Adventures With The Felv Fosters

[SheriB]

My sweet friend and pet sitter came by today with a present for the kitties, a three way tunnel! Harley is in heaven, his old tunnel is getting quite beat up!

A little update on Cupcake, she’s pretty much unchanged except that her eyes have cleared up. She is now hiding from me because I have been giving her fluids once or twice a day, she is not fighting as much so I have been able to do it without help. I tried brushing her on Saturday, which she has always loved. She didn’t object but got up and went back to hiding pretty quickly. It just seems like she doesn’t want to be messed with. She still is drinking water and using the catbox, but no food that I have tried has tempted her, that includes baby food, tuna, Tiki Cat and even Fancy Feast with gravy. She may be eating dry food but I have not seen her do it. She is sleeping on her heating pad again which makes me feel better, she’s always been so cold. I moved it to her hiding place.

 

[rubysmama]

Somehow I've missed this thread until today, and have just read through all the pages. Thank you for taking in and taking such good care of all these kitties. I've kind of lost track of who is who. How many do you have in total.

Just saw that Cupcake is sick, and went back to see which one she was. Poor baby, being in a cage for 7 years! At least she's been with your group for a while. Hopefully she'll get better.

Now that I've posted, I'll be subscribed to this thread, so will be following and reading updates.

 

[SheriB]

Somehow I've missed this thread until today, and have just read through all the pages. Thank you for taking in and taking such good care of all these kitties. I've kind of lost track of who is who. How many do you have in total.

Just saw that Cupcake is sick, and went back to see which one she was. Poor baby, being in a cage for 7 years! At least she's been with your group for a while. Hopefully she'll get better.

Now that I've posted, I'll be subscribed to this thread, so will be following and reading updates.

Welcome Ruby’s Mama! I have enjoyed your posts on other forums and love your tag line that says The day I adopted Ruby my house became a home. Lovely!

As to the FeLV Fosters, there are Minnie, Nanny, and Harley,
the teenagers Fino, Aggie, and Bette,
DuckDuck and Goose
Moonie and Cupcake

I also have talked about Sugar and Fluffy, healthy cats who lost their home when their owner went into the hospital. They are the ones who just got adopted. There are three more from that group yet to be adopted.

I’m sorry if I gave the wrong impression about Cupcake, she was in the shelter for seven years as part of the general population, free to roam with all the other cats. She didn’t test positive for FeLV until last year when they retested her because she was sick.

I look forward for to sharing this journey with you and all of the wonderful people I’ve met on this site!

 

[Norachan]

How's Cupcake doing today Sheri?

 

[SheriB]

How's Cupcake doing today Sheri?

Hi Norachan! She has been more active today, I saw her come out of her hiding place twice, and she drank lot of water. She also had a bit more strength to fight me when I gave her her evening fluids. I’m hoping it’s a good sign.

 

[Norachan]

That's good! She sounds like a feisty little thing. It must be reassuring to have her fighting against her fluids.

 

[rubysmama]

Welcome Ruby’s Mama! I have enjoyed your posts on other forums and love your tag line that says The day I adopted Ruby my house became a home. Lovely!

Thanks for welcoming me to your thread. My tag line is a twist on "a house is not a home without a cat".

I’m sorry if I gave the wrong impression about Cupcake, she was in the shelter for seven years as part of the general population, free to roam with all the other cats. She didn’t test positive for FeLV until last year when they retested her because she was sick.

Good to know I misunderstood about Cupcake being caged so long. I have read about cats being in shelters for years. Hopefully they too were able to roam freely.

Cupcake is really beautiful. Hope she continues to feel better.

 

[SheriB]

I brought in one of the grass pots yesterday, a little too early because the grass has not developed enough roots to resist being pulled out by the cats. Nevertheless they were instantly drawn to its fresh smell. Here’s Fino checking it out.

 

[walli]

I am so amazed at your creativity, will that grow in the house?
I think I need one of those! Can you teach me how?

 

[raysmyheart]

I brought in one of the grass pots yesterday, a little too early because the grass has not developed enough roots to resist being pulled out by the cats. Nevertheless they were instantly drawn to its fresh smell. Here’s Fino checking it out. View attachment 219805

I love the grass pot, yours is so pretty. Like bringing Spring indoors! I may think of one for Speedy.
Speedy and I are sending healing wishes to Cupcake and prayers.

 

[SheriB]

I am so amazed at your creativity, will that grow in the house?
I think I need one of those! Can you teach me how?

Thanks Walli! You can grow wheat and barley grass in the house. The cats love it! There are a bunch of videos on YouTube that explain it better than I could. Search for “cat grass” or “wheat grass.” The one thing I do is to have a heavy pot that will be difficult for the cats to spill, and I put largish rocks, 3 inches across or so, or these glass bulbs in the pot to keep the cats from climbing in and peeing in them. The grass grows up around these objects. The grasses grow quickly, keep them watered like you would a houseplant.

When I first took in fosters I experimented and made a grass bed big enough for them to lie down in, and it lasted almost a week before they killed the grass peeing in it. Smelled pretty bad by then too.

Anyway, Walli and R raysmyheart , let me know if you decide to try it!

 

[SheriB]

I love the grass pot, yours is so pretty. Like bringing Spring indoors! I may think of one for Speedy.
Speedy and I are sending healing wishes to Cupcake and prayers.

Thank you! Cupcake had one of the best days she’s had in a long time today. She was up and around a bit, out of hiding, and She licked the gravy off of some food and drank a little bit of broth. She also let me pet and brush her and cuddled on my lap, which she hasn’t done for weeks. Maybe the fluids and antibiotics are helping her. She’s scary thin and weak, but she had a good day.

 

[walli]

Yay cupcake! aw I bet it was wonderful brushing and cuddling with her.
thanks for the grass tips, I don't have a green thumb but I'm going to try it.

 

[SheriB]

I have to say, Cupcake is the most amazing little girl. Three nights ago I was pretty sure she would die during the night. Now she’s up and eating and gaining strength all of the time. She’s avoiding me again because every time she sees me I do something to her, fluids, eye salve, nose cleaning (yes, I pick her nose so that she can breathe) and nose drops. Poor little thing. I’m so thankful that she’s getting better.

 

[Summercats]

SheriB
Lovely photos and what you do for the cats

I am especially in love with Bette and her gorgeous coat and orange eyes. Amazing.

I adopted a FELV positive cat from a shelter this past autumn. I retested him after two months and he came out negative. He is my only cat, a very wonderful cat.

 

[Norachan]

Good for Cupcake! That little girl is a fighter.

W walli cat grass is really easy to grow. I have a big clump of the wheat grass outside that comes back every year, even though it gets snowed on.

 

[walli]

Thanks Norachan! I'm half Japanese, I've been following your story.
My Mom is from Fukushima.
Tracychan

 

[rubysmama]

Glad to hear Cupcake is feeling better.

 

[Norachan]

Thanks Norachan! I'm half Japanese, I've been following your story.
My Mom is from Fukushima.
Tracychan

Konnichwa Tracy chan.



Do you ever come back to Japan?

 

[SheriB]

SheriB
Lovely photos and what you do for the cats

I am especially in love with Bette and her gorgeous coat and orange eyes. Amazing.

I adopted a FELV positive cat from a shelter this past autumn. I retested him after two months and he came out negative. He is my only cat, a very wonderful cat.

Welcome Summercat! So awesome that you took a chance on an FeLV kitty, and even better that he came out negative!
Yes, Bette is a beauty! And a goofy little thing, romping around with her sister Aggie and the big black Harley. She is also always the first to run up to get brushed and petted in the evening.