FIV and Fern and Grayson

Fern has been adopted! She came here almost five years ago after being dumped on Hagadorn Hill Road with her tiny kittens. Craig and Valarie found them and brought them down the hill to us.

She was too freaked out to feed her kittens, so I ended up bottlefeeding them. Unfortunately, they failed to thrive. They seemed to do pretty well for a week or two, and then went downhill. They are the only bottle babies I've ever lost.

Fern doesn't much understand the meaning of the word "walk" and sort of dashes from point A to point B, which made it difficult for potential adopters to interact with her. She also isn't a fan of being picked up. I found her unbearably cute, as she would turn somersaults asking to be petted in her run, but she was a tough sell when there were more traditional cats and kittens available for adopters. From a distance she looks like an average tiger cat. You have to get close to her to see just how unbearably cute she actually is. She also make a wonderful range of tiny sweet noises. Even though she's pudgy she's a small cat...only 6.5 pounds.

Ferns "run-mate" was Grayson. Grayson was also here quite a long time...almost three years. He tested negative for FeLV/FIV on arrival, but then when he was chosen for adoption, he tested positive for FIV in his pre-adoption check-up, so the adopter took another cat who had been his equal choice.

Because Fern had already been housed with him for so long, I left them together. After Grayson was adopted by Janine in Sayre, I figured I'd re-test her in 3-4 months to be able to advertise her as FIV free again. By then, Grayson's adopter was thinking she wanted a second cat. Who did she choose? Fern!

So off Fern went to her pre-adoption vet visit. And after three years living in a 4x8 run with Grayson (with liberty half the day of course)--cuddling, wrestling, having kitty spats, sharing bowls--Fern was still negative for FIV.

So back with Grayson she has gone, to live with Janine! I was worried that after a few months apart they might not get along, but it appears I need not have worried:

The only long-termer we have left is pudgy little Heidi. The rest of our cats have been here just over a year or less. My goal this spring is to get Heidi adopted. She's another little cutey that just needs the right person to come find her. So I'll get some updated photos and video of her soon.

(Oops! I forgot Pitter and Patter. They have been here longer than a year. Sorry kits, didn't mean to forget you!)