Day 25 - another late update

OH BOY!! Yesterday started out well and very ordinary, everyone was eating and doing everything Kitten. At 2:00 P.M., we had an appointment for their first vet visit. The kittens got a clean bill of health, with the exception of a slight upper respiratory infection. They are on medication now, and I am sure all will be well.

So, the good things from yesterday were that while we were in the vet's office, the kittens atarted to act like they were starving, Eric was even trying to eat a sheet of paper! I ran out and grabbed a can of kitten food, brought it back into the room, and set some out for Eric. Once Eric was eating, we started working with Rosey and Casey. We placed the food on a tongue depresser, and that seemed to do the trick. For the first few minutes, we allowed them both to just chew on the food covered stick, and eventually they were all 3 eating from paper towels on the exam table!! YAY!!!

So, when we got home, we placed the kittens in their playpen with the litterpan. We figured they were okay, and the pan would be okay there, so we opted to take a little nap. Let me say now, thank God I had read that kittens should have a NATURAL litter, since they are like babies and will eat anything....We got up and noticed that "someone" had thrown up a bit on the corner of the litter pan. Lee cleaned it up, and we went on with trying to get the boys fed. I noticed that Eric was not at all active, and had that UGH look about him.

I was holding Eric while Lee got the other kittens eating. Lee was standing next to Eric and me, when Eric threw up again. It was all over the place. Oh, I forgot to mention that he did try to take a bottle just before he threw up....So began a nightmare that lasted about 3 more hours. Eric slept and slept, waking only to throw up a few more times. We held him close and watched him like hawks. I had him snuggled up on the bed, figuring I would want him close overnight, when Sandy came to see him. About the same time, Eric suddenly perked up and well he has been just fine since then!

I just happened to have been reading about litter training the other day, and it was casually mentioned that kittens should absolutely not have the clumping clay litter because they eat things. Often times, I don't heed these types of "orders", but with these kittens I did. I figured with kittens raised by their mothers learned to not eat teh litter from their mother, as all of the other kittens we have had have never eaten the litter!!

Anyway, we have recycled pine litter for the kittens. It apparently did cause a blockage, causing Eric to feel really sick, but eventually broke down enough for his little body to pass. Had it been clay....

So, by the time we got Erica feeling better, we were well addled. We let teh 3 of them play until they were tired out. Once again we did not get daily kitten weights.

So now, we are at a stalemate with this litter training. They NEED to figure it out, but just haven't gotten yet. They will, I know, but I want it now ;-)