This cat. So many bleps. Here are just a few!
Saturday, December 1, 2018
Ginger Kitty: bleps of 2018
If you've never heard the term, a 'blep' is when an animal has just a little bit of its tongue sticking out, generally without realizing it, for a long period of time.
This cat. So many bleps. Here are just a few!
This cat. So many bleps. Here are just a few!
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Ginger Kitty gives furniture a try
Ginger Kitty actually jumped up on the couch to sit next to us!
She made a point of looking annoyed about it, but she stayed for a few minutes.
It was a momentous occasion.
Still not a lap cat, but this feels like a small step in that direction.
She made a point of looking annoyed about it, but she stayed for a few minutes.
It was a momentous occasion.
Still not a lap cat, but this feels like a small step in that direction.
Monday, November 19, 2018
Ginger Kitty and the Leaf
I turned around one night and saw this:
One of us definitely tracked it into the house, she didn't go outside to get it. It's possible that I tracked it upstairs, but I prefer to think that she carried it up to show off her leaf-conquering skills.
One of us definitely tracked it into the house, she didn't go outside to get it. It's possible that I tracked it upstairs, but I prefer to think that she carried it up to show off her leaf-conquering skills.
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Ginger Kitty hangs out
She just likes to be around people. When we're doing computer stuff, she'll typically lie on the floor behind us or in the top part of her scratching post.
She also helped supervise Halloween costume creation this year.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
She also helped supervise Halloween costume creation this year.
 |
| It's worth noting that she's not phased by the terrifying horse head next to her. |
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Sunday, November 4, 2018
Ginger Kitty discovers the cat bed
I brought out a cat bed for Ginger Kitty when she first came to stay with us, but she wanted nothing to do with it.
Some time later, after she became comfortable with the whole house, we realized when we got up in the mornings that she was sleeping just outside our room or just inside. Once in a while she might spend some time curled up at the foot of the bed, but it's pretty rare.
We thought we'd give the cat bed another try.
She wasn't sure at first, but then she realized it's pretty comfy!
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Some time later, after she became comfortable with the whole house, we realized when we got up in the mornings that she was sleeping just outside our room or just inside. Once in a while she might spend some time curled up at the foot of the bed, but it's pretty rare.
We thought we'd give the cat bed another try.
She wasn't sure at first, but then she realized it's pretty comfy!
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Monday, October 8, 2018
Ginger Kitty - belly fur update
I wasn't sure we'd see more progress with the belly fur growing back, but taking a photo every month is convincing me otherwise.
It's also reminding me that she's finally developed a taste for treats and she definitely has the gene to be a bit of a chonker if her food and treats aren't regulated. She still looks healthy and she has some hip definition standing, but I might need to roll her intake back a little.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
It's also reminding me that she's finally developed a taste for treats and she definitely has the gene to be a bit of a chonker if her food and treats aren't regulated. She still looks healthy and she has some hip definition standing, but I might need to roll her intake back a little.
 |
| I'd put her in the yellow category. (Thanks, Internet meme!) |
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Ginger Kitty learns how to cat
Ginger Kitty is slowly gaining more common cat behaviors.
Like lying down on furniture. Just the bed for now, and not for very long, but maybe one day she'll hang out with us on the couch. Or on laps.
I don't pick her up often, but I'm making it a point to try putting her on my lap every couple days. So far she stands for a moment and lets me pet her, then jumps down. But she's standing there a bit longer now than she did the first time I tried, so I'm optimistic.
It took her a long time to understand what the scratching post was for (for a good while, she insisted on picking at the desk drawers instead, even when the post was right there). Now sometimes she'll hang out in that top shelf portion, between myself and my husband when we're both at our computers.
Incidentally, sometimes she prefers the string part of the toy-on-a-string to the actual toy. I feel like this is missing the point, but she likes what she likes.
She sits like this when she grooms her belly (Husband thinks this is hilarious). There's a small patch that still looks bare, but it has some light-colored fur growing in.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Like lying down on furniture. Just the bed for now, and not for very long, but maybe one day she'll hang out with us on the couch. Or on laps.
I don't pick her up often, but I'm making it a point to try putting her on my lap every couple days. So far she stands for a moment and lets me pet her, then jumps down. But she's standing there a bit longer now than she did the first time I tried, so I'm optimistic.
It took her a long time to understand what the scratching post was for (for a good while, she insisted on picking at the desk drawers instead, even when the post was right there). Now sometimes she'll hang out in that top shelf portion, between myself and my husband when we're both at our computers.
Incidentally, sometimes she prefers the string part of the toy-on-a-string to the actual toy. I feel like this is missing the point, but she likes what she likes.
She sits like this when she grooms her belly (Husband thinks this is hilarious). There's a small patch that still looks bare, but it has some light-colored fur growing in.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Ginger Kitty continues to improve
At time of writing, she's been in foster care for a little over 2 months. It looks like all her fur is coming back!
Working on the theory that her skin might be itchy because of her FHS and that could be contributing to her overgrooming and scratching her ears so often, I've started giving her omega 3 oil in addition to her regular food. It could be helping, but it's hard to say if it's because of the oil or if she's continuing to get better because she's in a home environment.
As far as episodes go, it doesn't seem as though they've gone away completely, but they're so minimal that it's almost impossible to identify them and definitely impossible to capture on video.
In the shelter environment, an episode involved growling and tail-chasing.
Now, an episode consists of looking startled, maybe running a few steps away, and maybe a 1-second meow that sounds a little more upset than a regular meow. The whole thing is over in about 2 seconds. I've seen maybe three instances that I was pretty sure were FHS episodes.
She's still mostly sweet and a little bit sassy. She's also continuing to gain confidence, and she's starting to experiment with previously unthinkable things like jumping up on furniture. (Still not a lap cat, but that could happen someday!)
She still hasn't met a human she didn't like. She hasn't met any kids, but she has assisted more than one repair contractor by sniffing tool boxes and brushing up against legs. She makes friends easily.
She's also warming up to the idea of eating treats. She won't come running when she hears the bag, but she's no longer turning her nose up at every flavor.
Sometimes she plays with a small toy and gets it stuck somewhere out of reach, like in the heating vent or between the laundry basket and the wall. I think that might be what happened here, except there was no toy. I checked twice, but she was so sure something was behind that trash can that she spent several minutes waiting for it to come out. And then forgot completely and has not done this since.
This little goober is somebody's perfect pet, I look forward to meeting them!
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Working on the theory that her skin might be itchy because of her FHS and that could be contributing to her overgrooming and scratching her ears so often, I've started giving her omega 3 oil in addition to her regular food. It could be helping, but it's hard to say if it's because of the oil or if she's continuing to get better because she's in a home environment.
As far as episodes go, it doesn't seem as though they've gone away completely, but they're so minimal that it's almost impossible to identify them and definitely impossible to capture on video.
In the shelter environment, an episode involved growling and tail-chasing.
Now, an episode consists of looking startled, maybe running a few steps away, and maybe a 1-second meow that sounds a little more upset than a regular meow. The whole thing is over in about 2 seconds. I've seen maybe three instances that I was pretty sure were FHS episodes.
She's still mostly sweet and a little bit sassy. She's also continuing to gain confidence, and she's starting to experiment with previously unthinkable things like jumping up on furniture. (Still not a lap cat, but that could happen someday!)
She still hasn't met a human she didn't like. She hasn't met any kids, but she has assisted more than one repair contractor by sniffing tool boxes and brushing up against legs. She makes friends easily.
She's also warming up to the idea of eating treats. She won't come running when she hears the bag, but she's no longer turning her nose up at every flavor.
Sometimes she plays with a small toy and gets it stuck somewhere out of reach, like in the heating vent or between the laundry basket and the wall. I think that might be what happened here, except there was no toy. I checked twice, but she was so sure something was behind that trash can that she spent several minutes waiting for it to come out. And then forgot completely and has not done this since.
This little goober is somebody's perfect pet, I look forward to meeting them!
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Ginger Kitty's play habits
Ginger Kitty has some definite tendencies in her play habits. She does play, but probably not enough. We encountered this with Nike, but he was very treat-motivated, so we gave him a treat when he put in some effort and things eventually improved. G-Kitty isn't really into treats or catnip, so I'm kind of at a loss.
She loves chasing a laser pointer or a length of ribbon, but loses interest if it go up too high, she prefers her prey on the ground.
She will sometimes play with a tiny mouse-shaped toy, but doesn't show much interest in most others, especially if they're too large. She'll watch one of those hex bugs toodle about, but I haven't seen her pounce on it.
For a few minutes one afternoon, she was into shoelaces.
For a week, she was all about disemboweling one of the stairs.
The first time she saw bubbles, she stared wide-eyed at them from another room and backed away. The second time, she was a little more interested in swiping at them. The third time, she actually batted at a few. This time, she didn't go crazy for them, but she meowed at me when they stopped. I think they've grown on her.
She will sit in every cardboard box exactly once.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
She loves chasing a laser pointer or a length of ribbon, but loses interest if it go up too high, she prefers her prey on the ground.
She will sometimes play with a tiny mouse-shaped toy, but doesn't show much interest in most others, especially if they're too large. She'll watch one of those hex bugs toodle about, but I haven't seen her pounce on it.
For a few minutes one afternoon, she was into shoelaces.
For a week, she was all about disemboweling one of the stairs.
The first time she saw bubbles, she stared wide-eyed at them from another room and backed away. The second time, she was a little more interested in swiping at them. The third time, she actually batted at a few. This time, she didn't go crazy for them, but she meowed at me when they stopped. I think they've grown on her.
She will sit in every cardboard box exactly once.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Monday, August 20, 2018
Ginger Kitty's eating habits
Ginger Kitty has some definite tendencies in her eating habits.
She doesn't seem to care about treats or canned food or catnip (dried or fresh), so instant rewards aren't much of a factor in her life.
She loves kibble. So much, in fact, that I've been using puzzle feeders to keep her from hoovering up her day's rations all at once. We already had a spherical food/treat dispenser, and it took her a couple tries to get it, but she likes it. Getting that might actually be the high point of her day.
It also took her a few days to figure out the dispenser feeder that we got (she kept trying to put her face in the paw slots) and I don't think she likes it as much, but it does slow down her eating, which is what we were going for. From her build I think she skews a little toward the tubby if left to her own devices, and I want to keep her healthy.
We've been giving her canned food in the evenings, but most of it goes to waste. She likes the gravy from canned food (just the gravy, of course), but I suspect when she does eat the solid bits she does so because she's either bored overnight or a little peckish because the kibble is gone. I don't think she'd miss it if she didn't get it. New experiment: reducing canned food to every other night to see if she appreciates it more.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
She doesn't seem to care about treats or canned food or catnip (dried or fresh), so instant rewards aren't much of a factor in her life.
She loves kibble. So much, in fact, that I've been using puzzle feeders to keep her from hoovering up her day's rations all at once. We already had a spherical food/treat dispenser, and it took her a couple tries to get it, but she likes it. Getting that might actually be the high point of her day.
It also took her a few days to figure out the dispenser feeder that we got (she kept trying to put her face in the paw slots) and I don't think she likes it as much, but it does slow down her eating, which is what we were going for. From her build I think she skews a little toward the tubby if left to her own devices, and I want to keep her healthy.
We've been giving her canned food in the evenings, but most of it goes to waste. She likes the gravy from canned food (just the gravy, of course), but I suspect when she does eat the solid bits she does so because she's either bored overnight or a little peckish because the kibble is gone. I don't think she'd miss it if she didn't get it. New experiment: reducing canned food to every other night to see if she appreciates it more.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Saturday, August 11, 2018
Ginger Kitty asserts herself
At first, Ginger Kitty was very shy and easily startled. But since she's gotten more comfortable, I'm more often surprised by things that don't freak her out. Loud noises, new rooms, sudden movements. Most of the things that sent her running under the bed at first don't phase her anymore.
Dropping glass bottles into the recycling bin in the basement will have her running out the door, but only a few steps away, where she will groom herself (possibly a symptom of her FHS) and wait for the scary noise to stop before she goes back in to explore. And then usually she'll follow us back upstairs because she likes to be in the same room as people.
She isn't crazy about being picked up, but Husband likes to push boundaries. And when he does, she deals with it better than I generally expect. Sometimes she even purrs, but usually after about 10 seconds she'll either push at his face with a No Thank You paw or put her teeth on his hand.
I say "put her teeth on his hand" instead of "bites" because she is technically biting him, but she doesn't really commit to it. I don't think she's broken the skin, it's more making her wishes known very clearly.
Although, to be completely honest, the followup to being picked up and held too long is sometimes to nip at feet or ankles in the same way. Not a hardcore attack like some of our previous fosters, but still not something I want to encourage.
And as cats do, sometimes (usually late at night) she will also get the I'm-going-to-pounce-this-ankle laser focus on the ankles when she wants to play.
On the plus side, in both of those scenarios she's easily distracted or redirected by a ribbon, laser pointer, or brush.
Note: no claws, she has not claw-swiped at us in anger or frustration. She is typically more inclined to flight than fight unless provoked. (Also note: belly is a no-fly zone, base of tail can be as well)
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Dropping glass bottles into the recycling bin in the basement will have her running out the door, but only a few steps away, where she will groom herself (possibly a symptom of her FHS) and wait for the scary noise to stop before she goes back in to explore. And then usually she'll follow us back upstairs because she likes to be in the same room as people.
She isn't crazy about being picked up, but Husband likes to push boundaries. And when he does, she deals with it better than I generally expect. Sometimes she even purrs, but usually after about 10 seconds she'll either push at his face with a No Thank You paw or put her teeth on his hand.
 |
| Put me down. Right now. Please. |
I say "put her teeth on his hand" instead of "bites" because she is technically biting him, but she doesn't really commit to it. I don't think she's broken the skin, it's more making her wishes known very clearly.
Although, to be completely honest, the followup to being picked up and held too long is sometimes to nip at feet or ankles in the same way. Not a hardcore attack like some of our previous fosters, but still not something I want to encourage.
And as cats do, sometimes (usually late at night) she will also get the I'm-going-to-pounce-this-ankle laser focus on the ankles when she wants to play.
On the plus side, in both of those scenarios she's easily distracted or redirected by a ribbon, laser pointer, or brush.
Note: no claws, she has not claw-swiped at us in anger or frustration. She is typically more inclined to flight than fight unless provoked. (Also note: belly is a no-fly zone, base of tail can be as well)
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Ginger Kitty gets Meds
Ginger Kitty has been diagnosed with Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome.
In the shelter environment, this manifested in two ways: 2-3 episodes a day of growling and tail chasing, and compulsive over-grooming.
The growling and tail chasing stopped when she entered foster care, literally overnight. The first night she hissed at her tail, but nothing obvious we've seen or heard since then.
The over-grooming is getting better too!
To treat her FHS symptoms, she's on twice-daily medication. It's a pill that gets crushed up and dissolved into water, then squirted into her mouth with a syringe.
And my goodness, she is a champ. She makes a face and would certainly choose not to take it if she could, but she doesn't fight me and doesn't hold a grudge.
Scruffing and squirting is a tried and true method, and maybe it's the professional or proper way to do it, but I prefer not to scruff unless I have to. My technique is more full-contact, but it seems to work.
We've tried giving her treats or canned food as a reward after getting her meds, but she's just not interested. Sometimes she's happy to be brushed, but she usually needs a moment first.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
In the shelter environment, this manifested in two ways: 2-3 episodes a day of growling and tail chasing, and compulsive over-grooming.
The growling and tail chasing stopped when she entered foster care, literally overnight. The first night she hissed at her tail, but nothing obvious we've seen or heard since then.
The over-grooming is getting better too!
To treat her FHS symptoms, she's on twice-daily medication. It's a pill that gets crushed up and dissolved into water, then squirted into her mouth with a syringe.
And my goodness, she is a champ. She makes a face and would certainly choose not to take it if she could, but she doesn't fight me and doesn't hold a grudge.
Scruffing and squirting is a tried and true method, and maybe it's the professional or proper way to do it, but I prefer not to scruff unless I have to. My technique is more full-contact, but it seems to work.
We've tried giving her treats or canned food as a reward after getting her meds, but she's just not interested. Sometimes she's happy to be brushed, but she usually needs a moment first.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Saturday, July 21, 2018
Ginger Kitty Tries New Things
How sweet is Ginger Kitty? This is about as vicious as she gets. (Video taken at 1 week)
At time of writing she's been with us 3 weeks. Sometimes, in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning, she will threaten to attack my bare feet, but it's not because she's angry or intentionally causing trouble. It's because she wants to play.
I think once I get more in tune with when she wants to play and what she wants to play with and can get into a routine with it, the issue will solve itself. (It's constantly amazing to me how many behavior issues–in cats, dogs, and people–can be solved with more playtime.)
It's also fun to see her do normal cat things, but maybe not stick the landing on the first try. It took her a couple tries to successfully drink from a sink faucet, for example.
She hasn't quite gotten the hang of the scratching post either. She's been picking at my closed desk drawers instead. In the same room as two scratching posts.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
As she settled in, I expected her to be easily startled and to be very cautious and reluctant to enter new areas. She was for a week or two, but not as much as I expected.
Turns out, she's very curious and had no hesitation going into the basement. (Nike not only didn't want to go into the basement, but sometimes he didn't seem to want us to go there either.)
And after a week or so, she's been more open to playing. I'm sure her habits and preferences will become more clear in the next couple weeks, but I was happy to see her willing to chase my hand under a blanket.
I'm not sure she understood tissue paper at first, either. I mean, lying down next to the crinkly paper just isn't the reaction I expected.
That said, if it moved, she did want to pounce.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
At time of writing she's been with us 3 weeks. Sometimes, in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning, she will threaten to attack my bare feet, but it's not because she's angry or intentionally causing trouble. It's because she wants to play.
I think once I get more in tune with when she wants to play and what she wants to play with and can get into a routine with it, the issue will solve itself. (It's constantly amazing to me how many behavior issues–in cats, dogs, and people–can be solved with more playtime.)
It's also fun to see her do normal cat things, but maybe not stick the landing on the first try. It took her a couple tries to successfully drink from a sink faucet, for example.
She hasn't quite gotten the hang of the scratching post either. She's been picking at my closed desk drawers instead. In the same room as two scratching posts.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
As she settled in, I expected her to be easily startled and to be very cautious and reluctant to enter new areas. She was for a week or two, but not as much as I expected.
Turns out, she's very curious and had no hesitation going into the basement. (Nike not only didn't want to go into the basement, but sometimes he didn't seem to want us to go there either.)
And after a week or so, she's been more open to playing. I'm sure her habits and preferences will become more clear in the next couple weeks, but I was happy to see her willing to chase my hand under a blanket.
I'm not sure she understood tissue paper at first, either. I mean, lying down next to the crinkly paper just isn't the reaction I expected.
That said, if it moved, she did want to pounce.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Friday, July 13, 2018
Ginger Kitty's World Expands
She had a space all her own at Gifford.
Her world tripled in size when we put her in her own bedroom.
After a couple days, she expressed interest in seeing what was outside Door Number One.
We built a makeshift barricade in front of the stairs and let her out for a little bit at a time. Her world doubled again in size.
She would come out and explore, then it would become too much and she'd go back to safety and we'd close the door for a few more hours.
For a couple days she only had supervised upstairs roaming, then a couple days with unsupervised upstairs roaming.
She didn't seem to notice the stair barricade until she saw me standing on the other side.
Suddenly, she had to see where the downward hallway went.
She got all the way down the stairs, set one paw in the kitchen, and ran back up to home base. But we left the stairs unblocked, and she gave the downstairs another try later in the evening. And again the next evening.
Her world doubled in size again! Well, sort of. She still preferred being upstairs. It's a process.
We all discovered that her favorite things to do in the wee hours were to chew on hanging necklaces and to make sure every item on top of the dresser made noise and/or followed the rules of gravity.
It was a little annoying, but it meant she was getting comfortable outside of her room. And, really, the non-scary part of the house was only two and a half rooms big, what else was she going to do?
The exploration adventures became longer and more frequent. I discovered a couple small items in the living room had mysteriously moved themselves overnight. (She jumps up on the dresser, but after a couple days she stopped testing the sound qualities of every item in the middle of the night.)
At time of writing, she's been in our house just shy of two weeks. The occasional large truck driving by still frightens her, but every time she's startled she doesn't run as far away. We've moved the food, water, and litter box out of the bedroom and into their proper places, and she's had no trouble finding them or adjusting to the new locations.
She's still lounging like she's on a beach vacation, only now it's in the living room where we spend most of our time.
She follows us from room to room. Not a lap cat or a cuddler, but she likes to be around.
She's very sweet, and she's a little bit sassy. Skilled at the judgemental stare and seems to have Resting Angry Face in photos, but she's doing awesome and I'm so proud of her.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Her world tripled in size when we put her in her own bedroom.
After a couple days, she expressed interest in seeing what was outside Door Number One.
We built a makeshift barricade in front of the stairs and let her out for a little bit at a time. Her world doubled again in size.
She would come out and explore, then it would become too much and she'd go back to safety and we'd close the door for a few more hours.
For a couple days she only had supervised upstairs roaming, then a couple days with unsupervised upstairs roaming.
She didn't seem to notice the stair barricade until she saw me standing on the other side.
 |
| CONTAINMENT BREACH! |
Suddenly, she had to see where the downward hallway went.
She got all the way down the stairs, set one paw in the kitchen, and ran back up to home base. But we left the stairs unblocked, and she gave the downstairs another try later in the evening. And again the next evening.
Her world doubled in size again! Well, sort of. She still preferred being upstairs. It's a process.
We all discovered that her favorite things to do in the wee hours were to chew on hanging necklaces and to make sure every item on top of the dresser made noise and/or followed the rules of gravity.
It was a little annoying, but it meant she was getting comfortable outside of her room. And, really, the non-scary part of the house was only two and a half rooms big, what else was she going to do?
The exploration adventures became longer and more frequent. I discovered a couple small items in the living room had mysteriously moved themselves overnight. (She jumps up on the dresser, but after a couple days she stopped testing the sound qualities of every item in the middle of the night.)
At time of writing, she's been in our house just shy of two weeks. The occasional large truck driving by still frightens her, but every time she's startled she doesn't run as far away. We've moved the food, water, and litter box out of the bedroom and into their proper places, and she's had no trouble finding them or adjusting to the new locations.
She's still lounging like she's on a beach vacation, only now it's in the living room where we spend most of our time.
She follows us from room to room. Not a lap cat or a cuddler, but she likes to be around.
She's very sweet, and she's a little bit sassy. Skilled at the judgemental stare and seems to have Resting Angry Face in photos, but she's doing awesome and I'm so proud of her.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Friday, July 6, 2018
Ginger Kitty Gets Distracted
I'm still working on finding out which toys she'll play with. She'll bat at a feather plume for a little bit, but won't chase Da Bird (we'll revisit when she is ready for more square footage) and doesn't seem interested in crinkly balls or mouse-shaped toys.
But a length of ribbon...
[ 2 seconds pass ]
But a length of ribbon...
 |
| RIBBON! I CHEW YOU nom nom nom purr purr purr |
[ a bus drives by outside ]
 |
| OMG SCARY NOISE |
[ 2 seconds pass ]
 |
| RIBBON I HAS YOU purr purr purr |
Not pictured: at one point she didn't want to let go of her end of the ribbon but wanted to eat some kibble, so she carried it over and put it down in her dish.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in her!
Thursday, July 5, 2018
Ginger Kitty and Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome
Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome (FHS) isn't super well known, but there are several results from universities and veterinary sites if you do a Google.
I've read some articles and watched several videos of other cats having FHS episodes, and Ginger Kitty's are nowhere near as dramatic.
She over-grooms her belly, tail, and back legs, but she's typically not twitchy or jumpy when she does it, her pupils aren't dilated, and she's not having spasms, twitching, running, jumping, vocalizing, or peeing at all.
It's hard to tell when she's compulsively grooming and when she's doing regular grooming like a normal cat, but I think I'm starting to learn the difference. Then again, maybe the only difference is frequency, not intensity. I'm sure I'll figure it out, given time.
I don't know if she'll let up on the overdrive grooming once she really settles in to the new environment, food, and exercise routine, but I hope this becomes a Before photo as far as belly fur is concerned.
The medicine she has been prescribed is an anti-seizure medication called gabapentin. It's a pill that gets crushed and diluted in water, then squirted into her mouth via syringe. She doesn't love it and she struggles a little, but she doesn't fight or claw or bite at all. And she doesn't hold a grudge! As soon as it's over, she resumes purring and rubbing her face on everyone and everything in the room. She's a real sweetheart! Gentle, companionable, content to be nearby, and happy to be pet or brushed.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in adopting her!
I've read some articles and watched several videos of other cats having FHS episodes, and Ginger Kitty's are nowhere near as dramatic.
She over-grooms her belly, tail, and back legs, but she's typically not twitchy or jumpy when she does it, her pupils aren't dilated, and she's not having spasms, twitching, running, jumping, vocalizing, or peeing at all.
It's hard to tell when she's compulsively grooming and when she's doing regular grooming like a normal cat, but I think I'm starting to learn the difference. Then again, maybe the only difference is frequency, not intensity. I'm sure I'll figure it out, given time.
I don't know if she'll let up on the overdrive grooming once she really settles in to the new environment, food, and exercise routine, but I hope this becomes a Before photo as far as belly fur is concerned.
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| Lounging and purring, 2 days into foster care The only thing she's missing is a drink with a paper umbrella |
The medicine she has been prescribed is an anti-seizure medication called gabapentin. It's a pill that gets crushed and diluted in water, then squirted into her mouth via syringe. She doesn't love it and she struggles a little, but she doesn't fight or claw or bite at all. And she doesn't hold a grudge! As soon as it's over, she resumes purring and rubbing her face on everyone and everything in the room. She's a real sweetheart! Gentle, companionable, content to be nearby, and happy to be pet or brushed.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in adopting her!
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
Ginger Kitty settling in
FHS is not a life-threatening or degenerative condition, but I can definitely understand episodes being a turnoff for potential adopters, especially if Ginger Kitty was having them 2-3 times a day at the shelter.
The shelter's volunteer coordinator showed me a video of one. She snarled at nothing and chased her tail for a few seconds, then growled for another few seconds, and then she went back to normal.
When my husband and I went to fetch her, the shelter manager described seeing a fit approximately 15-20 minutes after meds, so I've been hanging out for at least half an hour afterward. At time of writing, she's been here for three days. I'm happy to report that other than one mild instance the first night (she looked startled and hissed at nothing behind her but didn't growl or chase her tail), we haven't seen or heard an episode. She's still confined to our guest room, so we don't have eyes on her all the time, but I've been spending as much time with her as I can.
She purrs probably 95% of the time.
She's still spending time in her safe place under the bed, but she comes out almost immediately whenever we're in the room, and seems to like flopping down near my knees or ankles and just being companionable.
As she's gotten more comfortable, she's started lounging in the middle of the floor like she's on a beach vacation. She likes being brushed, and I like to think of it as her version of a spa massage.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in adopting her!
The shelter's volunteer coordinator showed me a video of one. She snarled at nothing and chased her tail for a few seconds, then growled for another few seconds, and then she went back to normal.
When my husband and I went to fetch her, the shelter manager described seeing a fit approximately 15-20 minutes after meds, so I've been hanging out for at least half an hour afterward. At time of writing, she's been here for three days. I'm happy to report that other than one mild instance the first night (she looked startled and hissed at nothing behind her but didn't growl or chase her tail), we haven't seen or heard an episode. She's still confined to our guest room, so we don't have eyes on her all the time, but I've been spending as much time with her as I can.
She purrs probably 95% of the time.
She's still spending time in her safe place under the bed, but she comes out almost immediately whenever we're in the room, and seems to like flopping down near my knees or ankles and just being companionable.
As she's gotten more comfortable, she's started lounging in the middle of the floor like she's on a beach vacation. She likes being brushed, and I like to think of it as her version of a spa massage.
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in adopting her!
Ginger Kitty
Ginger Kitty has been a shelter cat for quite some time, I'm told she spent two years at another shelter before she arrived at Gifford. She is about 5 years old, and she has Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome (FHS), which is a neurological disorder that manifests in "fits," occasional spurts of spasms, vocalizing, and/or excess grooming.
She's on twice-daily medication to treat this. I'll be making lots of notes and working with the shelter to see if the fits happen less in foster care. If they do, hopefully the shelter vet will recommend reducing the dosage. Fingers crossed!
She was great in the car on the way over! She didn't get sick or anything, just meowed a few times and burrowed under the towel, then put her chin down on her paws for a while.
Once at the house, in the room where she'll stay until she's ready to explore, she came out of the carrier immediately. She cautiously surveyed the room, then found a safe place under the bed to nap. We're checking in on her every few hours. She's been coming out for a minute or two longer each time to sniff us and rub her face on the room and purr, then goes back under the bed.
So far she's friendly but not ready to cuddle, which is more than I expected for her first day in a new environment!
Ginger Kitty is fostered in Cambridge, MA through the Gifford Cat Shelter in Brighton. Please contact them if you are interested in adopting her!
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