The Kitten Pile

Oden and his rear end.

2012-01-22T19:36:00.001-08:00

Oden is my new foster kitten! He is about 5 months old and more fluff than body. He got a really bad fecal mat over his bottom which caused him to be unable to poop. The result was some serious fecal impaction. This created quite a horrific looking scene on his rear end. I am fostering him for a while and giving him hydrotherapy everyday until his rear gets back to normal. Hopefully with time it will heal on its own and surgery will not be necessary. The hospital staff at the shelter did a wonderful job with him for the first week and now I am continuing his treatment plan in a more relaxed and spacious environment. Aside from his gnarly rear end he is quite the looker. He is very sweet and loves to sit in my lap. His fur is some of the softest kitty fur I have felt!

New Snuggle Bed

2012-01-15T21:36:00.001-08:00

The kitty's Auntie Dana made them a snuggle bed. We put it next to the heater in the living room and they love sleeping by the warmth. Here is BooBoo enjoying the warm new snuggle bed! He loves it! Sending purrs and headbutts and big thank yous!

One more time....

2012-01-02T17:43:00.001-08:00

The festive outfits are officially put away until next year. Promise.

The Santa Suits Return.....

2011-12-24T19:02:00.001-08:00

Bella says this is undignified.
BooBoo is always offended because he thinks we are making fun of him because he is large and chubby.
(And to add insult to injury, he is Jewish).

Merry Christmas from Bella.

Happy Hanukkah from BooBoo.
Happy Holidays from the Humans!

Remembering Amelia

2011-12-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

It has been one year since our sweet Amelia left us. Love you kitty girl!

Bella's Basket

2011-11-29T16:47:00.001-08:00

Tarzan & Kerchak

2011-11-28T10:11:00.001-08:00

These fine young fellows were my temporary wards over the weekend until I could find them a foster home. They came into the shelter with fleas and some major poopy issues. With some special meds and food they have improved mightily in the last two days! Their new foster mom is an excellent kitty caregiver so I know they will get optimal care!

Kerchak is unsure about the camera.

Tarzan is all kinds of cute!

Cats these days....

2011-11-14T21:29:00.000-08:00

I bought the cats a present today. I set it down for them to examine and went to change out of my jeans into some sweatpants. Less than 1 minute later I return and Stewart Ferguson had already eaten most of the tail!!! I found part on the ground (pictured) and part stuck in his belly fur. I am now waiting for the other part to appear..... Can't buy that cat anything nice!

the face of defiance.

Always.

2011-11-08T19:39:00.001-08:00

I'm Outta Here!

2011-11-08T19:33:00.000-08:00

Sweet, spunky, snuggly Spartacus went into the shelter to have his neuter this morning. He was very cranky with me for not feeding him his breakfast this morning. He is now at the shelter interviewing potential families. The staff thinks he's a doll! Will update when he finds his perfect home! Bella misses him but is enjoying the peace.

Halloween Kitten Cuteness!

2011-10-31T17:03:00.000-07:00

Spooky Cat Pumpkin!

Some photos from Bella and BooBoo's first Halloween!

looks like Spartacus isn't the only kitten here who likes candy corn!

HAPPY HOLLOWEEN!!!!

Kitten's Love Kandy Korn!

2011-10-30T23:10:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

love, Spartacus

Kitty Sunshine Tic Tac Toe

2011-10-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

Sick Day Supplies!

2011-10-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

Kitten needs 7Up, Tissues, and lots of entertainment options while he is under the weather.

I Got Adopted Today!

2011-10-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

Miss Georgia went to her new home today! She has a four-year-old human sibling who loves to play with her and pug sibling to terrorize (um, I mean play with). Hooray for Georgia!

Sniffle, Sneeze, Spartacus, Snuggle

2011-10-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

Little Sparty is fighting off a kitten cold. No signs of infection are presenting yet and we are keeping a close eye on him. For now he is getting steam treatments by hanging out in the bathroom when we shower. This morning he wanted my attention so badly that he repeatedly jumped into the shower while I was trying to bathe. He absolutely loved being wrapped up in a warm towel afterward while I tried to get him warm and dry before I left for work. Now he is snuggling with human Stewart who is baby talking him. Boys....

SPARTACUS!

2011-10-14T22:40:00.000-07:00

He's small. He's orange. He's fierce, er, okay, he's a little shy....

... but he loves to play with his new mouse! We'll make a confident man-cat of him yet!

big thanks to Stewart for the photos!

Farewell, Little Georgia

2011-10-09T23:36:00.001-07:00

Georgia is packing her suitcase and is getting ready to head down to the shelter to interview potential families. She is making sure all of her favorite things are packed; her catnip cigar, her scratch board, and her yellow heart from her Auntie Morgan. I will also be sending her with a little snack pack of her favorite food. She and I spent some time writing a note to her new family about her vaccine allergy to go with the pamphlet from the veterinarian. That reaction was very scary for her and she wants to be extra sure it never happens again!

Farewell for now sweet girl. I know you will find the perfect forever family!

In her shelter digs. Mommy spoiled her with her very own toys and scratch board and collar and pink name tag and food!

Poor Georgia Girl

2011-10-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

Little Miss Georgia had her spay surgery today. The surgery went well but when she got a vaccine afterward she had a bad reaction. Her face and leg swelled up like a balloon and her eyes got orange-red and bloodshot. She was a sad little kitten. She was supposed to stay at the shelter tonight and go out on the adoption floor but I brought her home. Hopefully a few more days of rest, medication, and love will help her heal and feel all better!

Bella and BooBoo were very concerned about Georgia. She was a bit growly and cranky tonight. Bella licked her on the head and gave her some encouraging snuggles. We left her to have a little wet food snack and rest in her room so she could be peaceful. Will update tomorrow on how she is doing.

Round One... FIGHT!

2011-10-05T22:26:00.000-07:00

All Tuckered Out

2011-10-04T22:05:00.001-07:00

Georgia falling asleep on the couch snuggled into the quilt while Stew plays video games :)
One happy little kitten!

"The Tunnel"

2011-10-03T21:42:00.000-07:00

When we moved into our new place a few weeks ago we packed all of "rollable" wall art into mailing tubes. While extricating our world map from one of the tubes a piece of poster paper came out as well. Instead of taking the time to roll it up and replace it I leaned the loosely rolled poster paper against the wall. Georgia knocked it over and decided that it made an excellent tunnel! She would run through the rolled paper multiple times per day. This afternoon I taped the edges together to make the tunnel into a sturdier structure and placed it in the middle of the living room floor. Look at what happened next....

STEWART FERGUSON DOVE IN HEAD FIRST!!!!

BooBoo reports that the tunnel makes excellent body-armor and is highly useful for defending himself from kitten attacks! Something he considers a necessity lately due to frequent pestering.

Kozmic Kitten Krazipantz

2011-10-03T17:34:00.001-07:00

3, 2, 1....

...and scene.

red bell pepper investigation

2011-10-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

Look at Me Grow!

2011-09-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! Remember this picture of me from last Saturday when my foster mom brought me home??? I only weighed 1lb 6oz when she popped me on the scale to the right of me over there. Look at the pictures of me from today!

In six short days I have gained 10oz and now weigh 2 full pounds!

Pretty amazing what good food and some love can do huh?

note: kittens tend to gain about 4oz or so a week!

Georgia the Pest

2011-09-28T21:33:00.001-07:00

Tiny Kitten - Big Stewart

2011-09-27T23:03:00.001-07:00

Georgia was all tuckered out from running around like a maniac and found the perfect perch where she slowly nodded off into a kitten nap.

Girls and Cigars

2011-09-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

my girls do enjoy a good cigar...

Bella Sighs, Georgia Eats & BooBoo Heads for Higher Ground

2011-09-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone.

2011-09-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

My name is Georgia and I am a tiny kitten. Don't let my little size fool you because my voice is big and loud. (as my foster mommy discovered on the ride home tonight...) So far I have checked out my new house with mommy and my foster brother and sister have hissed at me in my carrier while mommy was getting my room situated. I am very skinny and somehow ended up all alone without my cat momma! I am a tiny bit scared but I think everything here is going to be alright....

Georgia on my mind...

2011-09-23T22:49:00.000-07:00

We have a new ward joining us tomorrow. She is really cute and her name is Georgia. Are you as excited as I am?

Enjoying the Move.

2011-09-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

Bella enjoying lounging on BooBoo's bed in the window seat!

BooBoo hiding in a box fort!

Catnip 5K!

2011-07-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

On Friday August 12, 2011, yours truly, will be participating in the annual Catnip 5K for the Cat Adoption Team where I work. Our organization is an independent non-profit and is completely dependent on donations. Your donation, no matter how large or small, will go a long way toward supporting the cats in the shelter and helping us end needless feline euthanasia in the Portland metro area! Check out CAT's website to learn more about our cats and programs!

Donate Here and help me continue to make a difference in the lives of countless cats and kittens!

Thank you for your consideration!

Love, Dawn, Isabella, Stewart Ferguson & all the fosters at TheKittenPile!

Hedginald

2011-07-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

This is the cats' new friend Hedginald.
He loves to play. We'll see how long he lasts.

Weight Update

2011-06-19T16:12:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! I wanted to update everyone on my weight loss efforts. When I went to the vets in March my goal was to be in the 17lb range by June. I have been eating right and doing a lot of exercise and I blew everyone away with my new weight! 15.9 lbs!!!!

The vet even said I am losing weight too fast and told mommy to add some extra calories into my diet! (Take that! Mommy the food nazi!)

Yum! I love food and treats! :)

Do I look smaller from the side?

How about the back???

Thanks for all of your support!
xo, Stewart Ferguson.

Dandelion was Adopted!

2011-06-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

I was out working at PetSmart on behalf of the shelter this weekend and sent home the beautiful Miss Dandelion. She went home to a couple with no other cats who lost their 15-year-old kitty about 6 months ago. Everyone seemed happy with the arrangement. Dandelion luxuriated next to the couple on a bench in the adoption center while they filled out her paperwork. While I was making all necessary photocopies and finishing up the paperwork they filled a huge shopping cart with new cat items for her! She was then wisked away and a cute carrier with a fancy blanket! They said they would be sending out announcements to introduce their new family member to all of their friends and relatives. Dandelion in going to be one pampered girl!

Cosmic Circle & The Hex Bot

2011-05-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

They watch it so intently...

Playtime with Bella

2011-05-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

I took a couple videos of Bella playing with her Da Bird and Cosmic Circle. We put a little Hex Bug Bot in the circle to push the ball around and the cats love it!

They are a bit dark but you can hear Bella's cute little meow!

Bella vs. Da Bird.

2011-05-24T22:11:00.001-07:00

We got Da Bird this year as a birthday gift for BooBoo. Within an hour he had pulled out all of the feathers. I finally got out the glue gun and glued the feathers back in. Stew rigged it up in this drawer so that it hangs down for the kitties to play with.

hmmm what is this?

not looking, not looking...

sneak attack!

and again, not looking...

Perfection.

2011-05-19T21:43:00.001-07:00

This Cat is unreal! Miss Bliss does not have a bad side!

Dinner Time at the Bliss Cafe.

2011-05-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

Oh man! BooBoo is SO NAUGHTY!

2011-05-18T22:01:00.000-07:00

Hi All. Bella here. You may wonder why I am staring out the window. My brother was sooo naughty yesterday! He sneaked into the garage when no one was looking. Then, he ran outside when someone opened the garage door! Daddy was looking out the window and saw a kitty sitting under the truck in the driveway. He thought, "that kitty looks like BooBoo. Wait a minute! That IS BooBoo!" Then Daddy had to go outside and retreive BooBoo. And guess what? BooBoo was so scared of the outside that he ninja-crawled around and Daddy grabbed him. Wahahaha! Now I have to keep an eye out and if brothy isn't pesting me I look outside to make sure Daddy doesn't need to rescue him again! He is a very bad kitty!

BooBoo Loves Laundry Day!

2011-05-16T20:32:00.001-07:00

Bliss Kittens - Eyes Open!

2011-05-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

These little kits just get cuter and cuter!

photo by DJ.

My Weekend at Outreach

2011-05-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had the opportunity to work at one of the outreach locations our shelter operates out of a large chain pet store in the area. We have a handful of cats at each location to increase their visibility and get them forever homes. I sent one kitty home on Saturday, a gorgeous black girl with green eyes named Malawi. On Sunday I brought my camera, and although foot traffic was minimal and no one was adopted, the cats and I had a great time together!

Jelly relaxes on the Ess.

Marla enjoys some pets from Stew.

Gunner relaxes on a cat tree perch.

Nana invaded Marla's cage and DID NOT want to leave!

Dandelion being her cute floofy self.

Shy Thursday rests in her cage.

Depeche was a tad disheveled looking. I woke him up from his nap to take a picture.

My favorite sweet girl Mamba. She is a snuggle lap kitty.

See how fluffy she is????

Embarrassing...

2011-05-01T21:23:00.001-07:00

oh BooBoo.... sigh....

Teeeennnyyy Tiiiiinyyy Bliss Babies.

2011-04-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

A fellow foster parent (a mentee of mine) just took home this gorgeous momma cat. She is so pretty she looks unreal. She has an adorable brood of teeny tiny babies. We will be keeping you updated on this group as they grow :)

Here is momma. Her name is Bliss.

And here she is with her tiny babies.

All photos in this post by Dj. (thank you!)

BooBoo Sweet Talks His Way out of Jail.

2011-04-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

Neighborhood Watch

2011-04-08T21:14:00.001-07:00

Crusty Kittens

2011-04-01T23:15:00.000-07:00

We got a mom and a litter of kittens in at the shelter and they were super crusty and dirty! Lucky for them (heh heh) their foster mom is bathing them tonight :) Sooo cute!

Culinary Pursuits

2011-03-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

Bella helps plan our dinner menu.

Training.

2011-03-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

BooBoo is training his young minion.

Minion has procured noms and proper tools for dispensing of noms.

Blast! Minion still lacks motor skills refined enough to open can of noms!

In time. In time...

Hanging with Dad

2011-03-28T16:53:00.001-07:00

Bella can always find a perch.

Strut

2011-03-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

BooBoo is feeling pretty proud of himself.

He is strutting around the house. He only lost a few ounces since his last weigh in but he is feeling good. He is proud he is still losing weight and has not gained any back! :)

This is a chart of his weight since his first trip to the vet as a tiny kitten!

Hi everyone! BooBoo here. Thanks for supporting me in my weight loss efforts. My goal for my next weigh in is to be somewhere in the 17 lb range! Will you meow for me?

Relax!

2011-03-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends.

Check out my new purple collar.I am feeling so relaxed!

Booboo is wearing a Feliway collar because he is going to the veterinarian today. As much as he loves his vet tech ladies, he hates the ride in the car. Hopefully the pheromones will sooth his jangled nerves. We are going for his weigh in to see how he is doing with his diet! :)

Find the Kitty.

2011-03-08T19:10:00.000-08:00

Cozy Girl.

2011-03-07T15:58:00.000-08:00

New Toy Destruction and Snuggle Weather

2011-02-28T20:51:00.001-08:00

We got some pretty chilly weather (for the Portland area) over the weekend. The kitties and humans were busy lounging. The kitties got a couple new toys to keep them (and us) amused.

They really like the banana...

as evidenced by the "love" it has already gotten.

Hey cranky pants! Show everyone the other new toy.

A lady I work with got a heart for her kitties and they won't play with it.
I know two kitties that love catnip hearts and she gave it to me to take home!

They have done all three.

Bella has been very snuggle buggy and she is always in a cozy spot.

Hello pretty girl.

Not much else going on here.

Fun Kitten Terms.

2011-02-22T14:38:00.000-08:00

Miss Emberly (from Mavis' litter) was pictured on a friend's blog showing off her slurry eating skills. It's a cute post with fun kitten terminology.

Much Better Than a Shirt.

2011-02-17T21:51:00.000-08:00

It was clear to me that Bella totally hated the shirt I got her. Even though it was super cute and looked great on her. She doesn't think anything mom picks out looks "cool". So I went back to the store and exchanged it (after a thorough lint rolling) for a new toy. I found this one and thought they would love it. Plus, it was on sale! Double Bonus!

Oh yes! She's into it!

Mom! Bella said I can't play with her new toy!

"Let your Brother have a turn!!!"

Wow it lights up when it rolls!

reluctant sharing.

Booboo loves it! Bella is being so patient.

Bella's turn again. She loves the 'nip sprinkled in the middle :)

Much better than a shirt!

Cat Bite - Update

2011-02-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I went back to the urgent care facility to have my cat bite looked at to make sure it was healing properly. It had been oozing and had gotten some new redness around one of the punctures. The doctor looked and the punctures and didn't like the look of the one puncture in particular. Nor was he comfortable that I was experiencing pain in my wrist and up into my arm toward my elbow. There was still an absence of a red streak that typically indicates a spreading infection but he didn't want to take any chances. I was switched to a different antibiotic and given an intramuscular injection of another antibiotic.

The injection was extremely painful. I think that the needle hit a nerve because the injection was given on the high side of my rear and pain shot all the way down to my ankle and up into my lower back. It was a completely different type of pain than I have ever experienced. It took me a while to catch my breath afterward and I was limping around for a couple of days. I still have some soreness but can walk normally.

My hand seems to be healing well too. The redness has subsided and turned a nice pink color instead. The bruise around the bite site has turned a ugly yellow color and is almost gone and there is very little swelling left. I have been experiencing maddening itchiness on my hand due to the healing process. Arrrgh! It itches! :)

can't break this heart...

2011-02-14T21:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Bella's New Shirt.

2011-02-14T19:10:00.000-08:00

Daddy! Save me from this horrible shirt!

Super cute sequin skull shirt!

She looks so cute! Even when she's plotting revenge. :)

Cat Bite!!! Eek!

2011-02-10T20:43:00.000-08:00

It finally happened. After these years of fostering and kitty herding I got my first (and hopefully last) legit, serious cat bite. Thankfully I have wonderful coworkers. One cleaned the wound and applied a bandage for pressure, another got all my workers comp papers together, and a third drove me to urgent care and helped me fill out my paperwork. Everyone else provided great advise and moral support.

The bite occurred while I was doing my morning care giving routine. A cat who had escaped on us before tried to run out of her cage while I was changing out her bedding and litter box. Remembering what a task it was trying to retrieve her previously, I attempted to scruff her in order to prevent her from leaving the cage. She thwarted my attempt and when I tried to hang onto her again she started to run behind me and as I turned to get a better angle she attacked. I didn't realize it was a bite at first. I didn't see her attack and thought she had just scratched me badly. One of the punctures from the bite hit a vein on the top of my hand and it bled fairly profusely. I let the cat go and quickly made my way down the hallway to the staff lounge to use the sink. Once I was able to run the hand under the water I noticed that I had two big punctures on the top of my right hand below my little finger and some other more superficial nicks and scratches. I left a trail of profanity and blood in my wake and a few of my coworkers rushed to my assistance.

At urgent care they cleaned and dressed the wound and prescribed an antibiotic. I have a follow up appointment in a couple days to evaluate the punctures. The doctor wants to ensure they are healing well and not showing any signs of infection. Right now ibuprofen and ice are my good friends. I even got some fun purple tape to wrap around my hand to protect it while I work.

The kitty will be placed into bite quarantine for 10 days. She is already housed in our intake room away from the public and will likely stay right where she is for the duration of the quarantine. At the end of that period of time she will receive a rabies shot and then we will decide if she would do well in the shelter or if she needs to be placed elsewhere for further socialization. She is a very frightened girl. I feel for her. I wish there was a way for me to communicate with her to help her understand that she is loved. Poor girl.

Pretty Pose & Growling

2011-02-07T16:10:00.000-08:00

Pretty girl is posing.

Today, as I was working at the computer, the garbage truck came down the street. Miss Bella, who was looking at the window, began to growl. Then later in the day my roommate came home from doing some errands and Bella began growling out the window again. I have never heard her do this before. Maybe it is a ground floor vs. third floor issue?

Dumpster Tipping/Diving.

2011-01-27T21:42:00.000-08:00

Crazy Cats.

Success and Reward!

2011-01-25T20:27:00.000-08:00

BooBoo went to see one of his favorite vet techs today for a weigh in! He loves his vet techs (such a flirt...)! He has lost 1.5 pounds in the last month since starting his new food! Yay! We agreed that although the weight loss is good he is losing weight a little too fast. The tech suggested adding a bit of additional food to his diet. I gave him a little bit of extra food tonight but I am a mean mommy and made him work for it a little. He got a mixture of Evo kibbles and Greenies treats in a special toy that despenses them as he rolls it around. He likes playing with it and it helps him have a little fun and move around a bit as well!
20lbs to 18.5lbs! Yay, Stewart Ferguson!

Munch Munch Munch.

Roll.

Sniff.

Munch.

Hey! Mom! What the Heck?!

Roll. Sniff. Munch.

Bird Watching. Part II.

2011-01-25T13:22:00.000-08:00

Bird Watching.

2011-01-25T08:47:00.000-08:00

Which is my good side?

2011-01-24T15:45:00.001-08:00

Hold on! I'm not done grooming yet!

Left side profile.

Right side profile.

Handsome boy goes in for his weigh-in at the vet tomorrow to see if he has lost any weight after a month on his new food! Wish him luck!

Tolerance.

2011-01-16T23:35:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of tolerance we convinced BooBoo to stop pestering his little sister and let her snuggle with him. Bella was soooo pleased!

Me and My Bella

2011-01-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

Ingenuity meets Extreme Naughtiness.

2011-01-11T17:27:00.001-08:00

Apparently he was hungry.
Mommy switched to a new container with a lid that screws on.
Game on, BooBoo, game on.

Missing My Girl.

2011-01-11T12:19:00.000-08:00

Wow.

I am starting to be able to look back at Amelia's life and talk about her without feeling overwhelmingly sad. I always think of her when I see her giraffe bed and when I am folding laundry, but I can anticipate when I will see and do these things.

Anyone who knows Stew and me knows that we are always singing little songs. Sometimes we sing to narrate our actions, changing the words of a popular tune to fit the situation. Whenever we were dealing with a finicky Amelia we would change the Cecelia in the Simon and Garfunkel song to Amelia and make up new lyrics to fit whatever she was doing.

I was in the car at the gas station today waiting for the attendant to fill the tank when Cecelia came on the radio. It was the first time I had heard the song in weeks and I had to hold back tears. It caught me completely off guard and I felt a little silly. I really miss my sweet girl.

Big Man's New Bed

2011-01-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

The New House

2011-01-02T20:09:00.001-08:00

The kitties are making the adjustment to our new home. They hid under the bed for part of the first evening. To my great surprise BooBoo was the first to venture out from our area into the rest of the house to explore. Bella has come out to explore as well but has been much more cautious. They still run away from the toddler but we think that is because he is so excited about having kitties around he gets loud when he sees them. We have made sure they have plenty of escape routes and hiding places. Their living areas look quite posh and cozy.

Bella showing off her new heart tag.

BooBoo being adorable.

BooBoo's favorite snuggle spot. His new "big boy" bed.

Kitty eating area #1. We thought they would enjoy some art.
(The fountain was being washed.)

Kitty eating area #2. Complete with Cat Sculpture!

Kitties + Moving

2010-12-27T12:13:00.000-08:00

We are moving! We will start the New Year living in a house with some friends. Bella and BooBoo will be the only pets and will have roam of a much bigger space as well as a toddler to play with. I am hoping this will help BooBoo shed some excess weight :) The kitties have met the small child on numerous occasions and everyone gets along well. I will be unable to foster in our new abode but I will continue to mentor other foster parents. I will be posting about my mentees' foster kittens, stories of some of our shelter cats, as well as the antics of Bella and BooBoo. They are a little nervous right now but I have been talking to them a lot about what is going on. They even have a "safe room" in the bathroom with all of their toys to hang in while we have the door open moving all of our crap out of the apartment.

BooBoo has been carrying his catnip pillow everywhere since we started packing.
Here he is surveying our huge mess.

Cat "safe room" with their beds and toys.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T07:21:00.000-08:00

Bella and BooBoo had an excellent Christmas. They got some fun new mouse toys to play with and spent Christmas Eve hunting them in a pile of discarded wrapping paper. They also got a new bed and fancy new tags!

The Santa Suit

2010-12-18T07:42:00.000-08:00

Needless to say, he hated it. When he started belly crawling across the floor, I took it off. Oh well, it was cute for a couple minutes and gave Stew and me a much needed laugh.

Rest in Peace Sweet Amelia

2010-12-16T20:59:00.000-08:00

Amelia crossed over the rainbow bridge today and into the loving paws of all the sweet kitties who have gone before her. Her health had been declining over the last six weeks. She had lost a pound and in her last three days lost any interest in food despite my eager attempts to feed her.

Last night I noticed she was drooling and appeared to have difficulty swallowing. This morning was the same and she seemed as though she was in a daze. I left early for work and brought her with me to see the veterinarian. As the vet examined Amelia and looked over her blood work from earlier in the week it was determined that she was not long for this world. She was drooling because she had developed uremic ulcers in her mouth and throat that were making it painful to swallow. Since her quality of life was poor and she would only likely live a few more days the decision was made to humanely euthanize her before she was even more miserable.

I stayed with Amelia the whole time and the doctor was amazing and very gentle throughout the entire procedure. My co-workers were so fabulous and supportive. I feel amazingly lucky to work with such kind, compassionate, and empathic people.

Rest in peace my sweet love. I know you have many friends to great you up there and that there is a big pile of warm laundry just for you!

Here are some photos from Amelia's year with us;

Hanging out with BooBoo

Waiting for Santa.

Eating from inside her giraffe bed.

Getting festive.

Snuggling with hidden BooBoo.

Relaxing on the chair.

Hiding after a Vet. appointment.

Catnip Party.

Giving me the evil eye.

Keeping Stew's clothing covered in black fur. :)

Enjoying some fresh air and a look out the window.

Kitty and Dawn nap time.

Supermodel pose.

First day at our house.

Hanging out with Bella.

BooBoo Peruses the Holiday Sales

2010-12-14T21:32:00.000-08:00

Amelia, Please Eat!!!

2010-12-13T19:20:00.000-08:00

Amelia's health has been declining in the last six weeks. She has lost almost a pound and she has been a very reluctant eater as of late. We have been desperately trying to get her to eat. Tonight I ended up warming up some tuna and letting her eat it while sitting on the kitchen counter in her new bed. She loves her giraffe bed! Please send good thoughts to Amelia!

Waiting for Santa.

2010-12-10T20:08:00.000-08:00

Fun Video

2010-12-10T20:07:00.000-08:00

Check out this cat's eye view of the world.

Amelia Makes a Fort

2010-12-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

I won't tell you how irritated I was when I discovered the packing peanut mess... nor how mad the cats were when I took it away. For their safety. BooBoo will eat anything...

Isabella, Tree Inspector

2010-12-04T07:36:00.000-08:00

Festive Kitties

2010-11-30T16:20:00.001-08:00

BooBoo in his Hanukkah collar.

Bella's snowflake collar.

Amelia's candy cane striped collar.

BooBoo Meets Petunia

2010-11-28T22:12:00.000-08:00

Sweet Little Petunia

BooBoo at a safe height.

Yes, BooBoo, there is a doggie down there.

They stared at one another quite a bit.

Meet Fortune.

2010-11-23T17:12:00.001-08:00

Fortune is a sweet as pie 11-year-old girl who has was recently returned to CAT because her owner passed away. After looking through her file I discovered that this was the second time she had been returned to us and this was the second owner she had outlived. Before her last owner's children returned her they took her to a groomer. Her fur was so matted they gave her a lion cut. Poor Fortune was sitting on her puffy blanket shivering in our intake room so a co-worker put a sweater on her. It was way too big! A couple of us went in on buying her a new pretty sweater. She loves it and then takes it off when she gets too hot. We have also started putting a warm disc in her cage to help her stay the perfect temperature. I think she looks smashing. Fortune is super affectionate. She loves to be held and gives nose kisses. I assume from how cuddly she is that she spent most of her day snuggled in her person's lap. If you know anyone in the Portland area looking for a sweet older cat please send them my way!

I Miss My Kittens!

2010-11-22T11:32:00.000-08:00

I hope they are doing well in their new homes!

Fostering Update: If I do get any more fosters this year they will be short term singletons more than likely. After the first of the year there will be some big changes coming for our family and The Kitten Pile. More on that later. Don't fret though! We will still be bringing you pictures and stories of cute kittens and the shenanigans of Bella, BooBoo, and Amelia!

Goodbye Boys!

2010-11-18T15:55:00.000-08:00

Holden is taking his mouse with him! Well, no, but his new mommy bought him a bunch of mice to play with in his new house. He will be very pampered!

These two rascals were picked up by their grandparents who had already made up a room for them in their house. Their mommy is coming to get them asap! I can tell they are already very loved and adored by mom and grandma!

Nashua in the Window

2010-11-15T18:16:00.000-08:00

And now the moment we have all been waiting for...

2010-11-14T13:19:00.000-08:00

Nashua and North have been adopted!!! Hoooray!!

My two tinys will be going home together with a very nice lady! She doesn't have any other pets so they will be her only babies. I am so glad they will have each other! :)

Kitty Snuggle Day.

2010-11-13T21:49:00.000-08:00

Hi handsome Holden! Tell us your big news!

2010-11-12T21:15:00.000-08:00

You may be wondering why Holden looks a little smug. Well, it is because he found his forever parents tonight. His new human mom came to visit him on Tuesday and then came back this evening with her husband so he could meet Holden too. She was in love with Holden's snuggles, playfulness, and dapper good looks and decided to adopt him! Holden will have two cat siblings around Bella and BooBoo's ages to play with. He will be going to his new home on Wednesday after he is neutered. Hooray for Holden! :)

my little snuggles

2010-11-10T21:34:00.000-08:00

Cleanliness.

2010-11-09T12:16:00.000-08:00

The kittens have had a TON of visitors lately which means I have been working extra diligently to keep the apartment (especially the kitten room) clean. Bella is pitching in and doing her part by making sure the kittens stay clean and tidy. Here she is cleaning little North. She pins the kittens down with both paws and then licks their bellies and faces. Then she plays with them a bit. Sometimes the kittens get squirmy and protest but I think they secretly love it.

so long, farewell...

2010-11-09T09:16:00.000-08:00

Emberly went into the shelter this morning to have her spay surgery and will be going home to her new family tonight! Wish her luck!

My Girls.

2010-11-08T18:18:00.000-08:00

oh jeez.. mom has the camera

"hi girls"

pretending to ignore each other

awww... i love them

Emberly attempts to play with BooBoo

2010-11-07T13:58:00.000-08:00