Bittersweet Days

Well, "Mom," here, decided to do today's blog due to the topic. Both girls are doing very well, but I sadly made the tough decision to separate them.  It all started the weekend before last....

Moxi and Lexi made the trip out to my ranch with my family over Memorial Day weekend.  We figured it would be great for them to be surrounded by country and get some fresh air.  They had lots of fun playing in the great outdoors!

"Miss Priss,"  Lexi's well earned nickname, was still very attached to the bottle and refused to even try meat. She would still spit it out if I tried to put little bits into her mouth.  Boy things changed once we killed a feral hog! After freezing the meat to kill anything bad, we let both kittens try some.  They went crazy for fresh killed meat!! I finally breathed a sigh of relief that both kittens had weaned off the bottles.  $20 cans of kitten milk that lasted only a couple of days, not to mention supplements, were starting to get a bit expensive!

Everything seemed to be going well once we got home from the ranch.  We were able to get Lexi to eat other meats, such as deer, chicken, and fish, without any problems.  There was a bit of sisterly competition since whatever the other was eating was always better than what I put in front of them, but it wasn't anything serious. I fed them with some distance between to try and cut down on any competition or disagreements it might start.  Last Thursday morning, things took a turn for the worse.  About 10 minutes after both had finished their breakfast, I heard them get into a scuffle in the living room.  I gave it a couple of minutes because minor scuffles are usually just a result of them playing hard, which hasn't been a cause for concern.  After a couple of minutes of it, I went to check.  By this time, things were sounding a bit more serious... What I found was both kittens holding on for dear life to the other's throats.  It took MUCH effort to finally get them off of each other, and all they wanted was to get back at each other.  We gave them a few minutes, brought them both together, and ears immediately flattened.  Just the sight of the other made them want to attack each other again. My husband and I made the quick decision that both got to spend the day in different rooms.

That evening, we got home and had two bobkittens crying for each other.  We let them out, and they greeted one another as if they hadn't seen each other in ages! We figured whatever had set them off that morning was long gone.  They ran around, played, and cuddled for a little while.  We fed them again, taking care to make sure they were well away from each other and even let them eat more than usual to make sure they were not fighting over a limited resource. Both left food in their bowls and walked away fat and happy.  About 10 minutes later, the morning's festivities began again.  At the suggestion of a co-worker, I tried a spray bottle to break them up.  When I say spray bottle, what I really mean is a high-powered pump sprayer that can shoot out impressive amounts of water.  I pumped it as much as was possible, and I doused the kittens.  Half a gallon later I had a wet floor and two drenched kittens still holding each other in death grips by the throats.  Between my husband and myself, we managed to finally get the kittens apart (again, NOT an easy task!), and they were separated again for the night.

They next day the kittens were fed separately, immediately went into separate carriers, and both went to work with Dad.  We hoped that not seeing each other and going to neutral territory might snap them out of it.    Unfortunately, this did not work either.  Once out, the kittens were very anxious to get to one another, ears flattened and both growling.  At one point Lexi was sleeping, and one of Dad's co-workers brought Moxi back from playing in a different office.  Moxi immediately attacked Lexi, even though she was no threat sleeping.  Even though Moxi was the culprit in this specific case, Lexi has started things just as often.  Neither is innocent!

So, I talked with one of my former co-workers that had said all along she was willing, and very much wanted, to help if need be. I made the decision to let Moxi go to her house this past Friday after making sure it would be legal to do so.  I did not want to risk the kittens really hurting one another, nor did I want to put my family (read: kids) at risk of being caught between the middle of the kittens fighting.  The selfish part of me did not, and still does not, want anyone else raising "my baby,"  but I think this is really the best decision in the long run.  I have done my crying (yes, I get very attached!), but I know Moxi is in a very good place where she will get care that meets my expectations. I am keeping in close contact, and we plan to try "kitty dates" to see if the girls will be able to get along in the future.

So all of this has made the last couple of days bittersweet.  It has been much "quieter" (I use this term very loosely in my household!), and it definitely feels like someone is missing around here.  Lexi has had a hard time adjusting and went back to the bottle yesterday after refusing all food Saturday.  I was beginning to think separation was not the best idea, but she decided to eat meat with a vengeance tonight.  She has been doing well in all other aspects, and it has been nice being able to give her more individual attention.  All updates with Moxi have been positive, minus her not eating the first night in her new home.  Otherwise, it sounds like Moxi has become the queen bee at her new house! She has another cat, plus 3 dogs to rule over there. :)  She has also been much sweeter and less bitey when away from her sister.  Miss Lexi has been extremely affectionate, and is currently purring away on my belly while I type.

I'm still very perplexed at what caused such a change in the girls.  The only thing I can fathom is the fact that Lexi weaning created competition for food, even though it took 4 days after weaning for this to begin.  It makes me wonder how a mama cat would deal with this in the wild! I guess I could have just let them sort it out on their own, but these were some serious fights.  Both girls have healing scabs from each other at the moment.  It just wasn't worth the risk.  I'm just happy that I had someone as passionate and concerned for them as I am to help out!

Without further ado, the part I'm sure everyone wants to see the most.....pictures!!  I even finally pulled out the big camera for y'all!

Below are all Lexi from this weekend:

She's being a big helper while Dad is making breakfast!

Cuddle time with Tex

Tex is a very good mama, err, I mean daddy, cat

Lynx, Tex, and Lexi

You didn't think I really wouldn't put any of Moxi, did you?! This is "Queen Moxi" where she has taken over at her new house. I will hopefully continue to have plenty of updates and pictures to share of Moxi, even though she is not living with me any longer.  

Thanks for putting up with my taking over this week.  I'll let Lexi update everyone from here on! 

Two and a Half Weeks Later...

We are sorry it has been a couple of weeks since the last post.  We totally blame Mom for it! She made some excuse about Dad being gone for a week and about working over time during the busiest time of the year.  Excuses, excuses!

Things have been going well for the last couple of weeks. Both of us are over 4 pounds now! The biggest change is that Moxi has graduated to eating raw meat mixed with milk.  Chicken and venison have been favorites thus far! Lexi has decided she really likes the bottle and spits out any attempts of Mom putting meat in her mouth.  All in good time!

We have also both become extremely active.  Nothing in the house is safe from us anymore! We figured out we are able to jump onto counters, tables, the bed...just about anywhere we put our minds to.  We even found all of Mom's makeup and jewelry on the bathroom counter.  Boy was that fun to make a mess of! For some reason the bathroom door has been staying closed these days, though. We've also made it a morning routine to jump in the bed and run all over Mom and Dad.  We are natural alarm clocks, well, as long as the rest of the family hasn't woken them up first!

We have both figured out how to play gently with everyone. We have learned that we can use soft paws when swiping at something rather than having our claws out.  Mom definitely appreciates that.  We still like to chew on things and are working at not biting too hard with our baby sharp teeth, and we are doing pretty well with that, too.  Tex and Lynx are another story though... we seem to take out all our good bites on them!

Mom and Dad moved furniture around for us this weekend, which we are really liking! They put both cat trees together in front of a window, and we love it! We are learning how to appreciate lazy afternoons in the sunshine.  Plus, it is lots of fun to watch the butterflies and birds out the window.  I think Mom likes that our rough play is now away from her shelves of breakables, too!

Now for the best part of the posts - new pictures!

 Sleeping together in Mom's office

Taking over the bed

Lynx teaching Moxi that eggs are pretty yummy

Ah, sister pillow

Hello!

We are getting pretty big for sleeping on the office chair

How many kitties fit in the kitty tree?

Lexi sure likes the new spot in front of the window!

Now for the best pictures, from a professional photographer, Jennifer Brennan!

Lexi being an outside wildcat

Sunbathing on the windowsill

The girls (looking a bit grumpy for some reason!)

Rough-housing!

Tex is a good sport...

What does the future hold for us?

Well, not a whole lot has changed since last week.  We are still growing, playing a LOT, and still taking turns going with Mom and Dad to work.  We figured out how to go over baby gates, so doors now have to be closed at work so we won't try to escape.  We have full run of the house at home, and we love to chase Tex and Lynx, along with the people of the family, all over the house! Tex is very much our buddy now, and Lynx is learning to tolerate us.  Mom even caught Lynx trying to give us baths the other day!  We are still drinking mostly kitten milk (with extra calcium and vitamins) and haven't shown much interest in any types of meats that have been offered.  Tonight Mom made us something pretty yummy, though. She mixed egg yolk and pureed meat in with our milk, and boy did we like that! Step one towards solids was a success!  It's usually 8 weeks or so before bobkittens are weaned, so we still have some time.

A lot of people have been asking what happens with us once we are weaned and old enough to be out on our own.  We have imprinted so much on people considering we were found at a very young age.  If we stay tame, Mom would very much like to keep us for educational programs to help others learn about bobcats. She has already been talking with others to gather various facts to have lesson plans ready.  She has some ideas and has already talked to a few people that would be interested in hosting us to educate others. There is a big room at home that has 3 walls of windows that is being converted completely to a kitty playroom, and if we stay, Mom and Dad will plan on building a big outdoor enclosure off of that room so that we have lots of safe play room if we are not in the house with the family.

Of course, there is also the chance that we could end up having more wild tendencies, in which case Mom and Dad do have a large ranch that we could potentially be released on. But what if we are too wild to be in a captive situation safely, but are so imprinted we cannot be released? They have that covered, too.  An educational facility that keeps various Texas wildlife to educate the public has contacted Mom about having extra living space in the event we cannot be kept or released.  Mom and Dad have talked a lot about all of the different possibilities so they can be ready for anything in the future, but right now they just plan to take it day by day and keep us healthy and safe. They plan to adapt which ever way is needed as we grow and change.

We also want to let everyone know that it is not necessarily legal for anyone to have bobcats, and we don't want anyone to get the wrong idea that it is ok for just anyone to raise one (or two!).  There are laws in place at the city and county level that keep people from being able to have them within certain cities or counties.  If the city or county has ordinances regarding wild and dangerous animals, bobcats are almost certain to be included on the list.  Sometimes the ordinances are hard to find, so we encourage you to check with your Game Warden or Animal Control office to find out what the rules are in your area if you think you want to help orphaned bobcats (as we definitely do not encourage anyone to take babies from their moms!). We also have very particular needs that need to be addressed, so raising our kind is not just an easy adventure.  For example, if Mom did not provide us with calcium and vitamin supplements, we could easily become lame in the back end or suffer from seizures, and we could ultimately die due to the lack of the correct diet. Raising bobkittens definitely takes a lot of work!

Ok, we'll stop lecturing now and get on to the fun stuff - pictures! Here are a few from the past week:

Dad might want to clean his office before Moxi eats it!

Dad's jacket is a good spot for a cat nap

Moxi got her first (toy) mouse!

Moxi decided she should really be in Mom's lap at work

Getting cozy for a nap (Lexi left,Moxi right)

Passed out kitties (Moxi top, Lexi bottom)

We discovered the joys of kitty trees!

Uncle Tex played with us, too

More kitty tree fun

We have pretty much claimed the Elmo chair to be ours

Lexi enjoying a nap on top of Dad (yep, he's napping, too)

Got another mouse!

At 5-6 weeks old, the kittens' paws are just about as big as Lynx's paws!

(Lexi left, Lynx right)

Lexi investigating what Lynx and Tex are eating

Playing with Tex

Pouncing on Tex...

"Mom, help!"   He's so patient with the girls!

Happy Earth Day...a day late!

So we decided to take over the blog rather than let Mom have all the fun telling the stories! Tomorrow marks 3 weeks since we came to live in the "great indoors,"  and boy are we changing! We are so much more sure on our feet, and it's great fun to pounce on each other.  Even Uncle Tex has been playing with us lately.  He's great about pretending to fall over when we chase him so that we can crawl on his belly and think we are big bad kitties!  Lynx, Mom's other cat, still just watches us.  One day we'll get him to play...he doesn't know what he's missing out on!

Last week we had our first public event.  We got to participate in Earth Day at Texas Parks and Wildlife headquarters.  We had a ton of people oooing and awwing over us, and it was a bit overwhelming! Luckily Mom noticed we started to get nervous (and she looked quite nervous herself with everyone wanting to touch and take pictures with us!), and she put us back in our carrier to feel safer.  We had fun showing people how we play fight, and then we absolutely crashed.  Lexi kept wanting to be with Mom, and she ended up sleeping on her for about half the event.  After our Earth Day debut, we took a nice long nap for most of the afternoon.

Today we had a pretty traumatic experience.  Mom noticed we were not quite acting ourselves while at her office today.  We were feeling more tired and sluggish than usual, and we were not nearly as hungry as we normally are. So, we had our first trip to the vet.  Of course, as soon as we got there, we smelled all kinds of new smells and decided we didn't feel half as bad as we did at the office. We were all over the place, active, and hungry! The vet techs don't get to see very many bobcats come through (especially not as little and cute as us!!), so they had to take our pictures and say how cute we are.  Once we went back to the room, we decided we did not like the vet.  We still can't believe Mom let the doctor take our temperature...there.  We were violated! Luckily we both had a very good check up.  We are now the same size, 2 pounds 6.5 ounces. Moxi has finally caught up - yay!  The doctor also figured out the reason we were feeling a bit off today.  We had hookworms, and lots of them, ewwww! We resisted quite well to having the worming pills, but the doctor outsmarted us with "the pill popper."  She sent more pills home for Tex and Lynx, since chances are we gave them the worms, too.  We're sorry, guys!

Lexi:  Mom and Dad say that I'm a complete sweetheart, and I know it, too! I love to be picked up and purr as soon as someone cuddles me.  I never use my claws, unless it is to crawl up Mom's jeans at work when she's on the phone.  If she's too busy to pick me up, I just make sure I make it to her lap for snuggles anyway! I'm also a pretty big pushover when Moxi attacks me.  I "fight" back a little bit, but for the most part   I just roll over and play without biting her back too much.  I did get her back last week, though. Mom was on the phone, and I decided I'd had enough of Moxi's mischief.  So, I latched on to her lip, and made her yowl.  I know, it wasn't very nice, but at least Moxi learned I have boundaries!

Moxi:  Mom calls me the "wiry one."  I'm pretty sweet, too, and I love to follow my family around the house. Occasionally I will wander around the house by myself and get lost, but I just cry very loudly until someone finds me and brings me back where they are.  I like the occasional cuddles (especially from Mom at the vet!), but I really like exploring.  I'm getting very good at crouching and pouncing, especially on my sister! Sometimes she's no fun and won't play with me, so I have to attack other things, like toys, Mom's purse, or anything else within my reach.  Mom says I need to work on being a bit calmer during feeding and not using my claws so much.  I don't see the problem, though, my nails get clipped!

Well, our tummies are growling, and it's about bed time, so we are going to work on bugging Mom and Dad for our second dinner of the night.  We will see you next time!  We'll try to get better about updating a bit more often!

Of course we'll share some pictures, too!

A bit dark, but too cute to not include

Taking a cat nap on Mom at work

One more because we looked so cute sleeping

The bottle is looking smaller...

Lexi, looking like a big kitty and half asleep in her carrier

We're hiding - you can't see us!

Time to eat...again (Lexi)

All the below photos were courtesy of TPWD photographer, Chase Fountain.  He was nice enough to let us post them here, and we are very appreciative!

 

Miss Moxi

Moxi again

Take our picture? Yeah right, 1..2..3..tongues out!

We briefly cooperated! Moxi left, Lexi right

4/14/13 - We are up and walking...and growing!

I'm happy to report that both little girls are doing great! They are still drinking milk every 3 hours or so, and they are growing.  As of today, Moxi is weighing in at 1 pound 14 ounces, and Lexi is now 2 pounds 1 ounce.  They are about two and a half weeks old at this point, and they are starting to get around fairly well.  They are more stable on their legs and only fall over every so often now. :)  They are starting to play fight with each other, which really consists more of one trying to sit on or bite the other and then falling over.

Yep, tough kitties!

My house cats are becoming more accepting of the babies, although I think they can still tell there is something a little different about them.  They are very interested but still keeping their distance for the most part.  Tex, my Siamese, is the braver of the two, and he has been "helping" me feed the babies. I guess he knows they are otherwise occupied, so that is when he comes to sniff and check them out.

Brave, brave Tex!

Lexi is our little cuddle bug.  She immediately purrs when picked up, and she loves to snuggle up and fall asleep in our arms.  She would rather be held than explore right now.  If we set her down, she follows us around and lets us know she would prefer that we love on her. In fact, this is her present position while writing this post...

Hey! No flashes, please!

Moxi is still a sweet girl, but she is a bit more reserved than Lexi.  She purrs when you pick her up, as well, but she is much more into exploring than getting extra cuddles at the moment.  She is very big on just sitting and observing, too. I often catch her just watching what I'm doing, such as this:

Now for more pictures!

It's a tough life helping Mom at work.

Lexi is ready to eat!

Lexi up close. Don't worry, nails have been trimmed!

Moxi needs a little more cuddling to eat well.

See you next time! (Moxi left, Lexi right)