Kits & Giggles Rescue

05/30/2022

These 2 cuties are still available for adoption. Both are long hair which requires some weekly brushing to keep nice and mat-free. Both are female, about 7-8 weeks old. The grey with white is outgoing, playful, and loves a cuddle. She has quite the purr box and huge front feet! 🤣. The tabby with white is the runt but doesn't let that stop her. With 4 white socks and a meow to melt hearts, we couldn't not fall in love.

05/12/2022

Oh my heart! These 2 kittens are at least 2 weeks older than the other four but they weigh a little more than half as much! 3 of the litter died before I got them. Daisy accepted them right away and hopefully nursing and wet food (1 of them eats good, the other is learning) will have them fat and happy soon. You can't tell because of all their fur, but they are just sacks of bones. 💔

05/06/2022

Little stinkers are getting too cute!

05/04/2022

Well, we took in 2 neonates this afternoon. Thank you to Jeannene Maas for meeting the people in St. Ignatius and bringing them to Polson. 10 days makes a huge difference to kittens so young, so I'm having to switch the 2 litters every 2 hours to make sure everyone gets fed. Poor little guys are not that great at nursing yet, and mama Daisy is doing her best to guide them to the ni**le. I gave everyone some KMR for nutrition until they figure it out. Going to be a long night, I think!

05/04/2022

From a year ago, but good info and a friendly reminder. Update: Our # is now 406-499-6972. https://www.facebook.com/104215334361173/posts/459311845518185/

04/26/2022

Naming suggestions?!?

04/25/2022

Everyone has gained 30 grams, give or take a few. The runt is at 154g, and the chonk at 169g. Well balanced litter and plenty of milk. They are growing wonderfully!

04/23/2022

Mama and babes are doing well. Just the 4 it seems. 2 orange tabbies, a black, and an enigma.

The runt of the litter, appears to be male and mostly black. It does have some spots of color, some appear grey and others pale orange. Now, if you know anything about feline genetics, you know that both color combinations are technically "impossible" for a male cat.

Without getting too technical, the color gene in felines is carried on the x chromosome. Females have 2 X's, so they can inherit a black and an orange gene. This makes a tortie or if the white spotting gene is also inherited, a calico. But males are an XY rather than XX. They only inherit 1 color gene. (This is why 75% of orange tabbies are male). So a male tortie either has an extra chromosome, XXY, kinda like a person with down syndrome, or they are a chimera. A chimera is an organism that has absorbed another organism early in development in the womb. It's not common in cats, but not unheard of either. I've seen one other feline chimera, which was a male grey tabby with white, except for the last half of its tail which was blazing orange and had longer fur!

Anyway, black and grey is also technically impossible. A gene modifyer is responsible for the "dilute" colors on a cat- the grey's, creams, lilacs, fawns etc. A black cat that inherited the dilute gene modifyer should be grey, lilac, blue- but ALL of the black is diluted not just patches. So again, an enigma. An anomaly.

One other possibility for the black with grey/rust is something called "fever coat". This happens when the queen (mom cat) is ill or is put through significant stress while pregnant. It causes a temporary lack of pigment deposit, and in this case the grey fur will grow out and be replaced with black. Our little enigma is the runt of the litter so perhaps it was stressed in the womb. Time will tell.

If course, perhaps it's a female and not really an enigma at all! I will let you know as they continue to grow! And once mama relaxes a bit I will get some pictures!

04/23/2022

Keep an eye on Daisy and the littles!

04/23/2022

2 of each. The 2nd black came fast! I believe there may be 1 or 2 more, but we will see. She is resting now and everyone seems content. ❤️

04/23/2022

Welp, kittens finally decided to make their arrival. First litter I've ever been present for that was born during the day! Mama is still laboring but doing well, and the kittens so far are strong little sh*ts!

04/20/2022

Meet "Blue". She just showed up at the door one night, crying, skittish, and very hungry. It didn't take long to convince her to come lay by the fire and fill her belly, and she has been expressing her gratitude ever since! Very affectionate cat that loves to greet you with headbutts and purrs. Blue has a very easy to care for single coat, silver with darker blue tips, and deepset, emerald green eyes. I estimate her to be about 8 months old. She is petite, muscular with long legs, and very fast. Content to lay on the bed awaiting her people's return, but she will cry pathetically if excluded from the family, isolated, or put outside. She is vocal but not obnoxious. Blue is accepting of other cats as long as they respect her space, playful, and quite the cuddle bug. She is constantly "making biscuits" with her dainty paws. Would do well as an inside cat, in a home where someone is around most of the time or that has another pet she can bond with. She has been dewormed. Vaccinations and spay being scheduled asap.

04/11/2022

Daisy is "different" today, starting to poke around (nesting?), lots of purring, and restless. Kittens will be coming, probably within a week!

04/11/2022

Anyone want to venture some guesses about Daisy's litter? How many? Date? Anything at all?

04/10/2022

Daisy is still quite shy, but she does come out to greet me and get loved on whenever I come into her room and she did venture out into the rest of the house for a while. She can down an entire can of wet kitten food in less than 5 minutes! Her belly is growing every day but no signs yet that labor is starting.

04/10/2022

This photo was sent in by Sydney, along with this message, "Hey, I just wanted to reach out and let you know how well Max is doing. He’s starting to get more comfortable around the house and our other animals. He’s been incredibly sweet and the kids are in 7th heaven having him here. Thank you so much for letting us adopt him, he’s honestly the perfect boy! I took this yesterday morning when my son woke up and realized that Max was cuddling with him at night.".

We miss Maximus Blue Magoo like crazy, but are so happy for him and his new family. ❤️

04/04/2022

Taking in queens is difficult. Pregnant or nursing, mom cats can be formidable when stressed. Acclimating to a new place with different smells, routines, and other animals is extremely stressful! This is Daisy. She looks like she could be Rooh's littermate, they are so similar! Daisy is pregnant with her 3rd litter of kittens. We don't have a due date but watching her closely for signs that labor is imminent. I'm expecting 7-8 kittens. Daisy will be spayed 6 weeks after they are born as well as vaccinated and dewormed. She will be available for adoption once she receives a clean bill of health!

03/24/2022

Happy Spring, everyone! I've started getting calls from people wanting us to take in their pregnant cats, and I'm sure that calls for kittens are just around the corner. Kitten season is upon us!

Over half of the kittens surrendered to Kits and Giggles Rescue are intensive care neonatal kittens needing round the clock care, and we take pride in our 90% survival rate. For comparison, the average survival rate of hand raised neonatal kittens is 75% for a well managed and experienced rescue. This drops as low as 15% for inexperienced caregivers. We have seen it all; cleft pallets, birth defects, severe parasite infections, illness, malnutrition, poor socialization and behavior issues... and have many miracle kitten stories to share.

We work hard to raise well socialized and healthy kittens. From the time of intake until adoption we feed high quality food and nutrition, provide a stimulating environment for optimal brain development, and intentional socialization to a variety of people, pets, and situations, and of course provide regular vet care. We strive to pair each family with the best matched kitten in personality and temperament and provide supportive follow up should any issues arise post adoption. To date, only 3 kittens have come back to us for rehoming, out of over 150! That's a lot of happy families!

We are implementing some changes to our intake process and adoption requirements this spring. In the past we have not asked for any donations or fees from people surrendering their pets to us, and have made do with "what you can afford and think is fair" upon adoption. However, we have grown to the point that this is just no longer financially feasible.

The cost to spay a queen (mother cat), vaccinate and deworm, and microchip, plus the cost of fuel to and from the Spay and Neuter Task Force up in Columbia Falls is around $75 and that doesn't factor in the cost of high quality food or any additional medications or vet care, toys, supplies, and time spent socializing the kittens. We will not apologize for having to make these changes as they truly are necessary if we are to stay open, and ask for your understanding. We will continue to consider waiving a portion of the fee dependant on circumstances, because we believe that great pet owners can come from all walks of life. We are a rescue service, not a fancy breeder or cattery. Additionally, orphaned or rejected kittens under 6 weeks of age will always be accepted, simply because my heart cannot turn away the helpless. Please do not take advantage of my compassion. It is always best that kittens stay with their queen for a minimum of 6 weeks, with 8-10 weeks being ideal. We have limited resources for caring for bottle raised kittens, so please leave those spots open for kittens that truly need our intervention. Thank you!

As of April 1st, 2022

UPON SURRENDER:
* A socialized queen that has not yet given birth and is in good health will require a fee of $50 due at the time of surrender.

* A socialized queen with kittens under 6 weeks of age will require a fee of $75 due at the time of surrender.

*A litter of up to 8 weaned kittens without their queen and in good health- $10 kitten.

UPON ADOPTION:
* Adult queen- spayed, vaccinated, dewormed, microchipped $30

* Kitten - Weaned, litterbox trained, 1st shots, dewormed, with contract for sterilization on a case by case basis- $25 for a single kitten, $40 if adopting 2 at the same time. You will be responsible for covering the cost of sterilization and the appointment will be made prior to adoption, along with a $50 deposit per kitten that will go towards the surgery.

* Kitten- Spayed/Neutered, fully vaccinated, dewormed, microchipped- $40 for a single kitten, $65 if adopting 2 at the same time.

Neonatal, intensive care intakes referred by a veterinary clinic or other rescue/shelter are no cost to either them or the surrendering party.

Lastly, we greatly appreciate the donations of time, money, food, and supplies that come trickling in occasionally. 100% of donations for directly towards caring for the kittens, we are truly a non-profit. If you would like to donate supplies, time, cash or are available to foster, please message us for more information! We appreciate you!

02/25/2022

Cat walks, anyone? This evening we are putting up some kitty super highways! Cats love being able to stay up off the ground and observe the minions below. Pictures soon!

02/14/2022

Boy, I'm sure missing having kittens around! But, meet Gato. He is a BIG boy who comes to visit from the neighbors house. Rooh and Asa have decided he is alright and can visit whenever he wants to, and I agree!

12/26/2021

12/26/2021

Good bye sweet Mattie. Happy adoption day!

12/13/2021

12/13/2021

Look who caught the cuddle bug...

12/11/2021

This is Mattie. She came to us feral as can be and terrified. She is right at the end of the socialization period. Much older and she would always be feral, but luckily for her she still had a bit of time and is coming around. One of the cutest kittens we've had here and we have had a lot! Amazingly, she already has a home and will be adopted Dec 23rd! Yes, she needs a bath. We will let her get used to things before putting her through that....

12/04/2021

Hi everyone!

Its nearly Christmas and Kits and Giggles Rescue is doing a bake sale! We are raising money to build a cattery/nursery so that we can both help more kittens and better provide for their needs as they grow. As you know, we take in quite a few special needs kittens and many bottle babies!

All of our baked goodies are homemade from scratch in a clean kitchen with frequent handwashing and disinfecting. Orders must be placed at least 24 hours ahead of when you want your order delivered (delivery in the Mission Valley only). If your order is a gift for someone else, we do offer gift wrapping and direct shipping for an additional charge. Gift orders must be placed by 12-20-21 for arrival before Christmas. We are also offering homemade pumpkin, cherry, and apple pies that will be delivered on Christmas Eve. Let us do the work and handle dessert, so you can enjoy more time with your family on Christmas!

Spritz Cookies - sweet, soft, lightly almond flavored and buttery. Various shapes about 2in across. A dozen- $12

Magic Bars- Graham cracker, chocolate, walnuts, coconut and sweetened condensed milk all layered and baked then cut into a dozen 2x2 bars. $18

Sugar Cookies- soft, sweet, and large...so there is room for decorating! 1 dozen- $12

Christmas Rice Krispie Treats- classic rice krispie treat with red and green rice crispies for fun, and cut into a dozen 3x3 bars. $12

Chocolate or Dark Chocolate Fudge- with or without nuts. A dozen 1x1 inch squares. Without nuts $18, with nuts $20

Candy Cane Chocolate Loaves- chocolate quick bread topped with peppermint icing and crushed candy canes. $12 loaf

Cranberry Orange Walnut Bread- quick bread with spices and whole, sweetened cranberries, candied oranges, and walnuts. $12 loaf

Peanut Butter Bars- think homemade recese peanut butter cups, a dozen 2x2 inch bars. $15

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies- a dozen brownies made with cream cheese, pumpkin, and holiday spices. 2x2 inch bars. $18

Pumpkin, cherry, or apple pie (local delivery on Christmas Eve only)- $12 each or 2 for $20

Delivery is a flat $5 charge or you can pick up in St Ignatius.

Please message us with your order, date you want your order received, and your address if you want delivery. Venmo, PayPal, or FB pay preferred, due upon ordering. Sorry, we have had too many people order then flake out in the past.

Thank you, and Merry Christmas!

12/03/2021

Shout out to Philip and Julian with the Arlee Rehabilitation Center. We were able to collect 5 donated bags of quality cat food from them yesterday. Thank you!

We turned around and donated 2 of those bags to families in need and 1 of those families went and split their bag with another family. Lovely holiday spirit ripples- giving, sharing, and helping others. ❤

11/25/2021

Grizzly, now called "Lexi", has found her forever home with a great family in Kalispell. We are going to miss her!

That wraps up the 2021 kitten season. It's been fun, as always!