Pets
Related: About this forumRescued a kitten, now I must beat my dog!
As if I could, but HE'S DRIVING ME CRAZY!
I was approached yesterday by an 8 week old tortoise shell kitten at a job site in Ohio. The poor thing was half starved, flea ridden, and has an eye infection. She is as sweet as can be and I couldn't turn my back on her. I told my wife I was going to bring her home if she was there the next day. Today, I pulled up to the job site and she came bouncing out of the contractors' trailer. So, after feeding her, I put one of my shirts in a box, put her in it, and we headed to Indiana together.
The first hour she rode on my shoulder, rubbing her face against mine or burying her head under my chin. After putting her back in the box 6 or 7 times I gave up. "So is this what it's like to be a pirate?" I thought to myself. After awhile she climbed down and sat on the center console. I looked down, and she was sleeping....sitting up. I put her in the box, and she crawled out. Sat down on the center console and went back to sleep. Rinse repeat. Rinse repeat. Finally, by putting said box on said center console, I got her to lie down and go to sleep.
Got into town and went straight to the vet. Diagnosis? Ear mites, fleas, eye infection, and possibly worms. But, for the most part, healthy and overly affectionate. Vet gave her worm med, flea meds, cleaned her ears (oh my God I don't know how the poor thing could hear with the gunk in there!), ear drops, cleaned and flushed her gunky eyes, and applied eye drops.
Drove around for a half hour to give time for the fleas to die off (30 minutes according to vet). Which gave me time to pick up a bottle if Sailor Jerry! Now let's go meet your new family!
Mrs. Glamrock met us in the driveway and fell in love. The kitten is all purrs so it's easy to do. Took her in and of course our oldest cat, Muddy, hissed at her and ran off. Our Russian blue, Steviewonder, looked at her and hid in the basement. And his sister, The Beans, was completely uninterested. She was all, "yeah yeah whatever. Where's my catnip dad?"
Took her to the tv room which is the dogs domain. Zeppelin is half Jack Russell and half pain in the ass. He just can't leave her alone! At this point he knows what she's eaten for the last week, where she's been, and her complete geneology by sticking his nose up her ass. It's been 6 hours of "ZEPPY! GO LAY DOWN! LEAVE HER ALONE! GODDAMNIT!" This dog, who I love dearly, is going to be the death of me.
Skittles
(153,156 posts)I am curious how she reacts to Zeppelin's incessant attention
Glamrock
(11,797 posts)She's even rubbed her head against him. But, she's had a rough start in life and she's tiny. He gets a little too rough. He's knocked her over half a dozen times so he could investigate her....ya know....lady parts. He did the same thing with Steviewonder and the Beans. That is, until he got a claw across the nose. But, they were 10 weeks old when we brought them home. It'll wear off in a couple days no doubt. I'm just being overly protective.
TeamPooka
(24,223 posts)elleng
(130,893 posts)THANKS (from this NON-cat person.)
Warpy
(111,254 posts)Be careful, torties and calicos are generally wild women. IOW, give her a month, she might be running the place.
And thank you for rescuing the wee thing and making sure she's healthy.
Glamrock
(11,797 posts)Either overly independent and domineering or overly affectionate. So far, it's the latter. Hope it stays that way or there's gonna be problems with The Beans!
DesertFlower
(11,649 posts)found females to be very different. right now i own a sable tabby i adopted almost 2 years ago.
sprinkleeninow
(20,245 posts)Duppers
(28,120 posts)Perhaps she'll fall in-love with Zeppy for a big happy ending. She'll learn to protect herself from his unwanted advances soon enough.
Great story.
CousinIT
(9,241 posts)Or was it a one-time treatment?
Is it OK to put spot-on flea stuff on an 8 wk old kitten? How do you keep the bastards off her once the Capstar wears off?
Wondering because I got my eye on one near me.
Eye and ear drops for the next few weeks.
As far as the flea stuff, the vet put the Advance stuff on her neck and then gave her a pill to kill what she already had. As far as keeping the fleas off? She'll be raised as an indoor Kitty.
CousinIT
(9,241 posts)Happy to hear she'll be an indoor fur-kid!
DesertFlower
(11,649 posts)shi tzu puppy home. we put her in a shoe box. the cats kept sniffing her -- like WTF is that? she grew up afraid of dogs.
MLAA
(17,288 posts)montana_hazeleyes
(3,424 posts)WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)Glamrock
(11,797 posts)His ad said, "I love to play with the cats and my name is Zeppelin! " As a rock Singer with a diabetic cat at the time, it seemed like a blinking neon sign from God. "THIS SHALL BE YOUR DOG." Should have ignored that fucking sign. Damn, Jack Russell's are a pain! But, you know, you fall in love.....
WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)Glamrock
(11,797 posts)But this one is 3 handfuls.
KT2000
(20,577 posts)be sure to post the new darling's name. Zeppy gets a new friend - you did bring her home for him, right?
Glamrock
(11,797 posts)I'm leaning towards Bootsy after James Brown's (and P Funk's and Parliament's) bass player Bootsy Collins.
Glamrock
(11,797 posts)Not on your life! I just fell for her immediately. And she was so skinny and obviously in need of some medical attention, she just pulled at my heart. However, Zeppy thinks I brought her home for him. Like his namesake, it's all about him.
bearssoapbox
(1,408 posts)Their dispositions have been from one that seemed almost feral in her independence, to one that slept on my left shoulder by my ear at night in bed.
Or chatty, her name is 'Gabby'. She will talk to anybody.
We currently have 4. Gabby, her name says it all. BB(Butter Brickle, her color), the most normal tortoise we currently have. Xena, she's been the most adventurous , not afraid to try things. And Xena's sister, Dot...t, she's almost the opposite of her sister but I think that's because she has some white in her.
Good on you for taking the kitten in. She sounds like she may be a snuggler. You'll know more in a couple of weeks or so.
It'll be interesting to see how she handles Zeppelin. If she turns out to be playful like a tortoise can be, with him...better your house than mine.
Glamrock
(11,797 posts)Zeppy will snap a pit bull in the face to prove what a badass, dominant male he is (I've seen it....not good. Pit picked him up and shook him like a rag doll....really not good. Then he looks at me like WTF man! I said to him, "hey dude, I weigh 150#. You see me punching a 350# linebacker in the face? " , but all my cats put him in his place. He's such a wuss! Unlesssss they get too close to his food bowl.
Doreen
(11,686 posts)Cats are so good at putting everybody ( including you ) in their place. I have had many many cats and dogs in my 49 years if life and the cats rule. We are there to serve.
bearssoapbox
(1,408 posts)Especially when different species are involved.
It's all in the temperaments.
Aaaand...
It's always an adventure though, eh?
But a good one.
As long as we remember, when it comes to cats, we live to serve.
tblue37
(65,340 posts)the animal shelter when they moved. At 10, she was unlikely to be adopted, so I took her despite having 3 already.
Her name was Gabby, which I assumed was for Gabrielle or Gabriella. Nope--it was for her chatty nature.
I have an amusing article about her conversations up on my Pet Tales website:
"Gabfest"
http://pettales.homestead.com/gabfest.html
raven mad
(4,940 posts)Thank you, and huggles to your new sweetheart.
MFM008
(19,808 posts)Thanks for having mercy on a needy creature.
Actually more than 1 by the sound of it...
Glamrock
(11,797 posts)You had me at "you're awesome"
trueblue2007
(17,215 posts)i hope all you pets love each other.
Laffy Kat
(16,377 posts)They are special. You're lucky she chose you!
herding cats
(19,564 posts)You sound like an amazing pet guardian, which is no doubt why this little rescue knew to seek you out.
Lucky little kitty, and lucky you for gaining a new furry family member.
SunSeeker
(51,550 posts)Glamrock
(11,797 posts)www.democraticunderground.com/116137116#post4
SunSeeker
(51,550 posts)Glamrock
(11,797 posts)The pic of Bootsy asleep hanging off the couch just kills me! Couldn't believe it when it happened. She started to crawl up and saw her 13 pound sister and just froze..... and then fell asleep!
JustAnotherGen
(31,818 posts)Send him for a play date to my house - he and Uncle Ruckus will have the best time eveeeer when our painted back rescue Turtle Jack gets out if his tank.
I'll stroke out - but they will enjoy their hockey game.
Can't make dopey dog nonsense up. You just can't.
Glamrock
(11,797 posts)TeapotInATempest
(804 posts)They can always tell. I'm so jealous - to me, there's nothing in the world more fun than a kitten. Please post a pic if you can!
Leghorn21
(13,524 posts)What a funny and brilliantly written piece, glamrock!!
When Zeppy finally extracts his nose from Baby's butt, they will be best buds 4 ever, I guarantee..."getting to know you" and all that, as Nature intended, ain't no thang! Plus, his breath is reassuring to her little self, butt included, that someone is close by and cares!! (Sez I!)
Do keep us posted, and thank you for giving Baby the glorious life she's about to experience!
catbyte
(34,376 posts)It sounds like she's going to fit in with your family just fine. Congratulations & 10 gold stars for you for saving the precious little soul's life. You'll have to post pics & let us know her name.
Glamrock
(11,797 posts)And I finally got around to posting pics....
www.democraticunderground.com/116137116#post4
Judi Lynn
(160,526 posts)That little fur friend found help just in time. Sounds as if she was VERY bad off, and not due to get better for a long time, if at all.
So glad you brought her to a place where she is safe. Best wishes.
You were the only one who cared enough to do something which meant everything to the little one.