New Foster Kitten - Santo

hola peeps! i have a new foster kitten and his name is Santo. He's about 3 months old, white with some orange patches, and a long ringed tail. He's very cute and very sweet. Totally tame and was actually in decent shape when i picked him up. Now that's soooo rare. Usually they're like half dead when i rescue them. This little kitten was just dirty. It's so refreshing to find a homeless kitten that is healthy and playful. Santo looks just like Mortimer, my little foster kitten that passed away two weeks ago. Same tail, same patches, same coloring. The only difference is the color of their eyes and the fact that Mortimer was practically just a skeleton with fur when i found him. i suppose what i'm trying to say is, i almost feel like i'm getting a second chance with poor Mort who suffered so terribly.

here's how Santo came into my life yesterday. i had to go with my boss for an early morning meeting in town. we got to the meeting and the dude didn't show up! i called his cell and his office like a zillion times and sent text messages but got nothing. so i was like moody and i felt retarded too because this was a meeting that i had set up. luckily the boss man is cool and wasn't pissed off and we just headed back to the office. as we were driving into the building, a little kitten dashed out from under one of the cars parked in front of mcdonald's, sprinted past and then sat down at the curb looking chill. my boss looked at me and said "um you're going to rescue that aren't you.." hhahahhhahaaha i guess everyone knows i can't leave a little animal alone.

i grabbed the little dude and carried him up to the office where he hung out with me a couple of hours until i could drop him off at home during my lunch break. i think he had a blast at the office! my boss gave him a little saucer of milk and sant0 spent the morning running around, attacking things on my desk, walking on my keyboard, jumping in and out of trashcans, attacking bin liners, chasing scrunched up balls of paper, and snoozing on my desk.

Santo is very vocal and has the weirdest meow. his meows aren't very meowy.. they're more like ows and ehhhs and he makes weird guttural noises while he eats. he's very comfortable at my home already. no transition period whatsover. he made himself at home. introduced himself to the other cats and began playing with them. he hates the dogs of course. i frontlined and dewormed him last night. he wasn't too pleased about that but well you do what you gotta do right. i don't want fleas and mites in the house. this guy will be up for adoption after he gets vaccinated. excellent.

Goodbye Mortimer

Mort died yesterday, Friday April 30th around 6:20pm after a seizure that swiftly ended his short and painful life. I was there when it happened and will never forget the sight of his tiny, skeletal body wracked by spasms as he writhed, and coughed, and choked on his own vomit. How much suffering can such a young soul and fragile tortured body endure.

I wish he made it but I am also glad his horrible life is over. I stayed with his body for a while.. I wanted to make sure he was really gone. Dr J said he was gone, but i leaned in close to watch for any rising and falling of his rib cage. Anyway, Dr J said that if there was any movement anymore, a twitch or whatever, its just the body going into rigor. So i cradled his tiny limp form in my hands and I stroked his head and chin. I had to fight back my tears the whole time but couldn't leave him right away. Eventually, I went out to the waiting room to settle the bill. No one was there at the time so I sat down and let the tears pool in my eyes a bit. Then of course some dude wearing sunglasses indoors came in to pick up his bulldog that had his toe injury fixed earlier. Anyway when the vet assistant brought the bulldog out, the sunglasses dude jokingly said "Hahaha still alive huh?". I know he didn't know what bad comedic timing he actually had. Ironic really isn't it.

Rest in peace Mort. I won't forget you. You have touched my life and my heart.

Little update on Mort

I went to pick up the Mortster after work yesterday but dr j decided to keep him overnight and put him on an iv drip thingy. Hmmm.. so i guess he's in worse condition than i first thought. That sucks because the last time i fostered a little kitten that had to be put on drip, she died. http://nopedigreejustlove.blogspot.com/2010/02/goodbye-gia.html

Also, dr j had this look on his face like he wasn't feeling too optimistic and confident about mort. well i guess we'll just have to wait and see how things are after i'm done with work today. at least when i saw mort last night, he wasn't unconscious like Gia was when she was sick.

New foster kitten! Mortimer

i found the little booger a couple of hours ago on my way to work. he was all curled up in a teeny tiny little ball on someone's driveway. there was no gate so i walked in and asked a lady there if the kitten belonged to anyone. she said nope so i carried the emaciated little tyke and brought him to my car. poor thing's so weak he immediately curled up and fell asleep on my lap. i could feel all the sharp angles of his bones through his skin.

it was only 9am and my vet doesn't open till 10am so i wrapped kitty up in a canvas shopping bag from my car and off we went to my office. luckily my new job is in the same neighborhood as my home and the vet!! so super convenient! we went upstairs to wait till 10am and then we went round the corner to the vet. i've decided to call him mortimer. no idea why, it just popped into my head. seems appropriate for such a teeny squirt. dr j checked him out and said he's super duper emaciated, is between 2 and 3 months old but only weighs 460 grams (he should be twice that!), has diarrhea and a cold. mort's going to stay at the clinic all day with dr j and i'll go pick him up after work. he's going to be dewormed, fed hill's prescription a/d, hydrated, frontlined, and put on antibiotics.

mort is a white kitty with marmalade tabby patches, his eyes are brown outlined with blue (unique!), he has a long full-length tail, and is probably about 8 to 10 weeks old. I'll take photos of him when he looks less skeletal and when he gets better i'll bring him to SPCA's adoption drives. There are lots in May! This Saturday and Sunday we'll be at Tropicana City Mall, 2nd Floor, 10am to 7pm. Might be too soon for Mort to take part in this one.. But then he can join the adoption drives on May 15&16 and May 22&23 at Bangsar Shopping Center. Many opportunities for adoption this month! Let's hope Mortimer recovers quickly and finds his forever home :)