The kittens are at the shelter, where they will be under veterinary care because two are still mildly symptomatic with URIs. If any of them are determined to be unadoptable, they will be TNRd to us ... but their chances are very good because they are young and accustomed to being handled.

Make no mistake, I was literally sick from anxiety about taking them ... and I'm crying a lot. This was not easy ... but it was the right thing to do.

I miss them already.

#feralkittens #tnr

Kitten update: for the first time, tonight the little gray kitten, Harry Houdini, cleaned his plate. He even smacked Tucker (black kitten) and Livia (tortie) away from it. I think he's turned the corner.

#feralkittens #TNR

Kitten update: everyone is eating on their own. They're getting in and out of the hospital box at will. And the little tortie (we can't decide if she's Dinah after Alice's cat or Livia after the scheming empress of Rome) is feeling well enough to spit, swat, and yes, bite (she did not break skin ... but she was indeed furious). So now you know.

#feralkittens #TNR

Kittens were all out and exploring this morning. Everyone ate on their own. /progress report

#feralkittens #TNR

Grey kitten ate wet food on his own!!

I got more saline drops (they didn't have the ampules that I wanted, but I am making the bottle work) and put them in his nose about an hour before I put down food. I put a separate plate for Tortie and Black so that they'd leave him alone ... and I used smaller plates so it was easy to get closer to the food. At first I held him in my lap and held the plate for him, but once he got going I put him and the plate on the floor and let him go until he walked away from the food.

If this didn't work, I had two jars of chicken baby food, which was our secret weapon in the nursery at HSSV.

I did get a good amount of KMR into him this morning as well ... which, now that I'm getting used to the new feeder, is much easier than before. But eating on his own is better.

#feralkittens #TNR

Back to syringe feeding with the grey tabby kitten, but the new syringe with a kitten nipple makes that much easier I got probably 5ml in him this morning before he pretty much fell asleep. Black and tortie kittens are alert and eating enthusiastically on their own.

I need to pick up more infant saline solution today for the little grey guy; he's still kind of snotty around the nose.

It's possible that he's just sicker than the others and will take longer to turn the corner.

#feralkittens #TNR

Kittens ate on their own again this morning ... not a lot before they wanted back in the hospital box, but still. We did wake them up for meds, etc., so it makes sense they'd want to go back to sleep. I'll try them again around noon.

#feralkittens #TNR

When I went in to check on the kittens, all three were out of the hospital box! I stuck them back in while I hurried and made a slurry of warm water, stinky wet food, and KMR powder. I am relieved to report that all three of them ate on their own! Grey tabby was done first; he tried to get back in the hospital box, so I helped him. Black and tortie kittens ate more than he did, but considering how little I was getting into him with the syringe, I'll take it.

Of course, now we'll have to be really careful when we open the door; the kittens are feeling a bit better!

#feralkittens #TNR

Tortie and black kittens chowed down on wet food this morning. Grey kitten took 1.5ml KMR via syringe. He was practically asleep on his feet. He did eat a good amount of wet food yesterday. I hope he starts eating soon; the amount of KMR he tolerates is not nearly enough. 🙁 Hoping that the new syringe with kitten nipple will encourage him to eat more. That arrives tomorrow.

#feralkittens #tnr

I'm exhausted, friends. I haven't said anything about this yet.

We took four seriously ill kittens from our feral colony to the emergency vet last night. Long story short, they have upper respiratory infections. They all got antibiotics in their mouths and eyes last night and this morning. We did syringe feedings with KMR because their mother had stopped looking after them. We lost one between the 9 PM and midnight feedings.

Today, the remaining kittens are a little better. They all took more KMR this morning, and then ate some wet food on their own (not a lot, but I let them eat until they wanted to stop).

I'm working from home this week to do day shift care while my husband sleeps in the hospital room with them at night.

They're all napping right now; I should probably do the same.

#feralkittens #TNR