Tag Archives: kittens

protected

26 Monday Sep 2011

Posted by in animals & pets, cats, change, home

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

, , ,

On Saturday morning, after having decided the previous evening that it was time to let Luna roam free, I realised it was also clearly time to put up some kitteh protection.

When I first moved here in February I decided that minimal protection was fine for the boys as the railings have a curly metal design along the bottom that would prevent any accidental slipping off the balconies, even if either of them could squeeze through the bars, which seemed doubtful. This was a far cry from the massive protection that I put up at the old casa az when I first got Loki, who was a crazy climber back then, and I had constant visions of him going “over the top” in a split second. Luna is a much calmer kitten but she is so eensy that, as you can see in the photo, could easily tumble through the railing if she leaned over too far. So it was off to the hardware store for some mesh.

This time I’ve only put it up half-way because I don’t think Luna would actually try to jump through – this is just to protect accidental falling and also put my mind at ease. And so now all the kittehs can enjoy fresh air out on the balconies and I don’t have to keep the doors closed in this lovely autumnal weather.

Haven’t let Luna out on the terraza yet – one step at a time…

testing testing…

23 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by in animals & pets, cats, change, home

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

, ,

I really hope I don’t end up regretting this but this afternoon I decided to take Luna out of quarantine. I’ve had a couple more chats with vet Yolanda and she says this kind of situation is always fraught with “what ifs”. The only totally secure thing I could do is wait awhile and get a specialised blood test done that is only for feline leukimia, but then what would I do if Luna tested positive? When I told Yolanda I really couldn’t see myself giving her up at this point she said that Loki’s vaccination should keep him fairly well protected and that – frankly – even if Azar did contract the leukemia now he would probably end up dying of something else before it developed into anything life-threatening. And so about an hour ago I brought Luna out and let her wander around with the boys…

I’ve actually been bringing her out all week and having her sit on my lap while watching tv or working at my desk. She is very content in my lap and will happily stay there for ages, purring way. So Azar and Loki have got used to the idea that there is a gatita around. Azar is only mildly interested but Loki is completely smitten. At first Luna would do the cutest hissy-spitty-growly thing – hilariously “ferocious” in one so tiny – but she soon got used to the guys and no longer feels threatened by them. So when I brought her out this afternoon and plopped her on the chair next to Loki … nothing happened! There was a bit of sniffing and chirruping but no weirdness and nobody seemed put out. Azar even played with her a little, but mostly it’s been The Luna & Loki Show since then. Luna is clearly in charge and Loki is following her around like lovesick schoolboy. Adorable.

Anyhow, this is all a bit of a test. There seems to be no risk of scratching or biting, so even if Luna is positive there is little likelihood of her passing anything on immediately. I think for now I’ll just let her out under supervision and put her back in the “air lock” to sleep with Nog at night. Still not sure if I’m doing the right thing…

mira la luna!

18 Sunday Sep 2011

Posted by in animals & pets, cats, change, home, hope

≈ 31 Comments

Tags

, ,

Say hello to my beautiful girl. It’s so weird to think that a week ago getting a third cat was something I was considering – maybe! – for some time during the winter. Closed balcony doors, less chance of kitten dropping off balconies, etc. Though it had been on my mind for awhile to look for a playmate for Loki. And then I saw that poster last Monday…

Then after much back and forthing I made the Big Decision on Friday that I would take this kitteh, even though it means having to keep her “in quarantine” for a month until she can be retested for feline leukemia, as the test she had on Friday wasn’t “negative enough” for Yolanda to say with confidence that it’s safe for her to be in contact with Azar and Loki. But she has plenty of space to sleep and play, and she is never left alone for long. Plus Nog sleeps with her at night.

I picked her up yesterday after going out to get some proper kitten food and a small litter box. So she is set up quite nicely in Nog’s room with the cushion of my ex-comfy chair as a cat bed, her food and water dishes and a couple of toys. Litter box is out in the hallway. And she also seems to like the “safe hiding place” I left for her – the cat carrier with the door taken off – as well as crawling in behind the big square “reading pillow” on Nog’s bed.

[click on collages to enlarge]

The best part is that she is so affectionate and loves purring away on my lap. And she is also very playful. Yesterday afternoon I settled down to watch a film on tv after lunch and, since the boys were napping elsewhere, decided to risk bringing her out to sit with me. And she was happy as anything on my lap getting lots of snibbles. Azar came over after awhile and didn’t seem to notice her at all, but after the film was over I put her back in her room.

I’ve decided to call her Luna. It just sounds right and it’s a bit in memory of Lua, as she was also a very pretty girl and a siamese mix, and of course both names mean “moon”. I just hope Luna turns out to be less *ahem* cranky than dear old Lua was.

One thing’s for sure – Luna sure is photogenic.

new kitteh?

13 Tuesday Sep 2011

Posted by in animals & pets, cats, home

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

,

I mentioned this little guy in yesterday’s post, as a possible new playmate for Loki. The idea of getting Loki his own kitten has been on my mind for awhile now because, although he and Azar get along well (most of the time), I know that it would be more fun for Loki to have a cat closer to his own age to play with. And so when I saw a poster in the street on Monday saying that the people who’d taken this little darling in were leaving Sevilla in two weeks and needed to find a home for him I decided to get in touch.

I went to visit the kitteh and immediately fell in love. He’s so tiny, can’t be more than two months old, and just gorgeous. Of course the problem with taking in a street cat is making sure it doesn’t have any contageous diseases and, after talking to Fani, the woman taking care of him, she agreed to pay for the tests and I said I would take care of vaccinations when he’s a bit older. But a phone call to Yolanda stopped us in our tracks. She said the kitten is probably too young for an accurate test result and, if I took him in now, I’d have to keep him isolated from the other two just in case until he could be properly tested. Then Fani said that she would take him in to Yolanda’s on Thursday to see if he could be given the test, otherwise she may consider taking him back to Greece with her.

So, we shall see. I had thought of holding off until winter to get a kitten, but when I saw this poster I thought “maybe this is my new cat!”. And after meeting him I’m still hoping that we can work something out. I mean, there is enough room for him here to stay in “quarantine” for a month or so. After going through all this worry when I took Loki in I realise how lucky I was the day I brought Azar home. I gave him a good scrubbing and checked for fleas (surprisingly he didn’t have any) and then had to give him de-worming medicine, but that was all I did. I didn’t realise I might be putting Lua and Sunny in danger. But now that I know the risks I can’t take any chances. Stay tuned…