ANOTHER BABY CLOTHES QUILT DONE

I recently finished and shipped another baby clothes quilt that I am very proud of. The customer sent enough clothing that I was able to have an embroidered or printed design in every block. It looks like a miniature tshirt quilt. There were a number of sports-related blocks and I used a cute blue fabric with multicolor stars to play off that theme. At about 32" x 47" it will make a great crib, bed or lap quilt. And a great wall hanging, too.

I so enjoyed making this quilt that I'm going to ask for more clothing items for quilts in the future so I can have more of the solid blocks with a design. With all the cute baby clothes out there these days I don't think that will be a problem.

A BIG THANKS!

I just wanted to thank all of you who bid on the two kitty fabric quilts I listed to help pay the vet bills for my rescued kittens. The bidding is over now and the proceeds will make a dent in the bills.

I will be posting more pics and an update on the kitties in the next few days. They will be returning to the vet on Thursday for a recheck. I think she will be surprised at their progress.

Again, thanks so much to everyone who bid and who promoted the auctions. I love y'all!!

KITTY FABRIC QUILTS JUST LISTED

Well, I finally got the kitty quilts finished and listed on ebay today. These are the quilts made from kitty prints donated by my great quilting buddies to help pay Fuzzy and Mikey's vet bills.

The first is a lap quilt size - 34" x 34" - and is made from more than 20 different prints. The back is a cute print with black, gray and orange cats on a beige background. There is a soft while flannel in the middle. It would also make a great wall hanging.



The second quilt is a bit bigger at 41" x 48". It would also make a great lap quilt. It would also look nice draped across your bed, chair or sofa. The back is a cute Debbie Mumm print of cats and fish on a deep red. The red in the fringe really makes the blocks pop. There are at least 12 different prints in this quilt.

Please check out the auctions and tell any of your kitty-loving friends about them.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320717698517&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320717704944&ssPageName=STRK:MELELX.IT

KITTY UPDATE

Guess I've been a little late in getting an update on the kittens posted. What can I say, it's been a bit busy around here.

Here are their pictures taken about June 2, 2011. They were a little more active, but still on mediation.

Mikey

Fuzzy

This second set of pictures was taken June 11 and the change is remarkable! They finished their medications and were eating like little monsters! They have been playing and love the balls with bells in them. And, of course, the cardboard scratcher is the first place they go when they get out for play time.

Mikey

Fuzzy

They do need to go back to the vet for their first kitty shots and a recheck. I weighed them the other day and they are both up to at least 24 oz and probably more by now. I can't believe the recovery they made. Now I will be looking for a home for them and, yes, I would like them to go together. They will still need spay/neuter surgery, but they aren't near big enough for that yet.

If y'all know anyone in the Houston area who would like to give a home to these two miracle kittens, please let me know. They are adorable and playful and love people. They seem to be afraid of nothing!

NEW PATIENTS IN THE HOUSE

Well, we have two new "patients" in the house. A few weeks ago a stray, mostly feral, momma cat brought her three kittens to the yard. They were on the small side for the apparant age, but seemed to be healthy. A couple of weeks ago I started to notice that two of the kittens were having symptoms of upper respiratory infection. That's not too uncommon among feral kittens from my experience. When they started waking up with their eyes stuck together, I tried to clean them so they could see but it happened all over again. Then one disappeared for a day and I was really worried. So, a week ago Sunday, when the missing kitten reappeared seeming even sicker than before, I grabbed both of them and brought them in the house. I installed them in one of the cages I used when fostering and put it in the hall bath so they would be apart from the rest of the household. They weren't in good condition with diarrhea and all snotty and stuffy.

Since Monday was a holiday I didn't get them to the vet til Tuesday. My diagnosis was confirmed and they were put on three different medications - a general antibiotic, antibiotic ointment for the eyes and some meds for the "runs". I've named them Mikey and Fuzzy - brother and sister. They have been very good at taking their meds. They have been eating Fancy Feast and some Eukanuba kitten food. I also got them some milk replacement for added nutrition.

Here's a picture of them taken after they went to the vet. They are about 6 weeks old in that picture and they were on a hot water bottle as Fuzzy's body temp was low and the vet said to keep her warm.

In fact, her diarrhea had been so bad and irritated her little bottom so much it was hard to tell at the time if she was a boy or a girl. That's Fuzzy on the left and Mikey on the right.

The vet bill was not cheap so I'm putting together a couple of kitty themed rag quilts to put on ebay for auction to see if I can raise some money to defray the costs.

They are doing better and I will be posting more pics and keeping y'all updated on their progress. They are very sweet little kittes and will be looking for a home when they are all better and a bit older. I would like to keep them together since they have been thru this together. If anyone knows anyone in the greater Houston area that might be interested in giving these amazing and lucky kitties a home, please let me know.

I'll definitely let you know when the quilts are listed. One is a lap size with more than 25 different cat prints. The other will be a bit bigger with more than 12 different prints.

ANOTHER MAX UPDATE

For those of you who might be interested, I thought I'd give a quick update on Max. On Monday Max went in for a check-up and it went soooo well. He's up to 14 lbs - double his weight when he went in the hospital 6 months ago! His vet is sooo thrilled with his progress. His blood glucose levels aren't as low as I would like, but they are "acceptable". His heart murmur hasn't worsened either. I've even seen a slight improvement in his neuropathy. So he doesn't have to go back to the vet for 3 MONTHS!!!! Yaaaayyyyy!! I'm so happy and I know Max is, too.

BE KIND TO ANIMALS WEEK MAY 1 - 7

I just found out that this is "Be Kind to Animals" Week and it's been celebrated since 1915. Did you know that? I think it's lovely to have a week to emphasize kindness to animals, but it's something that should be practiced each and every day. And to ALL animals, tame and wild, pet or food provider. (Ok, here's where I get on my soapbox.)

I love animals, all animals, in their proper environment. After all, they are our brothers and sisters. I must point out that I am a carnivore and Ido believe that some animals are here to provide for our sustanence. Having said that, I believe that we can treat these animals with kindness and give them a good death. They don't have to be treated cruelly just because they are food animals. If you don't believe that this can be done, you should watch the movie "Temple Grandin". It's about a woman who is autistic, but manages to make a place for herself in the world of the rest of us. Her "specialty" is creating humane slaughterhouses for cattle. I know that sounds oximoronic, but it involves creating a space where the animals don't feel panic, where they are calm. Just watch it to see what I mean. There are other ways to provide a better life for food animals like chickens and pigs and the like. We need to treat them like the living, breathing, feeling creatures that they are. Treating animals badly scars our own souls, too.

Ok, the soapbox is closed. Sort of. I will spend today with my indoor kitties and the outdoor kitties and thinking about what I can do to help them all have as good a life as I can provide for them. What will you do to promote kindness to animals this week?