Lilly, the orphan squeaky toy. cont.

[SuoceraBlues]

Following on from here

She has a little brown gunk around her eyes this am. Antibiotic eye cream time ?

I am tired, but so relieved that (so far) she has made it.

[SuoceraBlues]

Lilly the tiny shark

She has teeth, so am trying to knock this behavoir on the head.

OMG! She is washing her feet!

[proud mummy emoticon]

And trying to wash her face. But not sure poking self in the eye was part of the plan.

Now she is crying ....and glowering at me like it's my fault her eye feels funny.

And attemtps at running end up nose down in a sofa cushion. Again.

She is better than telly.

[SaskiaRembrandtWasFramed]

Aaw, she's so cute!

Not sure about her eyes - maybe just wipe them with a little boiled water, like you do for babies.

[SuoceraBlues]

I'll try that, see at least if it comes off and stays off.

Lilly wants to feed herself

She is so clever....at knocking bottles over so they drip all over the sofa.

[cozietoesie]

She's gorgeous.

I'd try wiping eyes gently with boiled water as Saskia suggested and keep a close watch on them before going to the vet. If it continues with the problem, I'd seek professional advice because an eye infection (if she has one - some occasional discharge is common) can be serious if untreated.

I reckon she'll be walking and running within a day or two - and the tray and weaning should follow close behind. (If her muscles aren't very strong and she's not very stable on her feet, she's not going to be too happy about trying to balance on a tray or beside a dish. When they improve, she'll hopefully improve.)



Well done suocera. You must be shattered!

[SuoceraBlues]

I am. But she is the sparkle in my day. I'm not sure I've ever loved an animal like I love her.

The other 7 cats and the four dogs and evil vampire rabbit must not hear of this, they will get jealous.

But I really really do love her the most.

I can't help it.

[NicholasTeakozy]

Round about this age is where she'll show the most development. Her character will come out and this is when she'll learn how to run, jump, groom and feed herself.

No wonder you love her the most, you've spent so much time and effort with her.

[Cailleach]

The sleep that forms in a cats eyes is brown, not yellow like it is in humans, so this may be normal for her.

A little warm water with pure salt in it (applied with a cloth rather than cotton wool which could leave threads in the eye) will get rid of it.

And also: OH DEAR GOD, THE CUTE!!!

[cozietoesie]

Meant to say - I saw that DS was stroking her. And I think, if I remember rightly, that I saw a cat poncing around in the background on one of the Youtube videos? If so, she'll be getting real socialized already. Well done.

[SuoceraBlues]

Well she hasn't "offfically" met any of the cats yet. They have come to have a sniff (and a hiss) at her, but she was otherwise occupied with a bottle.

She sort of knows Daisey (the little brown dog) becuase she lurks during feeding time with her eyebrows going like that advert with the two kids doing facial contortions of the forehead kind.

DS is the love of her life. I'm a bit hurt actually. I do all the hard work and he gers the goo goo eyes. Once she is better on her feet each cat can come up by itslef to be formally introduced, but only Whiskers and Snowball (the junior cats) will spend extensive time with her upstairs for now, cos the senior cats will tend to freak put and Sooty will definatly try to squash her given half a chance. He is an ex Tom, looks like a panther and wieghs half a ton. I tust around small fluffy things not a lot.

Huston we have a problem. Overnight she has achieved balance and agility. We cannot contain her in either her playhouse or on the sofa using our legs as a playpen barrier. I have to tidy and clean her living room (I've converted one of the upstairs bedrooms into a living room so DS and I can escape from MIL, this is where Lilly lives) this morning so she can go down on the floor withput me having a heartattack every ten seconds. And find a rug cos she is having problems with the tiled floor.

As I type I have ten small, but extremely sharp, claws dug into my thigh as she is determined to escape the sofa.

Is she too young for a cat nip mouse ? Can't get them here and I am oogling amazon UK getting over excited abput cat toys. I want She wants one of tjose cat play tpwer things. She said so. There was a distinct "mi..yes I want one..ow" when I showed her the picture.

She can make an iPad scroll to the bottom of the page with one paw. Clever kitty. But quite annoying when I am trying to read a very long thread and she makes me lose my place every ten seconds.

[cozietoesie]

If they've come to have a sniff (and even a hiss) and she's ignored them, that's fine. Best to always be present at the start but sounds as though she's now becoming part of the scenery for them.

I thought she would suddenly 'go'. (They do at this age as NicholasTeakozy said.) Just thank your lucky stars you haven't got 6! Get all china and valuables in cupboards for the duration and prepare for a few near coronaries.

As to toys - scrunched up bits of paper, toilet roll innards, any old largeish cardboard boxes are just as much fun to a kitten IME as bought stuff. A particular favourite with my kittens has always been newspaper 'swords'. (You open out a double sheet of newspaper, roll it diagonally to form a long tube with thinner ends and then loop one end round on itself to form a grip rather like a cartoon cutlass. Then you put a hand in the grip and sort of whip it/loop it gently - one minute it's there, the next it's not. Sounds more complicated than it is. They love it)

I'd steer clear of bought cat toys (including catnip mice) to be honest. I don't think they're subject to any safety regulations and some of them have hard or spikey metal bits, glass eyes - I've even seen cat mice with mechanical innards for moving. None of them the ideal thing for a kitty. If you have charity shops there, have a look for little kiddy teddies etc.

Otherwise, if you have the equivalent of pound shops, have a look for those cheap key rings (probably meant for teenage girls) which have such things as small teddies or fake fur tiger tails on them. Cut off the key ring part, check religiously to ensure no spikey attachments remain and/or cut off any clothes on the teddy bears. They're much loved by my lot and will take a lot of punishment/dipping in food and eating.

You're doing great!

[cozietoesie]

PS - they can almost always (along with baby toys) be washed in the machine as well. Dry within an hour or so.

[cozietoesie]

How's the little girl doing?

[SuoceraBlues]

Killing me.

My DH would like to thank you from the bottom of his wallet for curtailing my purchase of three tonnes of toys and a mamoth kitty climby scratchy tower thing.

At five weeks old yesterday.....

Lilly can run. Annoyingly in the direction of DS when he walks in. Me who sterlises, feeds, botty rubs, flea treats, worms, tends to her very survival....nada.

Lilly can suck. Like drain a bottle in seconds and then burp in my face.

Lilly won't use the litter tray. Full stop outright furious squeaky refusal.

Lilly won't lap milk from any container. Full stop outright furious squeaky refusal.

Lilly acts like highly epensive, best quality, bankrupting baby kitty food is poisen. Fluff on the floor however ....is delicious.

Lilly won't poo. She is bloody holding it again and is getting increasingly hard to stimulate botty wise cos her claws and teeth are present and correct and she knows how to use them. She is also a tiny Houdini and wriggles to olympic gold standard.

I have now not left the house, or even got out the front gate, for three solid weeks and am getting island fever.

She is lucky i love her, cos between her and MIL (to be fair more MIL than her, Lilly has yet to scream "whore" at me for three hours solid til the neighbours come out and chunter) I am on my knees.

But she has to wean (and poo) soon. Please God, make her suddenly find milk in a saucer and kitty baby food delicious and the litter tray attractive and pee/poo inducing.

I am looking back on taking care of two weeker and thinking "them were the days, when it was all so easy" Nemisis for being desperate for her to grow.

[cozietoesie]

Good news on Lilly - hard news on the MIL front. (Hugs to you there.)

She's only 5 weeks so weaning and using her tray is on the cards soon - it could start to happen any day, really. I'm reluctant to say 'let her get just a little bit hungry' given her rocky start but if her weight gets really good, that may be the way to go in a week or so - if nothing has happened. I'd welcome views from others on that.

Why not get DS to tempt her to the tray, poo-induce, and saucer of milk if she thinks the sun shines out of him. Use what you've got!

[cozietoesie]

Here's the aspca guidance.

\link{http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/weaning.aspx\weaning}

I wouldn't worry too much about her being a 'bit behind'. Her age was always estimated and she did have a rocky start. At the moment, though, she's got it real comfortable so shortly, you just start to make it very slightly less comfortable. Stop peeling those grapes for her!

[SuoceraBlues]

LOL at peeling grapes!

But you are right. Cos she arrived so fragile I tend to respond to her needs at light speed...if not actually anticipate them for her. And if she cries I tie myself in knots to make her purry again.

She is a bit spoilt

[SuoceraBlues]

see, all these sites talk about kittens falling in their food rather than eating it. None of them talk about the ones that act like you are trying to poisen them, scream their heads off and run away from the dish like a bat out of hell and generally act like they think this behavoir of yours is worthy of an emergency call to the RSPCA.

Is she phobic about dishes ? Meat allergic ? seriously princessy?

I have a horrible feeling I am going to be bottle feeding her and rubbing her bum at five YEARS old

Still, the running snapped in just like that, the same will probably happen with the potty/ lapping. It's just she is going to keep me in a state of angst til the absolute last minute I reckon. Fingers crossed.

[cozietoesie]

A bit?? LOL - but who could blame you.

Think back to nature, though. Now (or even a bit before) is about the time that Mom would be starting to get a bit fed up with her and her 5 siblings. (Think back to those 6 Lillys!) She'd be spending longer away from the kits, the milk bar wouldn't be on continuous access and the kits might even be getting the odd regurgitated/chewed mouse dropped in front of them.

(Not suggesting you have to do that last!)

You'll just have to start making her work a little for her needs. Maybe in a few days if you think her weight is up to it and her co-ordination is good. (Of course, you may find she does it independently.)

[NicholasTeakozy]

Cozie is right. Now is when the mother leaves her litter more and more to its own devices. Probably the reason for seeming to prefer your son's attention is that you are seen by her as the mother, and your son is a litter mate.

You're doing a grand job though.

[SuoceraBlues]

She just did a pee in the litter tray !!!

Hooooooooraaahhhhhhhhhhhh!

I have resorted to putting a tiny bit of super extra costossissima premium extra expensive baby cat food in her bottle with a big glug of milk.

We had faces. We had sulks. We had a three second nursing stike. But in the end her love of a good suck overcame her disapproval...and she got v. enthusiastic at the end, even licking the teat for any spear drops.

It's progress.

Oh and how she runs! As soon as I walk in the room she drops what ever she is chewing (yes, chewing, not scratching, she chews things, Maybe she thinks she's a puppy?) and GALLOPS accross the room, tries to brake, slides and lands in a squeaking, hyper purring heap at my feet.

It's very flattering when all you have to do to deserve such a welcome is pop to the loo for a minite

[cozietoesie]

Way to go, Lilly! Where there's a pee, a poo will follow soon.

Hopefully eating from a bowl shortly as well.

Well done you.

[cozietoesie]

Should have added.

Pooing is a bit more difficult technique - instinct should guide her but you might be as well to ensure that there's plenty newspaper round the tray and check it very regularly in case her initial aim is a bit off. And she then tries to bury it and ends up scattering litter round half the room!

[cozietoesie]

Any success on the 'poo in a tray' front, yet?

[SuoceraBlues]

No.

BUT!

this morning I waited till she screamed with her mouth wide open, and just shoved a tiny bit of cat food in her yowling gob.

And she acted like the heavens had opened and rained cat nip mice.

So she quickly progressed to licking cat food of my finger, and then to the jam jar lid I am using as a plate. But only if she sits on my knee and I hold the lid at the prefered angle. Which changes depending on her mood.

She will not eat on the floor. Princesses don't.

She is getting very good at climbing, scaled the drying sheets ten minutes ago and pulled them all on the floor.

I'm chatting to another mum who regularly raises orphans and she suggested cat company. So I am taking a big breath and bringing Whiskers up here. He is my clamest cat. He hissed and growled at her when I brought him up yesterday for a visit, and he NEVER does that. But I am going to be brave and not take him straight back downstairs this time. I think if she sees him bei g a cat she might lose a bit of the mini dutchess attidude.

Cos I am terrified I am going to be bottle feeding a nine year old in the future. Like hell does she want to give up her bottle and lick milk like a commoner.

She is well cute though. Into everything and currently chasing her own tail. Which she forgets she has until she catches a glance at it out the corner of her eye.

DS started school today and is now doing homework, as soon as he finishes I am press ganging him ito being photographer, if you thought she was gaaawwww gusss before, you should see her now.

A work of fluffy art !

[NicholasTeakozy]

Sounds good! Looking forward to the photo update.