The Cutensils

Nibbles was transported to Kitten Academy from a shelter in Huntington, West Virginia on February 4th, 2023, and was given a name the next day. She was very wide and Mr A could feel kittens in her, so they knew she was pregnant and could give birth soon. She also came with a mild URI. On the afternoon of Saturday, February 11th, Nibbles gave birth to 5 kittens with less than an hour between the first and last kitten born, setting the fastest record for Kitten Academy birth rate! The kittens were named that same night, and the birth order was Ramekin, Spatula, Teaspoon, Goblet, and Spork.

The kittens stayed in the birthing box in the annex. Nibbles was a little dehydrated after birth, but recovered with the help of some fluids. Teaspoon was noticeably smaller than the others, and got some supplemental feedings. The kittens grew, and began to open their eyes and ears and learn how to walk. Nibble's URI seemed to also infect some of the kittens, causing them to sneeze and have goopy eyes. Spork got some supplemental feeding at this point, and Spatula had a little too. By the end of the month the kittens were running around and learning to play!

At the beginning of March Nibbles and the kittens started to get time in the KA Spa (master bedroom) and meet other cats. Teaspoon started having constipation issues around this time as well, and went to AristoKatz vet on the 24th to get an enema and thorough examination. On an x-ray it was noticed that Teaspoon had some small mineralized particles in his colon, which was thought to maybe be small bone fragments in the wet food the kittens were eating. After this, Kitten Academy started feeding different food to the cats and kittens, and eventually settling on Nulo Freestyle Turkey and Chicken Pate.

During Teaspoon's exam, they also found he had a slightly enlarged heart and a heart murmur, so plans were made for Teaspoon to see a cardiologist. All the Cutensils went to the vet on the 30th for regular checkups and first vaccines. On April 1st the Cutensils moved to the main room downstairs, and Puddles moved into the annex. Teaspoon visited the cardiologist on April 4th, where they examined him further and decided to wait a little more for his body to grow, and they would re-check his heart in a couple months.

The kittens continued to grow and play! Ramekin and Goblet were the biggest kittens in the group, and Mr A and DJ nicknamed them "Scully and Hitchcock" as a reference to characters in the TV show Brooklyn 99. On the 10th, Teaspoon was constipated again and went to Aristokatz for another enema, and also prescribed a laxative and a plain chicken only diet. He has periodic constipation issues since, and Mr A learned how to give him an enema at home. The Cutensils got their second vaccines on the 20th. They had more time to run around the house, and meet and play with the faculty.

On May 1st, Nibbles got her spay surgery. Ramekin and Goblet got their spays on the 15th, and Spork and Spatula on the 18th. Teaspoon visited the cardiologist again on May 23rd, where they specifically diagnosed him with pulmonic stenosis. He was put on beta blockers to reduce his heart rate, and a balloon valvuloplasty surgery to fix his small heart valve was scheduled for August. The other Cutensils got adopters, and scheduled to be picked up in early June!

Spork was picked up by Smidgeon and Crumb of the TinyBread's adopter on June 7th. Ramekin and Goblet were adopted together on June 15th, and Nibbles and Spatula together on July 7th. Teaspoon was scheduled to get his neuter on July 3rd, however he went to the vet on the 29th for a check-up and it was found he is also cryptorchid, making the surgery more complicated. It was recommended he get his neuter surgery at the hospital where his heart surgery would take place. On July 25th, Teaspoon went to the vet hospital for a checkup with the neuter surgeon, and they consulted with his cardiologist, and decided to wait until after his heart surgery to have his neuter surgery. It was tentatively scheduled for early October.

DJ especially really came to love Teaspoon, and there was discussion about keeping him as faculty from even way back in April! Even Mr A joked they could keep him if his eyes stayed blue, and they stayed blue for a lot longer than usual! (however are no longer pure blue). When being more serious at the time, Mr A stated he didn't think they would keep him. Teaspoon had a checkup appointment with the cardiologist on November 7th, and they determined his heart valve still seemed too small to safely do the procedure, so he will be staying at the Academy until he is a year old next February, when they will check again.

During the Christmas season of 2023, various hints were given to the Discord community about Teaspoon staying at Kitten Academy as a permanent member of the faculty, leading up to an announcement at the end of the annual "2023 Supurrlative awards" on December 23rd. The next day, Mr A announced it on that mornings mailbag, and finally on Christmas Day, Teaspoon was officially added to the Kitten Academy's Faculty page as a "Lecturer in Feline Health and Nutrition Sciences". Teaspoon set a new record for the longest time at Kitten Academy before adoption!