The kittens have returned: they are bigger and heavier and the cage is getting cramped. They now prefer to sleep two to a bed. That doesn’t give any room for water, food and the litter pan.I feel like I am designing a New York studio apartment. We need a loft.

They are in their cage lulled to sleep by Mahler.

I am assuming they still have some ringworm (which can last for months) and I am being hypervigilant with sprays and gloves and chlorox spray and a huge bottle of Purell.

The transition back to a new place and the first administration of meds wiped them out. Friends, it wiped me out, too. I was drenched in sweat.Try to grab a kitty and get it into position to receive a 2ml spritz of a vile, pink anti-fungal for ringworm and you’d squrim along with it.

I spent $70 to have an antifungal systemic medicine compounded, thanks to the vet who didn’t even see them and I can tell you I am sure he didn’t want me to bring them in. I spent another $10 on an antifungal spray from the vet. I have so far spent well over $500 on paying the trapper, food, sprays so far.

And BANDAIDS.

For me.

I picked up the ringworm the first time they were here and it is a large spot on the outside of my left (luckily) hand, and my left thigh.

The spot on my hand seems to be enlarging. 🙁 I have medicine for it from the doctor and over the counter. It takes weeks to heal a lesion and it is contagious. I go through more latex gloves and bandages than I can count in one day. I am praying nothing spreads to my cats, so far so good.

Actually the kittens look better than when they left. The hair on their ears is growing back and their tail hair is filling in but I am taking no chances and giving them the meds which will work from the inside out. And I gotta tell ya, this ain’t easy. The biggest guy looks twice the size of the others and he almost escaped from the carrier that I use as a holding pen while I clean. They spill their water once an hour and it drives me daft.

How does one function with ringworm and cook, bathe, apply makeup, take a shower? My life has changed: I live in a glove a la Michael Jackson as long as I must perform my tasks and then pry it off, filled with six ounces of sweat: it is a royal pain, but let me tell you I am sure that ringworm where the sun don’t shine is a worse pain. :p

I have three cats of my own on the main floor. The kittens’ parents are outside (and we hope to trap them next week for neutering-the mother looks pregnant again.) That’s five cats downstairs and four little monkeys up here that need to be fed and cleaned up after.

It’s a full-time job.

But I couldn’t see leaving these babies out in the storms, they are so adorable.

I hope I can find them good homes, but it’s going to be hard to let them go.

Teddy and Souci wearing athelete’s foot cream on their noses. Antifungal, you know. They think they are on the Riviera…or in the Cat-skill mountains.

Little Blue looks like his mother.

11/16/12 Dinner

11/16/12 Dinner