April Meowers

### Kittens

Raindrop, Bud, Brolly, Sprout, Drizzle, Wellingtons, Squall, Daffodils, Pollen, Thunder

### First kitten adopted

Bud, Brolly and Puddles (July 30th, 2023)

## Kitten Academy Classes

### Following class

Till's Petty Cash

Puddles was rescued locally to Danbury Animal Welfare Society, and was previously fostered by another DAWS volunteer. When they discovered she was pregnant, she was transferred to Kitten Academy on April 1st, 2023. Puddles went to the vet on the 3rd for a SNAP test, X-rays of her kittens, and a general checkup where she was very sweet to the people at the vet. Puddles X-ray revealed she was in late-term pregnancy with at least 5 kittens. On the morning of Thursday the 6th, Puddles began to show signs of imminent labor and gave birth around the middle of the day! Birth order was Raindrop, Bud, Brolly, Sprout, and Drizzle.

The kittens were very healthy and started to grow in the birthing box located in the annex. When they were about two weeks old, Puddles decided to move Raindrop, and somehow placed her in the wicker camera electronics box in the room! Raindrop was retrieved and put back, but later Puddles moved all her kittens to the bottom level of the cage, Mr A tried to convince her to stay in the box by putting her kittens back, but when she started to move her kittens again he helped her set up a comfortable spot on the lower level of the cage. Soon after that though, the kittens were able to walk around the annex themselves.

Meanwhile, a family of 5 kittens that were found under a forklift in a local warehouse. The kittens were just a few days old, but the momcat was quite feral and unsocialized to humans. The family couldn't stay at the working warehouse, so the kittens were trapped and brought to Aristokatz, however the momcat got away. Because the kittens would benefit from growing up nursing on a momcat, Dr P called Kitten Academy and asked if the small kittens would be able to join Puddles and the April Meowers. On May 1st, Mr A brought the 5 kittens to Puddles, who almost immediately accepted the new kittens with her own kittens, and allowed them all to nurse on her! They were named Wellingtons, Daffodils, Pollen, Thunder, and Squall. The smaller Meowers momcat was eventually trapped, however was too feral to be fostered so she was spayed and released in a safe place nearby.

While Puddles allowed the smaller Meowers to nurse as much as she could, they still needed supplemental feedings multiple times a day. After a few days Thunder started to be a bit more lethargic than the others, and was having diarrhea. On May 7th Mr A took her for a special visit to Aristokatz, where Dr Katz examined her even on her day off and Thunder was given subcutaneous fluids, metronidazole and dewormer. Unfortunately Thunder took a sudden decline that same evening and passed away. The other Meowers were also starting to show some of the same symptoms. All of the older and younger Meowers went to Aristokatz the next day for a checkup, where the smaller kittens were tested for Parvo/distemper, which came back negative, so they continued to treat the sick kittens with subq fluids and metro as needed. The two age groups were separated again to make it easier for Mr A and DJ to give meds and supplemental feedings to the smaller Meowers. While the older Meowers recovered in a few days, Pollen also declined and passed away on May 10th, and Daffodils on May 14th. Wellingtons and Squall recovered.

While the smaller kittens were getting close care from Mr A and DJ, they really started bonding with them and especially loved to "nurse" on Mr A's beard. Squall and Wellingtons (often called "Squellingtons") became super affectionate and playful as they began to grow bigger, and recover from their sickness. Eventually Mr A and DJ even allowed the older kittens to meet them, and Spork from The Cutensils liked to have some of their supplemental KMR (kitten milk replacement) as a treat too! Bud and Teaspoon also had occasional KMR treats too. Meanwhile, on May 18th the older Meowers got collars to help tell them apart, and their first vaccines. They also started to meet some of the faculty and older kittens.

Squall and Wellingtons learned to eat on their own and use the litterbox, and seemed to be fully recovered around the beginning of June. The two groups were officially reunited again in the Annex. Puddles got her spay on June 15th, and on the same day all the Meowers got a round of vaccines. The Meowers continued to grow and play with each other in the annex, while also being allowed out to run around the house under supervision, and also spending some time with Mr A and DJ in the master bedroom "spa". Around this time, Serenity also started to hang around with the faculty and the Meowers when they were out and about, and especially enjoyed playing with Raindrop. The older April Meowers got their third vaccines on June 29th.

On July 13th, Squall and Wellingtons had their second checkup and vaccines. The next day, the Meowers "home base" was officially moved to the Main Room to make room for Till in the annex. The kittens continued to enjoy free range of the house during most of the day, and got to meet some of the KA-Con guests on July 23rd, Including the future adopters of Bud, Brolly, and Puddles! Bud and Brolly got their graduation neuter/spay on the 25th, and then the two of them and Puddles were adopted by previous KA adopters of the TinyPlants of Brook's Babbles!

Raindrop had her spay surgery on August 2nd, and Drizzle and Sprout had theirs on the 8th. Squall and Wellingtons had their third vaccines and pre-op checks on the 9th, and their graduation spay/neuter on August 24th. The remaining April Meowers spent the next few months with free range of the house, and enjoying spending time with each other and the faculty. When the Petty Cash kittens were old enough, they spent more time with each other! Raindrop was adopted with Petty Cash kitten Quid on November 24th! Squall and Wellingtons were also approved to be adopted together in November, however the adopter couldn't pick them up until December 30th. The remaining cats: Sprout, Drizzle and Serenity are still awaiting adopters!