Greetings, furriends! It is me, your Floofy Furry Bambino, Caramel, with today’s update on our second class of Kitten Season 2011.
Meet Joan, Jett, and Braveheart! Sisters Joan (back) and Braveheart (front) are huddled together in the kitten bed. Brother Jett is sitting next to the kitten bed. (Mom and Dad considered naming Braveheart “Blackheart” to be consistent, but thought that was too unkind. Plus, Mom hopes that little Braveheart’s name becomes self-fulfilling.)
That’s because Joan, and especially Braveheart, are feral. Presently, Joan is “semi-feral” and Braveheart is about 90% feral. Brother Jett is the most trusting of the three siblings. They were found in a cat carrier along with their three other siblings in a local park. Because all six kittens were all skittish, the litter was divided up between two foster homes to socialize the babies.
Soon after enrolling in Furry Bambino Foster Academy, Jett developed some weird lesions on the bridge of his nose. About the same time, Daddy casually mentioned to Mom over dinner that (another PAWS volunteer) “Eileen called this afternoon, and said that the other three kittens in the litter might have ringworm”.
Mom stopped eating, and replied: “R-r-r-ringworm? Do you know what that is? It is SO contagious! Aaahhhhh! That must be what the lesions on Jett’s face are!!!” She fled the dinner table and immediately called Eileen.
At the time, Daddy didn’t understand how serious ringworm is. He thought Mom was just being melodramatic (again). A lot of people think that ringworm is a parasite because of the name. Actually, ringworm is a skin infection that is caused by a fungus, the same one that causes Athlete’s Foot. Its spores become AIRBORNE and it can spread rapidly, and the spores can survive a long time (like a year) outside the host.
So Mom and Dad removed Joan, Jett, and Braveheart from the kitten room and moved them into a cat condo in the garage. Unfortunately, Nadia and Bart got exposed to Joan, Jett, and Braveheart, and would need to be quarantined for 14 days to see if they developed ringworm, too. Luckily, Lilia and Vitaly had just gotten adopted, so they were not exposed.
Next time: Treating the feral threesome for ringworm! Good times, kittehs, good times.
P.S. Joan, Jett, and Braveheart are the 13th class in the history of Furry Bambino Foster Academy. Not that we’re superstitious or anything …
Oh noes, not the dreaded ringworm! When Harley lived at the shelter he had the most persistent case of ringworm all over his face. It took many weeks before he was finally all better!
Eek! We can only IMAGINE how much these three are enjoying the treatments…NOT!
Ringworm! Oh NOES!!!! Well, at least it’s not fatal, right? Although I’m sure the kittens are not going to like the treatments much.
Yikes! The mom doesn’t have any experience with ringworm, thank cod, but does know it’s fungal, not parasitic. Poor kittens! But aren’t they such sweeties. We’re so glad they were rescued and that they have a fabulous foster home! 🙂
oh geez….we haven’t had it, but our friend Miss Kelly had kittens with it – strikes fear in the hearts of foster families everywhere. Good luck!!!
WE are so happy these kitties are now being taken care of in your home! Hope they will find forever homes when they are ready!
–JB