TIME FLIES

Wow! January is long gone and February is over half gone, too. Time does fly when you're busy, doesn't it? What have I been doing? A lot!!!

First I rescued some kittens from the backyard who had upper respiratory infections and have nursed them back to health. Shawn and Belle along with their big brother, Squeaker, all had varying degrees of the infection with Shawn being the worst off. Shawn's infection had gotten into his left eye and he had to go to the eye vet for some medicine. It seems that things are healing well and the eye vet is very happy with the progress. 

Squeaker

Squeaker, about 6 months older than his sibs, has been like a second mother to the others and is very, very sweet. Our local Humane Society just had their annual "Fix Felix for Free" day this past Wednesday and I was able to get Squeaker in for a free neuter. The lines were long, but I think it was worth the waiting time to get him done for free with $5 for the rabies shot. And it seems it was done just in time as it appears that Belle has matured earlier and is now in heat! 

Shawn

I've always thought that Shawn was a boy until lately when I realized he wasn't "developing" the proper equipment. After close inspection, it seems that Shawn is a girl as well. I'll have that confirmed by the vet this week. Either way, Shawn is so sweet and affectionate it's hard to believe he came from a feral mom. 

Belle

His mom is Callie, a cute little calico girl who I also was able to get spayed about a month ago. Her other daughter, Belle, is a calico, too with more white and it just as shy as her mom. 

Callie

In the sewing studio, I've been working on a new product - a wristlet. I wanted to make something that could be an accessory to the tote bags and finally settled on a pattern with some slight alterations and have listed a couple in my Etsy shop. There will be more with some tote/wristlet sets, too. I've also decided that in the future I'll make the wrist strap detachable for versatility.

L'il Cowpoke wristlet

I've also been working on the old family tree and I'll recount the new stuff in a later post. It's getting interesting again!

Well, it looks like spring is on it's way, but I wouldn't count out more cold weather in the meantime. I mean it is Houston after all and the trail rides and bar-b-que cookoff is coming up and it is almost always cold and rainy for that. 

I hope everyone is having a good late winter/early spring. 

MIMI AND MIKEY UPDATE

I just realized that I haven't posted an update on Mimi and Mikey lately. And they've had quite the busy month. Just a couple of weeks ago they had their spay/neuter surgery. After a couple of days of convalescence, they are once again flying about the house like a couple of ghosts, but sounding like a herd of horses.

Here's a recent picture of Mikey. Can't you just see the mischief in his eyes? He is very playful and energetic, but he's very sweet when he calms down. He will even accept a kiss or two.

This is Miss Mimi or as she's known formally, Princess Purrypants of Fuzzbutt. She's just as playful and energetic as her brother, but not quite as adventurous. When she's picked up she purrs up a storm and doesn't mind a cuddle or two. When her brother gets sent to the bathroom for a time out, she insists on joining him. They are inseperable.

Here's a picture of Mimi and Mikey eating their favorite treat - Fancy Feast. I took this picture to show how long their tails are. Mimi's is especially notable as it is so furry. When she's happy she carries it like a big, fluffy flag.

All in all, the kittens are a joy. They are happy and healthy. What more could anyone ask for?



KITTY TOTE #4 IS ON EBAY!

Ok, here's another nifty tote from the great Debbie Mumm fabric I was given. I just love the prim colors - gray, gold, dark red. So pretty. And all the great cats!!! This is what I would call a "wallpaper stripe" fabric with all the kitties in a row. This tote is one you can carry now and straight into winter!!

Inside I used more of the kitty print I used in the first rag quilt. It's a cream with cute gray, orange and black kitties. The inside pockets are more of the outside fabric and I used another Mumm gray print for the bottom stabilizer.

To get a look at the auction and more pics of the tote, use this link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320735635002&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

MORE KITTY FABRIC ITEMS

Just when I thought I was totally out of kitty fabrics, my wonderful friend, April of Frog Hill Farm, sent me a big package of kitty fabrics by my favorie designer, Debbie Mumm. Of course they are in those lovely prim colors of gold, blue, green and that great dark red. Again the proceeds from these projects will go toward paying Mimi and Mikey's mounting vet bills.

So, with all that fabric right in front of me I started planning. First I made a nice 32" x 47" rag quilt using four coordinating fabrics. On the front I used matching fabrics with a gold and a blue background, combining solid and four-patch blocks. For the back I used two additional coordinating fabrics in that pretty blue. There's white flannel sandwiched in the middle. I love all the different kitties pictured in the prints. Anyway, I posted the quilt on ebay. You can find it at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320733351547&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

front

close-up

back

 A couple of the fabrics in April's generous gift are more like border prints and lend themselves to super tote bags so they will be coming soon. One has a green background with "portraits" of cats in different sizes. The other is in the same colors as the quilt. I will let you know as soon as they are listed. Please go check them out and pass the link on to anyone you think might be interested in something like this.

Thanks to all of you who have supported me in this effort to get these precious kitties back on the road to good health and a long and happy life.

TOTE BAGS ON AUCTION FOR VET BILLS

I almost forgot to tell y'all about the two totes I have listed on ebay. The proceeds of these, like the quilts, will go toward Mimi and Mikey's vet bills. Both are kitty themed, of course.

This one also has a bit of a crafty theme, too. It's all lovely pastels on cream with a turquoise lining.

It has two inside pockets and a magnetic snap closure. It also has a smaller outside pocket.

The second tote is a cat print in shades of pink and green with a pink lining. It also has an outside pocket with a big pink button.

I used a pretty window pane plaid in shades of pink and green for the inside pockets. This also has the magnetic snap closure.

These totes both have a few days to go in the listings so go check them out. Please pass the info on to anyone you know who might like to bid on one or both of these totes.

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

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.

DADDY DAY CARE

I just had to post this picture today. There is a family of kitties living in my back yard and they are truly a family unit. This picture shows the little ones curled up with Daddy for a mid-morning nap. (Mom is scheduled to be trapped and spayed. Then we'll get dad and the little ones.)

Although Daddy can be ornery when other, non-family, cats are around, he is so good with the little ones. He seems to look after them when Mom is off doing whatever Moms do. He's very gentle with them. The cat at the top if the picture is one of his sons from a previous litter. The whole family interacts and plays together and it's really cute to watch. This shows that kitty dads do hang around to help take care of the kids sometimes.

This is a picture taken last month of the whole family together. Kinda cute.