Penee sharing a meal

The kittens are also big enough now that they won`t cry constantly if they are separated from Mommy for cuddles with their Foster Mommy.  Lennord and Shelldon make really good cuddle bunnies in the morning.

Lennord in the crook of my arm in bed

Shelldon all spread eagle on the blanket

They are still a bit too young to play with toys, but I`m sure they will be ready in a week or two to chase all those lasers and feathers I have waiting.

Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association

https://www.facebook.com/VOKRA

Adoption application:

http://www.orphankittenrescue.com/adoption_application/

THREE WEEKS AND COUNTING

My beautiful 'Big Bang Theory' litter is growing up fast!  The litter is a little over three weeks old now, but they have made so much progress in those three weeks.

They have fully opened their eyes, their ears do not fold over like a Scottish fold (although I love it when kittens' ears are folded) and they are climbing out of their little box when we come in to visit them.  Shelldon and Lennord are the first ones to come to the edge of the box to be picked up (for cuddles or just to be lifted out of their box).

Shelldon and Lennord

In every litter, I always have the very real danger of foster failing one of the kittens (meaning that I would end up keeping one of the kittens as my own instead of finding them an adoptive family).  Each litter I've always found one (sometimes two!) kittens that I would say to my husband "I wouldn't mind keeping this one ...".  With this litter, it would have to be Lennord, the tabby.  My previous two cats, Runners and Hobbies, were both tabbies and I loved them (and miss them) dearly.  So, I guess I have a soft spot for tabbies.

My friend wrote a poem when my Hobbies went over the rainbow:

Sunday

In those last minutes

you feel like it goes by

Too Fast

Struggling

to find a way to make it

Slow Down

even though

you know it`s

Inevitable

Mementos

scattered throughout the house

Compassion brings more pain

And reminders

Stifle your cry until you realize

There`s no point

You

let

go

The memories are

Everywhere

Even when you close your eyes
to hide from everything else

Runners (left) and Hobbies (right)

Lennord is a very loving, playful kitten and is always seeking out our attention.  He is also very alert and will stare up at us from his box when we come in.

Cuddles on my shoulder

Sitting on my lap and posing pretty

Alert and adorable

Mommy Aimee is also a very affectionate cat, so much so that I wonder if she had a home previously.  She is not shy around people and on her first day with us, she climbed onto my lap for some affection.  I am pretty sure semi-feral or shy cats do not do that on the first day of meeting someone new.

Aimee being funny by sticking her tongue
out at the camera

Beautiful eyes to match her
beautiful coloring

I am hoping that Aimee will be adopted not too much later after her kittens.  With all the pictures and videos I will be taking of her, I do not see that being a problem.

Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association

https://www.facebook.com/VOKRA

Adoption application:

http://www.orphankittenrescue.com/adoption_application/

THE "BIG BANG THEORY" LITTER

It's always a fun time when you get to name your litter of kittens.  With my first batch, I just gave them names that I liked and what I thought the kittens suited.  But, as I slowly found out, the adopters would change their names to what they envisioned was the perfect name for their new furry family addition.  So, I now go with a theme for each littler.

BATCH #1 - No theme

Starsky & Hana

Skooter, Lucy and Malcomb

BATCH #2 - "HAPPY DAYS" theme

Arthurelli, Ralphie and Chachi

Shirley and Ritchie

Laverne

BATCH #3 - "LET'S GO PLAY" theme

Mommy Peak-a-Boo

Hyde and Seak

BATCH #4 - "BLACK" theme

Kole, Ebonie and Slate

And my newest litter:  BATCH #5 - "Big Bang Theory" theme

Mommy Aimee

Rajesh

Lennord

Shelldon

Penee

Yes, I know, what's with the unusual spellings.  As I've mentioned earlier in my blog, there are 1,700+ cats in the *VOKRA database.  So as to not mix up Amy from Amy from Amy, we have to name each kitten with a unique spelling or give them a last name to go with their first name.  

I guess I could have named Mommy and her kittens by their full character names - Amy Farrah Fowler, Rajesh Koothrappali, Sheldon Cooper, Leonard Hofstadter and Penny ... well Penny would have just been Penny the Waitress (now the pharmaceutical rep, for those who follow The Big Bang Theory sitcom), but I just found it easier to tweak the spellings of their first names.

Mommy, a chocolate-point Siamese, is a very affectionate cat.  She rubs up against my hand when I come down to see her and rubs my leg when I`m standing over her box to watch her kittens sleep and play.

Lennord is very vocal and will meow and meow at us, which of course automatically prompts me to pick him up for cuddles!  I`m not sure that`s his intention, but the outcome is always cuddles from me.  Hubby just answers back to Lennord`s meows.  They have some pretty sweet conversations.

The other three kittens, Shelldon, Penee and Rajesh have not stood out in any way (except for their absolute cuteness), but I`m sure as the weeks go on I`ll see their little spunky personalities shine through.

Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association

https://www.facebook.com/VOKRA

Adoption application:

http://www.orphankittenrescue.com/adoption_application/