Pregnant Stray Decided She Lives Here Now.

[Ceeedge]

Baby is still hanging in there but I just got some AMAZING news! We reached out to a friend of a friend that runs a fabulous shelter and he is going to take care of kitten vaccinations and will rehome them when they are 9-12 weeks old (I would think closer to 12 would be better, but I will defer to his judgement.) I have really admired this guy for a while. We dropped off supplies at his shelter a while ago and he gave us the ten cent tour. Every animal that we visited clearly worshiped him and one of the pits that had been severely over-bred was literally hugging him at one point. Between ya'll and this wonderful guy we are going to be in really good shape! I am feeling really optimistic about this now. :-)

 

[Sarthur2]

That's fantastic news!

 

[Ceeedge]

We are still hanging in here.

Pk has been named "Danielle" but I will continue to call her PK as a nickname because I really like it. She is such a sweet loving girl and I think after she is fixed she will make a lovely indoor/outdoor kitty. She is a fabulous little hunter. Any little thing that blows across the room is instantly pounced upon and killed. She is a terror to paper towels everywhere. We had some people over for breakfast and she wanted love from everyone that came through the door, she is so affectionate it is unreal. Will keep updates coming.

 

[Ceeedge]

I have a confession to make: I can be kinda dumb sometimes.

Half of this has nothing to do with PK, but it has been a heck of a day. I put the word out that I was a little concerned (there goes my image) and asking if anyone knew a vet I could talk to. I did call our vet this morning, but I wasn't urgent and thought they would call me back (Nope!). So around 3 a buddy said he worked with a woman who breeds cats, and she would be more than happy to Facetime with me for a few minutes, and tell me if this was a vet worthy event or no.

RIGHT as she got on the phone a dog walked in! Loki had somehow gotten out of the back yard and walked right up to the front door. So I checked the back yard and there were some guys working on a power line right behind us. They have asked us before if they can use our gate and I told them it was fine as long as the dogs weren't out there. They claimed not to have seen him and I asked them to knock on the front door in the future if they needed to enter the yard. I really thought they just hadn't latched it securely and he got through. This will be an important reminder of the lesson to never assume.

A few things I learned on the call. PK has NOT been panting for the past few days. She is breathing, cats just happen to be smaller than humans and large dogs and so they breathe faster. Whoops! I awkwardly asked her to look at kitty junk and she said that it does look as if we are getting in the home stretch, but as she is not bleeding, just sometimes seeping clear pink she should be just fine. She told me if I see blood and not just pink for too long that is when I need to get kitty in. She was very gracious and and I WILL be calling again to give updates and asking lots of questions.

Now after the call I was feeling great so I came into the living room to hear Zoe flipping out at the back door. I went to check and no Loki. My heart stopped. The first thing I did was check with the power guys and they claimed not to have seen him (Something I now know to be true and owe those guys and apology when they come back tomorrow) I looked in every room in the house and the shed in the back just to make sure and started walking the neighborhood calling his name. I asked everyone I came across and no one had seen him. Now he is a very large and ridiculously friendly dog so if he was in the neighborhood SOMEONE would have seen him. I even went two streets over on all four sides to make sure, but nothing. Confused and heart sick with no idea where my baby boy could be I came back home and started working up the nerve to call my GF and let her know he was missing. When I was walking up to the front door I could hear a queer sounding whining that sounded like it MIGHT be him, so I rushed in the house...No Loki. Checked the back yard again. No Loki. Shed? No Loki. Just as I decided that I was losing my mind I heard it again and saw just his nose coming out from under the house. What in the fresh heck?

Turns out my trouble maker had broken a loose board on the fence and then climbed in a hole that still looks to small for him to get under there. I had to tear off some siding to get him out, but he is totally fine. Filthy and covered in cobwebs, but unharmed. We will be repairing both the fence and the side of the house this weekend. I feel like I have been up and down the emotional roller coaster today, but at the end of it everyone is fine and GF will not ever know that I lost our baby boy for an hour or so. I need a drink Ya'll!

 

[blueorchid]

Oh my! What a day! I'm glad everyone is alright. My heart sank reading about Loki! So glad this had a happy ending!

 

[daisyd]

Hahha sounds like one of those days ! I made extra sandwiches yesterday and decided to give some to some homeless guys who sleep outside our local garage (gas station ). When I got there they were not sat on their bed (well a pile of clothes / blankets ) so I left the sandwiches on top . Happy with my good deed I walked round the corner and thought I saw one of the homeless guys, dressed in a long brown dress / robe and carrying an empty carrier bag. I stopped him and advised him I had left him some sandwiches on his his bed and pointed to the pile of clothes on the floor. He looked a bit bemused and said ive just come here to do some shopping (the garage is also the local Spa (grocery store)....

 

[Ceeedge]

Oh no! Open mouth, insert foot eh? My grams was fond of saying that no good deed goes unpunished.. LOL

 

[daisyd]

Oh no! Open mouth, insert foot eh? My grams was fond of saying that no good deed goes unpunished.. LOL

I know I didn't know who to feel more embarrassed for ! Blame the government for making everyone walk around with empty carrier bags after charging 5p plus for having one when you go shopping ! Thought id let you know I had a weird start to day too

 

[Ceeedge]

I appreciate that. I was feeling a little foolish after today. The dog thing took it out of me, and a very kind woman had to take time out of her day to explain some very basic things. Ah well. Tomorrow will be brighter :-)

 

[daisyd]

Hopefully the kittens will be here soon !

 

[Sarthur2]

Your dog needs to be on a leash when he is in the yard.

Try to relax about your cat. Mother Nature is pretty reliable.

 

[Ceeedge]

Dogs, especially large breeds like we have absolutely should not be tethered in their own enclosed back yard. There have been quite a few studies that have shown it increases boredom and aggression, causes depression, and can hinder socialization. Here is a good research study out of New Mexico https://www.apnm.org/campaigns/chaining/Final_DPS_Tethering_Study.pdf and there are a few more I can send you if you are interested.

Especially out here in Texas, heat is also a concern. We have a dog house available for them under some shade trees and they also have access to a patio that has the frozen dog bowl that in the summer is also loaded with ice. An animal in direct sunlight can overheat much much faster than you or I. If you have large breed dogs please do not tether them their own space. Leashes are for the front (Unenclosed) yard, walks and to/from places like the vet or the dog park.

 

[Alejandra Rico]

Dogs, especially large breeds like we have absolutely should not be tethered in their own enclosed back yard. There have been quite a few studies that have shown it increases boredom and aggression, causes depression, and can hinder socialization. Here is a good research study out of New Mexico https://www.apnm.org/campaigns/chaining/Final_DPS_Tethering_Study.pdf and there are a few more I can send you if you are interested.

Especially out here in Texas, heat is also a concern. We have a dog house available for them under some shade trees and they also have access to a patio that has the frozen dog bowl that in the summer is also loaded with ice. An animal in direct sunlight can overheat much much faster than you or I. If you have large breed dogs please do not tether them their own space. Leashes are for the front (Unenclosed) yard, walks and to/from places like the vet or the dog park.

Yeah, I am with you, leashes are for going for a walk not for being at home. Chaining them kills their soul little by little, poor things.

 

[ileen]

I just read this thread from the beginning & I was getting so nervous when I saw how short it was. Glad to see she wasn't actually that close to labor Friday. Maybe she'll have the kittens Sunday - that's the day I've designated as my cat's 3rd birthday, as when he was found in April 2016 the vet said he was between 1-2 years old.

 

[ashade1]

Any kittens yet?

 

[daisyd]

Yes they must be here soon !!!

 

[daisyd]

Hi are you okay ? Are they here ?

 

[Ceeedge]

Not yet guys! This one might have been a little anxious. A trip to the vet concluded that she was just licking herself a ton and leaving her area wetter and pinker than usual. I have become far too familiar with the kitty parts on this one. lol. I am catching up on work after a computer crash and hanging with her as we speak.

A small update: My girlfriend and a friend noticed that she follows me from room to room as I get stuff done around the house/cook dinner/work and its adorable. She just chills in a comfy spot not too far away from me and naps most of the time so I guess I had just gotten used to her. Her belly is even bigger now. I need to take updated pictures before she pops. She is more belly than kitty at the moment and I can tell she is not comfortable most of the time. She is very vocal when she wants something and I am starting to get a feel for food meows vs I want attention meows, I feel like she is settling in nicely and is almost a cat-dog which will make a beautiful fit for this home.

She is eating less at a time but asking for wet food more often these days. I figure her belly is making way for all of those babies and she just can't eat as much at once? Or maybe she is more comfortable with the fact that there will be more food given soon and she doesn't have to cram the whole can in at once. Either way, I can still feel both hip bones and her spine very clearly so I think perhaps all of that extra food is going straight to the little ones. They are moving like mad and it might just be my imagination, but they seem to respond more when mama is purring and kneading. I just give her smaller portions 6 or 7 times a day so it doesn't get yucky (Or smell up my office). I will make sure to get pics of the little ones! Night Ya'll.

 

[daisyd]

Does she get on with the dog ?

 

[Ceeedge]

She has not actually met the pups yet. She is just a little less graceful than normal right now with the belly and all and we decided to intro them after the kittens are weaned and rehomed. She is allowed free reign of the house when they are out at play time in the back and when I bring them in she is enclosed in the office. They did a lot of smelling through the doors at first and now seem to have accepted that there is just a new smell in the house and that is that. Both of the pups are large, and while our girl at 7 would likely be just fine our boy is less than a year and a half and I just think he is too excitable right now. I didn't want to risk him hurting the kitties by accident so it was decided to delay the meeting. They actually used to play in the front when she was a much smaller neighborhood cat and he was a puppy. They might even remember each other. She is currently hanging out on the pile of clean laundry I really need to fold and I am fixing to get to work for the day. Hope everyone has a great one!