The arrival and naming of foster kitten #1!

The new temporary addition to my household is a small, 4 week old, mostly black, female kitten. After much debate, I arrived on the name "Lexus". It's short and sweet, has positive vibes for potential adopters, and I came up with a cute catchphrase for it: "0 to 60 in under 5 seconds, loves taking tight turns" since Miss Lexi is a speed demon and a daredevil at times. :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/eandmaggie/IMG_0731.jpg

Lexus is up to date on shots, but does need to go back in a few weeks for a booster. She's dewormed and free of fleas too, not to mention testing negative on FeLV and FIV tests - all very good things!

The 15 min car ride home was filled with constant mewing from the cardboard carrier and periodic scrabbling on the sides. Lexus was not happy to be that confined all of a sudden.

Once home, I installed Lexus in her cage w/ fresh food and water and allowed my dog to sniff. Maggie shows a little more interest in Lexus than I would like, so she will be watched closely when around the kitten. Right now she'll alternate between staring at her and licking or shoving her w/ her nose. Quite a sight!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/eandmaggie/IMG_0729.jpg

Lexus spent a fair amount of time in the cage so she could adjust more easily w/o a lot of hub bub, but she wasn't too thrilled about the restrictions on exploring. After some crying and no reaction from me, she settled down quickly.

Throughout the afternoon and evening I took her out to play on the patio (securely fenced and always supervised) where she discovered the joys of flowers and bugs, spent time with her watching TV, allowed her to watch me work on the computer, and carried her around the house. She shows no fear or stress as of yet and is eating well. Outputs look good too.

I have noticed that, like small children, she gets cranky the later it gets, so after a few too many nips at my fingers, I put her back in her cage for the night - she played for a while on her own, but was out like a light before too long.