Could You Resist?
9-15-03: Last week a set of kittens arrived in our yard.  We're not sure how they got there as Ian and I have our differing theories, but anyway.  There were 5 that we found, these 2 have ended up in our residence.  Guesstimates are they about 5-6 weeks, give or take. We had the mobile vet come out and take a look at them.  They've had a deworming medicine and we feed them kitty milkshakes (1 cup milk + 3 egg yolks + dash of salt + tbsp oil) along with some Poly-Vi-Sol infant vitamins.  We never gave our own kids Poly-Vi-Sol, sheesh.  They used to have terribly goopy eyes, a sign of a common viral infection that can be fatal to kittens, especially dehydrated, starving sick kittens.  You can still see the obvious signs in one of them.  Honestly, we didn't expect them to survive the first night, but here they are.

Meet Bopis.  She's approximately 5 weeks old, give or take a week. When weighed last week, she was just over 200 grams or about 7 ounces.  At least I think that's right.

Bopis - Canned "meat" product, primary ingredient of pork lung, joined with pancreas and kidneys.  Advertisements have an extremely jolly man scooping spoonfuls of thick black bopis, and happily showing his black stained mouth and teeth.

 Meet Pomelo. He was 200 grams when weighed last week.  The mess on his face is because I just finished feeding him.  He hasn't mastered cleaning himself yet.  You can see from his face how gaunt he is but he's quite a bit fatter now than he was 5 days ago. His tail is broken in at least one place.

Pomelo - Philippine version of a grapefruit. Dry, slightly tangy.
Alternate option: Pusit - Tagalog for squid

9/25/03: Ten days older and look at the difference.  The vet comes tomorrow morning to administer more worming stuff and we'll see how they're doing.  Honestly, I don't think they're that great.  Pomelo has gotten a cough and hasn't gained much weight.  He seems to vary day to day in his activity level and general health.  At least they are both eating plenty of kitten canned food, though they don't drink water.  Bopis has had some labored breathing, but has gained tons of weight.  I don't know if that's good or not.
9/26/03: The vet has come and gone and was surprised at how well they are doing.  Pomelo is having some troubles breathing still so he's on amoxicillan to help him fight the secondary infections plaguing him from his virus. One of his eyes is acting up again.

Taken 9/26/03
Taken 9/28/03
Bopis: She's fat, she's frisky, she's on the prowl. Nothing is safe from her claws and teeth. Pomelo: He's quiet, he's thin, he loves to purr and be petted while all curled up in a nook.
10/30/03: Add 4 more weeks, and this is what you have: two cats who have the run of the house.  Their temperaments have stayed very similar as before, except that Pomelo has quadrupled his energy level and has become a perfect playmate for his big sister.  He's almost too forceful sometimes, but he's the first one to curl up on a lap and take a snooze.  The kids have won them over, all but Jonathon.  Both cats favor the computer chair, perhaps because it's always warm.  The are both healthy but you can see an obvious size difference.  I think Pomelo will always be smaller.  Their eyes have turned green.

Taken 10/30/03
Taken 10/30/03

Add 14 weeks to 2/04		 2/04
Bopis: She doesn't take anything from anyone. In fact, it's sometimes a question if we will keep her because she will readily take an unfriendly swipe at the kids, notably Jonathon.  In the photo you can see her shaved tummy from being spayed.  The squint is from having sun in her eyes, just like Pomelo.  She's always waiting when we open the front door. Pomelo: I didn't think he'd catch up in size, but he's easily a 1/3 bigger than Bopis now and disproportioned with a a tiny kittenish head still. he's grown up gorgeous, incredibly soft, friendly and patient beyond understanding.  He's also more like a puppy with his penchant for dropping a pipe cleaner (his favorite toy) on me, then fetching it when I throw.  Or dropping in the middle of the kitchen floor to be underfoot. He speaks to us and is wonderful to have around.

2/28/04: They've both graduated to lovely golden eyes.  Pomelo tolerates everything the kids throw at him, from being stuffed into a giant cookie jar (and yes the top screwed on... I did rescue him) to being carried around like a sack of potatoes by Jonathon.  Bopis greets us when we return by peering out the window by the carport, and saying goodbye the same way.  When they play the room echoes with thuds as their bodies fling over furniture and pound into the floor.

10/8/04: Wow, 10 months later and what to say. They're cats.  They've clawed the furniture and carpeting, eaten their cat food, used their litter box, meowed, run around the house at all hours of the night, and annoyed me by sleeping -on- me at 3 a.m.  I'll try to get up new photos soon.  Pomelo likes to talk to us still, and he's become rather chunky but still very handsome and so friendly.  Bopis is not a family pet but she keeps Pomelo happy.  The kids have finally learned to generally leave her alone because she always has teeth and claws out.  She doesn't like being picked up, held or touched unless she initiates the request for petting and never from the kids.