Day 7 - 5/31/08

Weight: 8.2 oz - gained .6 oz from yesterday

Feedings: Every 4 hours

Eaten in last 24 hrs: Approx 77.5 ml of KMR - increase of 9 ml

Stimulation: Everything still working :).

Last night we traveled down to the beach for the weekend where Dudley's fan club (mom, dad and Amanda) eagerly awaited his arrival. We had to stop at Wegman's on the way and we didn't want to leave him in the car so Dudley rode around in the cart with us. He was very good and didn't make any noise under his towels. No one said anything until we were checking out. The cashier kept looking at the box in the cart and finally she just leaned over and asked "What's in the box?" So we showed her Dudley and told her he was only 15 days old so she had no problem with us bringing him in to the store.

Nurse Amanda brought us a 60ml syringe which we are trying to get used to. There is a lot of spillage and we are not as exact in counting the intake. However, we only have to fill it once per feeding so that is much easier, especially when it is just me and Dudley at 3:30AM.

When Dudley is done eating he is usually 3/4 of the way asleep before I can finish cleaning him up. I dry him and then wrap him in warm towels from the dryer and he goes to sleep in his box flat on his back. I finally managed to get some pictures after the 11:30AM feeding this morning. You can see how tiny he is in the picture when he is next to his soft toy.

Day 6 - 5/30/08

Weight: 7.6 oz - gained .5 oz from yesterday

Feedings: Every 4 hours

Eaten in last 24 hrs: Approx 68 ml of KMR - increase of 22.5 ml

Stimulation: Everything still working :).

I take it as a good sign that little Dudley is gaining weight so quickly, though it's no surprise since he is eating more and more every day.

We tried feeding with the bottle again yesterday and that was a disaster. Poor little Dudley just couldn't get the nipple to work. So we are using 1/2ml syringes which takes forever since he is eating approximately 13-14ml per feeding now. Hopefully, Nurse Amanda is coming to the rescue this weekend with some 3ml syringes.

One thing we are learning is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with his lungs. He, like any infant, has taken to SCREAMING when he wants either to be taken out of his box or to be fed. It's amazing the volume coming from something so tiny. Today's pictures are of Dudley sleeping on his good friend Mary Beth's lap after one such demand to be taken out of his box.









After a week of the every 4 hour feedings, I am EXHAUSTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day Five - 5/29/08 - 14 DAYS OLD

Weight: 7.1 oz

Feedings: Every 4 hours

Eaten in last 24 hrs: Approx 45.5 ml of KMR (Started powdered mix at 3:30PM feeding)

Stimulation: Everything still working :).

Dudley (as you can see by the 18 ml increase in food) LOVES his new powdered mix KMR that I got from Petco yesterday. He gained another .3 oz. His new thing yesterday was purring. When he is finished eating and I am drying him from his clean up and stimulation, he has this tiny little purr.

When I took him out of his box for his 11:30AM feeding today he had some crusty discharge in both eyes, so we will have to keep an eye on that. I am hoping it is only because sometimes when I am trying to get the syringe of food in his mouth he will jerk his head and a little gets near his eyes. The syringe the vet gave us to feed him with is pretty much worn out so at the 3:30PM feed, we are going to try to get him to take the bottle again. I stopped by the vet this morning to get new syringes, which they very willingly gave me, but they gave me 1/2 ml syringes and using them will make feedings last forever since he is inhaling about 11-12 ml per feed now.

George of the Jungle is getting used to Dudley's presence - no more growls or hisses. He even came over to check Dudley out yesterday and we got an ambivalent (as opposed to negative) reaction from George.

Gretel is somewhat interested when she comes downstairs. She'll come over and check him out and then walk away totally disinterested. So the maternal instinct still hasn't kicked in.

Andrew is still very interested. Today, he really wanted me to put Dudley down on the floor with him but it's kind of chilly so I am trying to keep Dudley wrapped in his warm towels and off the floor today. Andrew comes for every feeding (including 3:30AM) and a couple of times has even come up on the counter to try and help.

These pictures were taken this morning after Dudley's 7:30AM feeding. As you can see by the last one he was sick of the paparazzi!

STOP! NO MORE PICTURES!!

Day Four - 5/28/08

Weight: 6.8 oz

Feedings: Every 4 hours

Eaten in last 24 hrs: Approx 27.5 ml of KMR

Stimulation: Yeah bowels working :).

All went well yesterday. The biggest accomplishment was the fact that Dudley's bowels are working. Of course, now that we got them working each time I stimulate him, I get gross orange liquid. This morning at the 7:30 feed, when I took him out of his box he had already started a bowel movement without any stimulation from me (does this mean he is getting close to eliminating on his own??). The bowel movement was a little firmer and there was a lot of it. I am hoping this is not something to worry about.

In 24 hours Dudley gained .3 oz and the food intake continues to go up. After three days of the every four hour feedings, 3:30AM is getting old but I think I have to keep it up for about another week before I can start to move him to every 6 hours.

We are running out of the supply of KMR that the vet gave us so I will have to go to Petco today to get some more. The other three felines are still unsure of Dudley. George still growls at him and Gretel is getting a little more interested. Andrew may turn out to be the one that adopts Dudley and takes him under his wing. He is very interested in Dudley, sniffing him any chance he gets, with no negative reaction, just real interest.

Andrew checking out the new addition.


"So when can I play with him???"




Dudley relaxes in the crook of Mary Beth's arm.

Day Three - 5/27/08

Weight: 6.5 oz

Feedings: Every 4 hours

Eaten in last 24 hrs: Approx 25 ml of KMR

Stimulation: Still only urine but working well.

This is Dudley's Diary. Each day I will update his stats and post new pictures.

Dudley was found on Sunday, 5/25/08 in my parent's backyard. Late in the afternoon my mother was out working in the yard and called for us to come quickly to see something. We dropped everything and went running out to the yard. She moved back a clump of old daffodil stems and there screaming his head off was a little black and white kitten. His eyes were open so we figured he had to be about 10 days old. We took him to the vet where they confirmed he was a he and showed us how to feed him and stimulate him to go to the bathroom. Both the vet tech and my mother kept saying his chances of surviving without his mother are not great and that sometimes the mother knows something is wrong and abandons a "dud". As my mother is telling me not to get attached and not to name him, we were naming him Dudley in hopes that he will not be a "dud". My mother is not all gloom and doom, she is just very worried about me getting attached and having my heart broken.

36 hours after finding him, he is still doing well. I feed him every 4 hours (which is a barrel of laughs at 3AM). When we got him home yesterday, the three other felines were not sure what we were doing to them. Andrew is very interested but not quite sure what the hell he is. George has never been one to handle change well, so he growls and hisses anytime he is in the vicinity of Dudley. Gretel, checked him out and then from that point could give a damn as long as he doesn't go near her bed or her person (Mary Beth). As of yesterday, Dudley weighed 6.5 oz. I am going to start another blog that will be Dudley's diary with daily updates and pictures to see his progress. When I have it set up I will add a link to this post.

Meet Dudley:

This is obviously not Dudley. Andrew was feeling left out since I usually take pictures of him. Also, he wanted to show what we hope Dudley will some day look like. As you can tell, health is not an issue with Andrew!