A Sweet Evie Update!

I'm sure everyone who's been following us for a while remembers a very special kitten named Sweet Evie Kibblesmith.  She was born with an odd bump on the side of her face, which we later learned a dentigerous cyst.  As she grew, the cyst did too, and eventually, it was surgically removed.  The doctor did an amazing job and all went well with the procedure.

Sweet Evie found herself a wonderful home with Jaimie and Ben, and off she went. She now goes by the name "Valeria".

I just received an update on their girl and I was so thrilled to see this beauty once again. I know many of you fell hard for this kitten, so I'm sure you'll be just as happy to see this update.  Here we go!

From Jaimie:
She is now a model!  She is now featured in our nail wrap ad for the cat nail wraps that Espionage sells! And that lady holding her is our Molly, who adopted Midge Von Tussle!

We were wondering why Evie/Valeria wasn’t getting larger and why she never meowed, she always squeaked instead (her nickname is now “squeaks” amongst our household). It turns out that Evie has a little bit of the munchkin breed in her.  Her legs are super short, and though she is full grown now she is only half the size of our other two cats.


What at treat! Thank you so much for sharing this, Jaimie! It's so wonderful to see how well her eye healed and how healthy she looks!  Please give her lots of love from all of us! And if you happen to see Midge, please do the same!

Goodbye, Sweet Evie!

I met Jaimie a few years ago while doing an interview in our home for a video podcast. She did our makeup, and I enjoyed visiting with her during that day.

She's sweet and kind, so when she emailed to reintroduce herself and tell me that she and her sweetie Ben were looking to expand their kitty family,  I was very happy to hear from her.

I told her about our Kibblesmiths, and she was excited to make a date to meet the girls.

The Kibblesmiths are quite charming and "show well". They're always eager to make friends with anyone who passes through our door, so I was feeling pretty confident that at least one the girls would be claimed that night.

All three were delightful during the visit,  but Sweet Evie was the one that caught their attention first. They loved her cute tabby stripes and squinty eye.  Jaimie scooped her up in her arms, and Evie seemed so at ease.  They got to see her sweet, lovey-dovey side, then Jaimie put her down and they got to see the little firecracker she is, too.   She really is the perfect balance of dear thing and crazy kitten, and it was quickly decided that she was the one.

Craig came into the living room while we were all visiting and I told him that Sweet Evie had been picked.   This came as no surprise to Craig who said "of course, she's the obvious choice".

It was obvious.  They were all in love.



Jaimie emailed and it sounds like things are going well:

The little fighter is doing great! She has already tried to take on both of our other cats!  She is fearless and I adore her for it. We renamed her “Valeria” after a warrior queen in a comic I grew up with. She is so tiny and has so much energy right now that it’s like living with a little squirrel! She likes to do kitten parkour on the bed when we are sleeping. I would be grumpy about it if she wasn’t made of so much joy! 

Thank you so much for adopting our sweet little squirrel, Jaimie and Ben!  You got yourself a very special kitten, and wish you all a long and happy life together!

Crazy, Calm.

It's funny, but as kittens leave our nest,  we always see the personalities of the remaining kittens start to shift.   Since Sweet Evie left, things have definitely calmed down.  I thought it was just because we went from three crazy kittens to two crazy kittens, but as it turns out, she was was wild one who riled up the other two.  There's still plenty of kitten energy and rowdiness happening, but there are fewer heated wrestling matches and less swinging from the chandeliers (although Maeve and Delphine did manage to take down a floor lamp).

Of course, it wasn't all wild times when Evie was around.  There was plenty of sweet and quiet moments too.  Like this one.

Three calm little Kibblesmiths posing for their final family portrait.

All is Well

Evie went into the vet this weekend for a post-surgery check-up and to have her stitches removed. The doctor reported that biopsy results were great and the lab found no cancerous cells.   He thought she was healing nicely and looking really good.  She doesn't seem to be blinking normally, but he feels that can improve in time.   He also said that he and the staff really enjoyed her visit. No surprise there - we all know what a delight Sweet Evie is!

It feels pretty good to have all that behind us now, and though Evie probably doesn't fully understand what she's been through, when she returned from her check-up, she seemed to have an extra spring in her kitten steps.  My steps are springy, too.  I always felt everything would be fine, but it's nice having it confirmed.

Here are a couple of "before and after" shots of our girl.









The doctor really did an incredible job, and we are so grateful for that.


Stay tuned, friends.  I'll be back in a bit with the answers to our alumni quiz from last week!

Come Over and Play, Kibblesmiths

A few days ago I pulled out the cardboard houses and put them in the center of the living room.

Wylla loves to hide inside the houses and wait for an unsuspecting Kibblesmith to walk by so she  can give them a BOOP with her paw, or pounce at them through a window or door.  

If they come knocking on the door,  she'll let them in, but usually there's a slap fight or a wrestling match on the doorstep first.


They've figured out all sort of games to play in the houses, and seem to really enjoy themselves.  It's highly entertaining to watch them, too!

 

Sweet Evie Update

It's been a week since Sweet Evie's surgery, and she's doing great. The incision is healing nicely, and nothing in her behavior indicates that she's in any sort of discomfort. Her eye is still a little misshapen. It could still be a little swollen from her surgery, so that could change as she continues to heal. I haven't seen her blink, but she does close her eye when she's asleep.

The fur they shaved for surgery is starting to grow back a little, but because it's so short on that side, she looks very asymmetrical.    

She's as bouncy as her sisters are, and if she didn't have her incision, you would never be able to guess she went through what she did.  Kittens are so resilient!

She'll be going in next Saturday to have a check-up and get her stitches remove.  








_________


We're getting ready to head over to Dog-A-Thon this morning.  I'm finishing up the tee-shirts I'm making, digging out the last year's signs from the basement,  and getting Wylla's bag packed.   We're excited for the event,  and look forward to representing the cats on this dog-filled day!  

If you live near by and can join us, please do!  We're gathering at the Humane Society van (the one with Charlene's giant image on the side) at 10:00.   More info on the event HERE.

I know those who can't walk with us will  be joining us in spirit as we walk our victory lap.  We will feel your presence, I am sure!


There's still more come today! I've got a couple more alumni updates left to post.  Starting Monday, I'll share our awesome total, announce the prize winners, and share photos from the walk.  

Thanks again for everything!    We love you!!!

All About Evie

Well, Sweet Evie had quite a weekend.  I took her in Thursday night to have her bump looked at by a doctor outside the Humane Society. It's a 24 hour clinic, and they ended up keeping her there so they could take X-rays overnight.

When I came to pick her up the next morning, our sweet girl was so happy to see me.  They brought her out in her carrier, and when I opened the door, she leapt into my arms and began purring like crazy while making manic air biscuits. I don't think I've ever seen a happier kitten.  She was ready to go home!

We went home, but not for long.

After he reviewed the X-rays, the doctor thought it was most likely a dentigerous cyst (an unerupted tooth) and felt it should be removed, and sooner would be better than later, so her surgery was scheduled for Saturday night.

And back we went to the kitty hospital, and I left her in their capable hands.

The doctor called early the next morning to say all went well. He was able to remove all of the fleshy part of the bump and the pieces of the bone that protruded.  It was sent to a lab for analysis, and we'll know the findings in a couple of weeks.  

I was able to pick her up late Sunday morning, and again, more excited purrs and air biscuits.  When she got  home and was sprung from the carrier, she just ran, and ran, and ran.  Honestly, you would have never guessed she had gone through surgery the night before.  It's remarkable how quickly they can recover when they are young.

After a couple of hours,  her sisters joined her upstairs and they had a fun, supervised romp. Fortunately, they've moved past what we call the "alligator wrestling phase" where there's lots of gnawing on heads and ears, kicks to the belly, and butt biting. Now they're much more interested in toys, so we can keep them busy chasing something and avoid wrestling matches that could potential cause harm to her incision.

In ten days we'll return to have her checked out and the stitches removed.

The cyst was very close to the nerve that controls the eye's ability to blink, so it's not functioning like it should right now. Most likely it's a temporary thing, but there's a chance it could be permanent.  There are no issues beyond that as far as we can tell, but we're keeping a close watch on her.

This weekend wasn't  quite what I expected it would be. I'm glad we have it behind us now.  I hope Sweet Evie's recovery continues to be an easy one, and there are no complications to come.  Her incision does look good, it's just strange to see her without the bump.   I kind of miss it, actually.  It was such a part of who she is.

Here's a photo of her before and also one of Evie with her new profile.  I'm posting another "after" shot of her facing the camera, but it's way down the page, so if such things make you squeamish, don't scroll past the first two pictures.

It was funds from the "special needs" day that paid for her surgery.  So, thank everyone for providing the resources for Evie to have the X-rays and procedure done.  You all made a difference in the life of our dear Evie, and I am so grateful to you for that.  Thank you!  


Here's Evie's "before".



Evie's "after".

Evie, Auctions, Etc

 We had a really great day for the "special needs" cats and kittens,  and by the time midnight rolled around, we had over $10,000 for the fund!    This hefty amount will give our vet staff the resources to do SO MUCH for those special cats that need that extra something to get them to a healthier and more adoptable place.  Thank you to all who helped the fund grow yesterday!  And thank you to the   our awesome anonymous donor who offered up this huge match.

What a remarkable day!

And speaking of special needs,  Evie had her appointment last night, and ended up staying over so they can take a closer look at her bump and do some X-rays.  As soon as I finish this post, I'll be going to pick her up from the vet.  We sure missed her last night, and we'll be happy to have her back.  I bet she got plenty of love and attention while she was there. She was charming the entire staff before I left last night, and I'm guessing she didn't have much time to be lonely.  When I have more to report on their findings, I will share them.


Have you looked at our FUNdraising total?  We are a wee $965 away from from $75,000.   If we were able to hit that today, that would mean we would be exactly on track, and at 3/4 of the way through our FUNdraising month, we would have 3/4 of our goal!

So, if you're in the position to give to help our homeless cats and kittens out,  please visit our FUNdraising page, to help us roll it past $75,000!


Have you seen where how high our tea auction has climbed?  This year is a record-breaker already, and the auction isn't over until Monday!!!  Check it out!

Thank you so much.  I appreciate all of this support and your patience too. Thank you for listening, giving, and  having such awesome and huge hearts. We love you!


OK, Off to get Evie.  Stay tuned for more today!

xoxo

Another Special One

Sweet Evie is one of those special ones, too.  In fact, this evening she'll be paying a visit to a vet outside the shelter so she can her "bump" checked out.  Nothing's really changed beside the size of it, it seems to be growing at the same rate as the rest of her, but we just wanted to have it looked and get a second opinion to be sure.

They money we're raising today will cover the costs of her visit.   So thank you for helping this wee kitten, and lessening the burden of the cost of her care for our shelter.


We're still working on the match, and have about $1300 to go.  I'm hoping we'll wrap it up soon, so I won't have to be pestering you for donations while we're sitting in the vet's waiting room this eve.   SO, if you were planning on helping us meet that match and contribute to the Special Needs Fund, sooner rather than later would be awesome, and much appreciated.  Thank you!

To help these special kittens out, please visit our FUNdraising page.

Thank you!

Darling Nappers

There's nothing cuter than a pile of napping Kibblesmiths.



























'

Happy Here

Evie likes to stand on our feet,  hug our ankles, and cry until she's scooped up.  She's pretty happy when she's up high and held in our hands.  Her sisters like it too, and it's pretty awesome to walk around with a whole armful of Kibblesmiths.

The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of Its Cute Parts.

These Kibblesmiths are always on the go, which has made it difficult to get photos of the trio.  Thankfully, they paused long enough to allow me to snap a couple of shots this morning.

Thank you, Kibblesmiths.  You're adorable individually, but together, even better!