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Bedford Ramblings

Steve Mills and his wife have one daughter. They previously owned two coffee/ice cream shops, currently operate an internet sales company and teach classes, but his primary job involves the paper industry worldwide. Hobbies and interests lie in gardening, photography, recorded music and of course, their pets.

Cheyenne or Fernando?

Posted Sunday, November 8, 2020, at 7:35 PM

What’s his name going to be?

This little boy brought tears to my eyes this morning because I think he has gotten over the hump on his way to regaining health. I have been surprised once before and don’t want to jinx it but he is finally eating whole food.

Six days ago I felt that he was in the verge of leaving us and expected every morning of finding him gone or on his last breath. He would not take formula/antibiotic by mouth and we agonized about taking him to the vet, but we have spent hundreds on kittens like this and lost them anyway and I felt he was gone.

I would put a drop in his mouth at a time and happened to be watching an old Western (Cheyenne) when he first started taking a full swallow and took the whole syringe. Every three hours my alarm would go off and I would give him more formula until the next antibiotic dosing.

He started anticipating it and would drink a full one plus. Then two full, etc. He was severely dehydrated and his jaws would click as he moved his mouth but it started to go away and I could feel a difference with his bones.

This morning he could smell the wet food and started eating. Yahooooo! “Fernando” by ABBA was playing and it brought to mind naming him Fernando or Cheyenne. I was superstitious about not naming him until his health improved. We had named a kitten Popeye a while back and he did not make it.

Which one sounds good? Send me an email if you don’t want to answer here.

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Steve, it don't matter what you call him. Just don't call him late for dinner!! 🤣😂🌽🌮🐈🐈🐈

-- Posted by fair share on Sun, Nov 8, 2020, at 8:06 PM
He's a good looking lil feller, that's for sure. You might try one name a time or two, then try the other. See if he has a preference.

-- Posted by fair share on Sun, Nov 8, 2020, at 8:08 PM
His belly is starting to fill out and the bones are not as pronounced as a week ago. My wife is not sure she will remember either one but she leans toward Cheyenne because I tend to watch it whenever I remember.

I found a black female that is almost as bad but I got her before she became dehydrated. If I took a front picture of either one you would probably cringe from the swollen eyes.

Cheyenne's swelling is going down and he is starting to move a round a little.

The black one moves around even though she can't see some of the time. I believe she will respond to the antibiotics in another day or two and have high hopes for both.

Two more go into the vet tomorrow for their "fixin'". Going into the fall usually slows down the breeding and we can make a decent dent in the feral colony but there are some staying far away from me so I suspect we will always have kittens for which to care.

I am amazed at how far out the spay/neuter schedule is. We started booking into December while we were still in October. Our daughter has just about lost any inheritance unless she wants to count cats as part of it. LOL but maybe it should be COL. :-)

-- Posted by stevemills on Sun, Nov 8, 2020, at 8:35 PM
Well, I'm convinced that the ones you have already helped have repaid your kindness by putting secret marks on your door posts and fence posts to alert any passing stray to the location of a good meal. Or a good life. Imagine you are too and wouldn't have it any other way.

-- Posted by fair share on Sun, Nov 8, 2020, at 9:08 PM
There are times fair share when I wonder if they do understand and appreciate in some way. A dog usually demonstrates its appreciation but cats are a LOT more subtle. :-)

-- Posted by stevemills on Mon, Nov 9, 2020, at 7:06 AM
They sure are. They understand more than they let on. And they appreciate but try not to show it too much.

-- Posted by fair share on Mon, Nov 9, 2020, at 9:45 PM
They cover it well. ;-)

-- Posted by stevemills on Tue, Nov 10, 2020, at 10:38 AM
An update: Cheyenne is putting on weight and continuing to do well. The black one we have named Ebony and while the infection seems to be getting under control, she is not putting on weight. Hmmmm.

We now have another dark tortoise kitten (no name at the moment) who has evaded me until recently. She will lose an eye from infection but we have had another do that and is functioning well outside.

The last one we took into the vet for this condition died after they removed its' eye. Infection set in quickly and nothing could save him so we are waiting this one out to see if nature has a better solution. Just giving antibiotics, and hydrating for now.

-- Posted by stevemills on Tue, Nov 24, 2020, at 10:42 AM
Good luck with all those critters.

-- Posted by fair share on Wed, Nov 25, 2020, at 9:43 AM

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