Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Mr Fangs

He's no longer my toothless Gumby...Sable's got fangs and he knows how to use 'em!

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The Sock Toy aka The Bedroom Sock

Sable is growing so quickly, I can hardly keep up. He's a ball of energy, from morning thru the evening. If I could harness that energy and sell it, we'd be set for life LOL

This little guy cracks me up to no end! I created a sock toy for him for the bedroom, to keep him from using me as a chew toy while I lie in bed and watch tv or sleep. The sock toy stays in the bedroom...well until the other evening when he dragged it out to the living room to play with it. Fortunately the phone was beside me so that I could capture his play by video. Too funny! LOL I had to create another sock toy for the bed because he now takes the original into the living room and leaves it there when he's through. I've got to teach him to bring it back.

Monday, June 22, 2009

No Longer the Road Kitty

The interesting thing about Sable's growing up is its impact on me. For the first 3 weeks, Sable was my Road Kitty...everywhere I went, he was right with me. Since he couldn't walk very well or for very long, I carried him a lot. Now, he's Mr. Independent. No carrying him around...at least not for long. His transition from a totally dependent little rug rat to Mr. Independent really saddened me.

Reality hit when I took him to NJ with me to attend a funeral. At that time, Sable had not been in his carrier for a week, except to sleep. The ride up was fine but during the return trip, he was quite vocal. I guess it didn't help that he did a doodle in his carrier that I couldn't completely remove LOL It was at that time that I realized that he would not be a Road Kitty anymore.

We're adjusting to the changes, although I think he's handling it waaayyyy better than I am LOL

It's Been a While

It's been a minute since I've last posted about Sable. Boy, has he grown into such an active and funny kitten. Over the past 3 weeks, he has been running and jumping, stalking, and using my ankles and hands as a scratching and biting post. LOL

I'm bummed because I lost my media card that contained so many pics of him, including his first wet food meal. I've got some recent flicks of him, showing just how much he has grown.

He's quite the character! Everyday brings about something different. The other day, he discovered his tail. Imagine waking up to a kitten running in circles on the bed. Yesterday I purchased stuffed toys meant for dogs so that he can scratch, bite and tumble with it. Well he has taken to those toys like crazy! One toy is about his size...he picks it up with his mouth and carries it around. Such a sight to see!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Growing up Sable

Sable or Li’l Bits (his nickname) has been a part of my life for 2.5 weeks and has been growing by leaps and bounds. Over the past few days, he’s gone from a wobbly walker to a little sprinter. And he has started eating solid foods and started eliminating without any assistance!

From Walking to Climbing to Sprinting

On Thursday evening, he successfully climbed out of his nesting box that was in my bedroom, walked thru the partially-closed bedroom door to the living room where he scared the dickens out of me! Out of corner of my eye, I saw this brown fuzzy thing coming toward me and I almost jumped on the couch until I realized it was Sable. LOL I picked him up, hugged him to my shoulder and told him that he was such a big boy now.

He now follows me wherever I go, sometimes pausing to examine his shadow on the floor or taking a detour to sit between the fridge and the cabinet. There are times when he calls himself running but it actually looks like he’s a little bunny hopping around. It’s quite funny, except when I’m trying to catch him. LOL

Meal Time

Over the past week, Sable has become much more aggressive at formula feeding time, scratching my hands as he attempted to control his bottle. I introduced him to weaning formula, similar to cereal for babies. He refused to lap it up in a saucer, after many attempts but he drank it down when bottle fed.

Last night, I had it with his scratching while bottle feeding. His claws are so sharp, they broke skin. I poured some of his formula from the bottle onto a saucer but he wouldn’t touch it. Instead, he was scratching and hitting the bottle until I bit my lip and bottlefed him.
I woke up this morning, determined to get him to eat out of a saucer. I opened a can of Nature’s Choice chicken and lamb kitten food, put some on a saucer and placed him next to the saucer in a box lid. Sable sniffed it before he started nibbling on the food. I was amazed at how he quickly he took to the food. I put more on the saucer and he ate it up! He refused to drink his water though. I now think that the small bowl of water was too much for him.

This evening, he refused to eat his food, no matter how many times I kept putting him in the box lid in front of his saucer. Finally, I bottle fed him because many hours passed since he last ate and even more hours since his last formula.

Tomorrow I will serve his food in a saucer and place his water in a more shallow bowl. I do hope he takes to the food. I want to wean him from the bottle.

Litter Box Success

Sable has had a few “accidents”. Each time I wipe up his urine, I put the soaked item in his littler box, put him in it to sniff the pee and rub his forepaws in the litter. Instead of using the box for litter, the little dickens uses it to take kitty naps. LOL I tweeted about it tonight because I couldn’t understand it. Well shortly after his bottle, he was placed in his litter box where he scratched the litter before crouching down to pee. I had to keep from yelling “Good boy!” while he was doing the deed. LOL But after he attempted to cover it, I picked him up and praised him.

He’s such a big boy!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Funny Little Thing

Sable is growing into a funny and active little kitten. After feedings, he loves to walk around (with his wobbly gate) and lie on his back to play with his hind legs. I can leave him for short periods of time on his sheet on the sofa without fear of him falling off. He walks to the edge and look down at the floor but won’t go any further. ..at least not yet.
Because he is teething (yes, he has 4 little teeny teeth coming in), he thinks everything is his teething ring. He has a little red, felt-covered ball that is about as big as his head that he tries to chew on. He opens his mouth as wide as he can to get around the hard ball but he can’t get his mouth around it. Out of frustration, he starts to fight with it, clawing it with his paws. Too funny! LOL
After his wee-hour-in-the-morning feeding Sunday morning, he wanted to walk around the bed before going back to sleep. I wasn’t feelin’ that…I was tired. But I let him do his wobbly walk, picking him up and bringing him closer to me when he wobbled too far. When he ran out of steam, he crawled under the covers by my stomach and laid there. My plan was to wait until he fell asleep before placing him in his makeshift crib. But I fell asleep before he did. When I woke up, he was behind the bend of my knees, fast asleep. Apparently he climbed over me and found his little nook, since I had not changed positions. I picked him up, put him in his crib. He fussed a little before curling up and going back to sleep.

Saturday with Sable

Sable joined D and I on a ride to Frederick to visit with family members on Saturday. He did so well. A full tummy and a warm carrier helped make for a comfortable 1.5 hour ride. Once there, he spent most of the time in the garage, where it was quiet. Family members were so curious about him because they couldn’t see him. A couple of cousins opened his carrier and cooed because they thought he was so cute…which he is. My cousin’s mother-in-law was so captured by him. She actually took his carrier outside (with him in it) while I was saying my goodbyes and was trying to see him through the carrier. He was so good, he didn’t whine or cry. What a trooper!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Sable's One Week Anniversary

Mr. Sable has been part of the family for one week, as of today. Boy time flies! In one week, he has filled out substantially. And just this morning, he was sitting up like a big boy watching me as I ran around the bedroom in prep for work. I guess he thought I had lost my mind and decided to watch the train wreck occur...LOL

Sable has a few nicknames: Li'l Bits, Li'l Man, Sweet Pea, Sweet Stuff, My Baby and Li'l Dickens. Auntie Shana has dubbed him "Gumby" because he didn't have any teeth when she met him LOL Well, I can attest, the teeth are starting to surface and he is chewing on fingers, hands, towels, hair and bottle nipples.

Oh, and he is walking a lot more now. But he loves to be carried and held close. Me thinks part of the reason is that it's easier to get to my locs LOL

Monday, May 11, 2009

Mother's Day with Sable


When Sable joined the household 3 days ago, he was a teeny little thing that ate sparingly, could barely hold his head up and could barely stand. As each day passed, his appetite increased. During each of his 4 feedings since this morning, he drank a tablespoon in one fell swoop, as opposed to in stages during one feeding. He sucked with gusto…I could not believe it.

Sable has become more mobile by the day. He can hold his head up now for a longer period of time and can stand up and walk a few steps before he goes back to crawling. When he finishes feeding and going to the bathroom (no problem with poo-ing anymore!), he likes to explore his surroundings. He scooted down from my lap to the sofa this afternoon.

It is getting harder to contain him in his picnic basket because he tries to get out. I think that he will get out by mid­week, once he gains his confidence. I created a playpen out of a box with a fleece blanket that once belonged to Gadget and Snowflake. Sable looked around and whined a bit when I placed him in his playpen. So I picked him up and he calmed down. Okay, can you say “spoiled”? But my mother’s words came to mind “Don’t let babies dictate your life!” Alright, she was talking about human babies but those sage words applies to newborn kittens too. J So finally, I put him back in his playpen – this time I added his feeding towel - and went about my business. He whined but I didn’t let it bother me. After a little while, he roamed around a bit, curled up and went to sleep.

Sable discovered his hind legs and started playing and cleaning them. It was so cute to watch! And I think he’s teething because he has been gnawing on his forearms and my fingers. I feel the makings of little teeth! I don’t want him to think that chewing on my fingers is acceptable behavior, so he had his first discipline moment today. Okay, I pulled my finger from his little toothless gums and told him “No!” in a firm tone. He went on to clean himself.

Watching him grow, do new things and explore his world is so fulfilling. His progress is amazing. His tummy is getting bigger and his limbs are filling out. He stays awake for longer periods of time after each feeding, which is fun. Not sure that I’ll feel that way during the middle of a work night or when I’m trying to get ready for work. :-)

Saturday, May 9, 2009

It's Official - Sable's a Boy!

Sable and I had a busy day! We got up this morning, he ate (I didn't...and still haven't LOL) and we went to the vet. I was so concerned about him because I thought he had not been eliminating.
The vet staff were wonderful with Sable. While I completed the paperwork, Erika, the Customer Service staffer picked him up to talk to him. Well Sable was quite talkative because she woke him up. I doubt what he had to "say" was pretty. LOL Then Erin, the Vet Assistant took him, talked to him and cuddled him, he whined. After assessing him, she said that Sable is a boy, he weighs 0.5 lbs and reported that he peed. I was overjoyed. Erin said that he didn't poo but that his anus was puckering, so that works. They needed to Xray his abdomen to see if there is a blockage.

Dr. Johnson came in and spoke to me about raising a newborn. She said that he's a little more than a week old, is in good condition. She concurred with me and others that he was raised inside but was abandoned outside. Dr. Johnson said she couldn't tell which was more taxing, raising a newborn kitten or newborn human baby. Since I can't make the comparison, I told her that newborn kittens are more taxing LOL



The Xray showed that he has air pockets in his intestines but no blockage. Hooray!!!! That was definitely a relief. She adviced me to keep feeding him by bottle for at least 3 - 4 weeks. She warned me that bottle feeding kittens is risky but it seems like he's thriving since he has a round belly, isn't dehydrated and his lungs are clear, so I must be doing it correctly. That was a relief. Sable is much too young for shots, so that's another trip to the vet. He's clean (no fleas, no mites) and has a healthy coat. And yes, he's still a cutie LOL



Following our visit to the vet, we went to the bank, PetSmart for a ferret carrier (smaller and much cheaper than a cat carrier), Home Depot and McDonald's. The challenge is having to take him everywhere. Guess that's what mothers of newborns say too. LOL People who see the picnic basket ask what's in it...when I tell them, they immediately wanna see him and some wanna pet him. I'm not happy about the petting. Gotta find a tactful way to let people know that he is not to be petted.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Day 1 - Good feeding


Sable woke up this afternoon sniffing around in her basket. I put my hand in to pet her and show her off to a friend and she stretched and yawned before she sniffed my hand. I thought this would be a great time to feed her. Well I was right. Sable took to the bottle with gusto! Mind you, she didn't suck for a long time but she actually latched on to the nipple this time. I was so proud of her and told her so!

After feeding, I held her in the palm of my hand and gently patted her on her back. She let out a little burp. I was so tickled by it I didn't know what to do! LOL

Despite my coaxing, she still hasn't eliminated. She had a decent feeding this morning and a more hearty one this afternoon, surely something is waiting to come out. I'll keep trying.

It's obvious that we are getting to know one another better. I am learning that she can actually tell me when she is ready to feed and just work around her schedule. She seems to accept me...she sniffs my hand and loves to climb up my chest to snuggle at my neck. She became a bit more active after this last feeding. She didn't go back to sleep immediately after feeding...she actually kneeded her bedding after allowing me to handle her for some time. She is showing signs of curiousity as well, which is a good thing.

She's now snug as a bug in her picnic basket makeshift carrier.

First Night with Sable



Sable slept soundly through her first night. She was in a basket with her blanket which surrounded her like her mother would. I just kept looking at her with amazement. To be so small, she's pretty hearty.

I woke her up to feed about 2:30am. She wasn't too thrilled with that! Kitten after my own heart. I used a different bottle feeder (more in line for ferrets) and she took a couple of sips and turned her head. I tried hand feeding her the formula...nope, nada, zilch. She wasn't feeling it. Instead, she crawled up my chest, put her head under my chin and curled up in my hand and went back to sleep! LOL

After being tucked back into her basket, I shook my head and said she was meant to enter into my life. The thought of that calmed my nerves and allowed me to go to sleep peacefully.

I woke her up this morning and she had something to say about that! Then she started licking my hand. I took that as a sign that she was hungry so I prepared her formula. Had to wake her up again to feed her. She took a few hearty sips this morning (YAY!), turned her head to me and looked at me as I told her she was such a good kitty. I was so happy. Sable, on the otherhand, was nonplussed. She stayed up for a couple of minutes but would not accept anymore formula. I was okay with that.

Meet Sable


Well this sucker is trying so hard not to fall in love with this sweet little kitten that I have adopted.
She's very small...about the size of my hand. I don't know how she found her way under an SUV but fortunately a little girl told my friend about her and my friend saw (and heard!) her, called me to see if I would take her in.
After work I met her. Went to the store to get a Newborn Care Pack for Kittens, which contains a bottle with nipple, formula for kittens and some other stuff, including a book on how to save a little kitten's life. She was the star of PetSmart. I carried her in her little blanket and everyone wanted to see the little teeny thing.
She's a very dark brown little bundle of fur and teeny weeny claws. She was so quiet during our trip. She stretched some, yawned a little but mostly slept.
I brought her home and set her down in her blanket while I prepared her formula. I had trouble with piercing her bottle nipple. When I was ready to get started, I had to wake her up. She rejected the nipple. Finally I squeezed some formula in my hand and she lapped it up. Had the nerve to bite my hand with her toothless self LOL I dipped the nipple in the formula but she still rejected it. According to what I've read, I was not to force her to feed but I knew she had not eaten in quite some time. I squeezed more into my hand and she licked it up.
Because she can barely hold her head up, I was concerned that she would inhale the formula which could lead to a respiratory problem.
Then the fun part came up...trying to stimulate her to eliminate. She protested like no one's business. One thing is for sure, that little dickens can scream! Such a big sound coming out of such a little thing! She was trying her best to get away from the wet terrycloth that I used to get her to go. She didn't. The stuff I've read said that it's not uncommon for them not to eliminate.
So I wrapped her up in her blanket and laid her down. She got herself in a comfortable position and then she settled down for a nap.
It's going to be a long night. I'm supposed to feed her every 3 hours around the clock. She fed about an hour ago. It's now 12:03am...gotta get ready for Sable in another 1.5 hours. This time I'm going to attempt to nurse her with a smaller nipple.
I'm going to take her to the vet on Saturday. I pray nothing is wrong with her and that she will feed eventually.
I'm scared.