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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/10/2026

[Foster kitten death] Unfortunately, Mothball passed away last night. I suspect he was having intermittent GI bleeds and he had a big one last night. It sucks, but I knew going in that he was sick. At least he was clean and warm and well fed for his last few days.

Photo of a lovely colorpoint kitten (Mothball) with blue eyes sitting in a clear plastic container (normally used to keep him in one place while getting weighed).

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/10/2026

These kids are all going back to the shelter for surgery/adoption today (unless things change...). Ringworm doesn't actually last forever; it just *feels* that way. Anyhow, I wish them all the best! #FosterKittens #GraduationPhotos #CatsOfMastodon

Photo of a gray tabby (Prince) seated comfortably on *my* office chair.

Photo of a black kitten (Isa) waiting to pounce on the unseen wand toy.

Photo of a medium-hair colorpoint kitten (Kitty Tuna, aka Princess Petunia) seated on the window sill. She will probably fall off it soon because she is not a graceful cat.

Photo of a black cat (Choco) with a tiny white patch on his chest. He also has some white patches on the edge of his ears and the tip of his tail, but I think those are a result of his earlier ringworm infection.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/10/2026

Mothball had a quick bath this morning and he's not quite dry here, but he still looks much improved from Saturday. #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKitten

Photo of a very skinny 5-week-old colorpoint kitten. He's still damp from his bath, but his blue eyes are clear and his personality has progressed from "I don't feel well" to "why are you taking pictures of me?"

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/10/2026

We have tentative surgery/return-for-adoption dates for 4 of my ringworm fosters! And also, fingers crossed for this little dude who has such horrendous diarrhea that he was tested twice for panleuk. (Both negative.) Hopefully we can get things under control […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Photo of a white (maybe? he's disgustingly dirty, so it's not clear. I think he may be a colorpoint kitten.) 5-week-old kitten huddled on a heating pad next to a cardboard litter box. He looks pretty miserable and is very skinny.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/10/2026

I looked up what Amazon things about me and... the foster kittens have confused things. 😂 (For the record, I do not have any children.)

Screenshot of part of the Amazon "About you" page.
Brands: Prefers Gerber for baby food
Departments: Baby Care
Home & Family: Has an infant
Departments: Child Safety
Product Preferences: Recently invested in child safety measures

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 29/09/2026

Francis Noodle finished his FIP treatment about a month ago. Last week they wanted to evaluate his coordination at the shelter, but he refused to move. (Of course!) So now I, certified GenX who takes five tries to do anything on my phone, am trying to take […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 29/09/2026

The Flintstones babies are slowly improving (while also getting even balder), but since the newest addition (Hoppy) is dealing with diarrhea and all four are housed in the tub, I'll spare you pictures for a bit. (I clean I swear! But it only stays clean for a […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/09/2026

Apparently Saturdays are the day I get to look through character names from The Flintstones. Meet Hoppy! She's from the same location as Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm, and Dina. She's pretty skinny for her size, so we'll be working on feeding her up for the next few weeks. #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKittens

Photo of a medium-hair 5-week-old brown tabby standing inside a clear weighing bin (repurposed from one half of a bread bin). She looks bedraggled and a little shell-shocked. It's been a long day for her.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/09/2026

I've added a ramp. Prince has gone up and down a few times. Hopefully Francis Noodle was paying attention.

Photo of a wire dog crate with an extra panel extending diagonally to the floor. Three cats (Francis Noodle, Kitty Tuna, and Prince) are seated nearby.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/09/2026

We cheated and I boosted him up. Tomorrow I need to look at ramp supplies.

Photo of a gray & white cat (Francis Noodle) lying on a towel on top of a large dog crate. It's blurry because he was moving around and I want to snap a quick photo before he fell off or did something equally silly.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/09/2026

Francis Noodle, whose back end doesn't work quite right, has decided that he really needs to climb onto the dog crate this morning. It is not going well for him, but it's good to have goals! #FosterCat #CatsOfMastodon

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/09/2026

The Hot Mess Express babies are pretty cute, even with all their problems. #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon #TheRingwormCycle

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/09/2026

Dino is even balder than Bamm-Bamm, though his eyes are in better shape. Note: Dino is not a sphinx. He's just bald from ringworm. #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKittens #HotMessExpress

Photo of two pathetic 4-week-old kittens. Dino, front, has basically no hair on his head, which makes his eyes look giant. He could be the inspiration for Gollum in the LOTR movies. Behind Dino, Bamm-Bamm has partially-open eyes which makes him appear miserable even though he was wrestling with his siblings right before the picture was taken. His bald spot gives him a reverse mohawk, though it's not as obvious in this picture.
This photo should have a Sarah McLachlan song playing as the link to donate money to the Yolo County Animal Services Shelter scrolls below.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/09/2026

Oh, Francis Noodle... 😂 (He managed to extract himself without me helping.) #FosterCat #CatsOfMastodon #Caturday

Photo of the legs of a gray & white cat (Francis Noodle) sticking up in the air behind a cushion on the floor. On the other side of the cushion, a colorpoint kitten (Kitty Tuna) watches. This photo could easily be titled "Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!" and I'm probably going to hell for laughing, but I'll be in good company.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/09/2026

Hot mess update: *Some*body (Pebbles. It was Pebbles) realized she could fit between the wires of the crate and was running around the back room while I was giving other kittens a lime sulfur bath. So Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm have relocated to the tub. Amina & Tinbu […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Photo of two scruffy kittens inside a tub. The larger kitten (Pebbles) is standing on her back legs, looking for new ways to get into trouble. The smaller kitten (Bamm-Bamm) is seated like a perfect angel. There's an empty plate of food in the shot because both are eating on their own!

Photo of two kittens (Amina and Tinbu) in a bathroom. At the back is the tub holding Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm. There are glass doors on the tub, so the kittens should not be able to mingle. Everything is clean because today was the day to dip the kittens and disinfect everything. By tomorrow morning the space will be trashed.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/09/2026

Hot Mess Babies (now Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm) are doing well this morning. We still have some significant challenges (ringworm, and maybe Bamm-Bamm is blind?) but they both look far better than they did two days ago. #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/09/2026

Definitely on the Hot Mess Express. The girl is looking pretty good (everything is relative!) this morning, and her brother hasn't given up yet, so I'm hopeful. #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon #RingwormIsLife

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/09/2026

They are indeed a bit of a mess. We had the usual "they might not make it" talk. Fingers crossed that antibiotics and supportive care work their magic! #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon

Photo of two scraggly 4-week-old kittens on a pink baby blanket with white elephants. The larger kitten on the right seems alert, but the smaller kitten clearly doesn't feel well.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/09/2026

Now that the self-promo is out of the way... Have a picture of foster Kitty Tuna! She's adorable. #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKittens

Photo of a fluffy colorpoint kitten (Kitty Tuna, aka Princess Petunia) lying on her back on a green towel inside a wire dog crate. (The crate door is open. She went in there by herself.)

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/09/2026

New cozy mystery this Saturday! With her husband away for a weekend of search-and-rescue training, 50-something pet sitter Penelope Standing is busy hunting a runaway tortoise while wondering if her son has finally found a companion. Until she stumbles over a […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Cover of "Death Retrieves a Rival: A Penelope Standing Mystery" by Tess Baytree (aka, me). Image shows a cartoon tortoise striding forward with a strawberry in his mouth. His trail could be mistaken for bloody footprints.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/09/2026

A friend pointed out that maybe the problem is that I'm not using his full name and titles, so here is the updated challenge board.

Photo of a whiteboard that now reads "Days since Lord Sir Francis Noodle O.B.E., Esquire pooped on the floor. The number is one. Perhaps my friend has a point.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/09/2026

I spent the afternoon spraying 8 cats/kittens with lime sulfur (bought a battery-powered sprayer!) and disinfecting their rooms. Meanwhile, these two are over there just being cute. #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKittens

Photo of two 6-week-old kittens (Amina & Tinbu) lying next to each other in a room full of spilled kibble and other detritus. They are almost touching, and I think Tinbu was sleeping with his head on Amina's back before I opened the door so I could take the picture.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/09/2026

Started couch-to-10k training this week for the Turkey Trot in November. Photos from the morning...

Photo of three chickens with fluffy legs (probably a fancy chicken breed, but I don't know what kind) running along the sidewalk together.

Photo of a green field with clouds and a rainbow arcing across the sky.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/09/2026

Francis Noodle makes sure The Kitten Formerly Known As Prince respects his elders. #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/08/2026

Amina, the first small kitten I've ever had on rabies quarantine. She's going to be stunningly beautiful someday. (Not sure if that eye is salvageable.) #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 29/08/2026

Despite how this picture looks, I did not lop off the back half of Francis Noodle. He was very proud of himself for (almost) getting on top of this carrier, so I took a picture. #Caturday #FosterCat #CatsOfMastodon

Photo of a large gray & white cat (Francis Noodle) perched on top of a smallish pink cat carrier. Due to the perspective, it looks like the back half of him has disappeared, but his back legs are dangling over the far side. He looks proud of himself, which he should because he has a hard time using his back half and he usually knocks this carrier over when he tries to pull himself onto it. This is the look of a cat who cannot be stopped! (Except by the pet gate blocking the door of the office.)

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/08/2026

New kitten Amina bit the person who brought her to the shelter 😂 so she is technically on rabies quarantine for the next 10 days. In practical terms, that means nothing unless she passes away. Her URI is relatively mild so that shouldn't be a problem. #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon

Photo of a sleeping 4-week-old calico kitten (Amina) on a green flannel blanket with drawings of cars.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/08/2026

24 hours of fluids, food, antibiotics, and sleep can work wonders. #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKittens

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/08/2026

This little guy is an underweight 4-week-old who is very snotty. I brought him home from the shelter and he slept like the dead (literally — I kept staring to see if he was breathing) for a few hours and then started crying either because he was alone or he was […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Photo of a skinny 4-week-old tabby kitten, bundled in a green blanket on my lap. His eyes are closed because of his upper respiratory infection. His head is wet because I just cleaned gunk off his eyes and nose. He looks sad and pathetic, but hopefully he will bounce back quickly.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/08/2026

My aesthetic is definitely "more is more." (I had some animal stickers that came with the kitten playpen...)

Photo of facing sketchbook pages. Stickers of a cat (?), dog and mouse are on starry backgrounds with sections of bright colors painted around them.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/08/2026

These three goobers are ridiculous together. Note that if you actually close the door of the crate, Francis Noodle with throw a tantrum and flip his food and water bowls. But if it's his choice, he's in there 80% of the day. #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKittens

Photo of a large gray & white adult cat (Francis Noodle), a colorpoint kitten (Kitty Tuna), and a tabby kitten (The Kitten Formerly Known As Prince) lounging on a towel in a large wire dog crate.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/08/2026

The Wizards (Prospero, Merlin, and Gandalf the Grey-Toe) are going back to the shelter for surgery and adoption today! They are just so fuzzy and cute! #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKittens

Photo of a fluffy gray & white kitten (Merlin) seated with one paw advanced.

Photo of a fuzzy white and gray kitten (Gandalf the Grey-Toe) seated and looking up. Sadly, his gray toe isn't visible in this picture. He is adorable.

Photo of a fuzzy gray & white kitten (Merlin). His left eye is a bit cloudy, though that's not immediately obvious when looking at this picture.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/08/2026

Kittenpocalypse 2026 is officially over! I took back the 11 temporary fosters this morning. This afternoon, I took 4 of my own fosters back for surgery and adoption. Three more are going tomorrow. I'm in the single digits, woohoo! #ScenesFromKittenpocalypse2026 #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKittens

Photo of two small kittens atop a Churu box. The kitten in front is a calico. The kitten behind is black. They both look like trouble.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/08/2026

Kittens figure out litter box usage pretty quickly, but this group is still on day two. With four litter boxes, you might think averages should be on my side, but places they go potty have been marked with a green check and the pristine places marked with a red […] [Original post on mstdn.social]

Photo of a top-down view of a kitten playpen containing four 3-week-old kittens. There are four cardboard litter boxes with pine pellets, all marked with a red X. The clear spaces in between have been annotated with green checkmarks. The kittens look a bit like little blobs at this distance, but I promise they are very cute.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 14/08/2026

Kittenpocalypse 2026 has begun. (The foster coordinator is out of town for the weekend, so I have her bottle babies... in addition to my own fosters.) #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon

Photo of the corner of my bedroom which has two playpens and three incubators, in which there are a total of 11 kittens. Sanity not seen in this photo.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/08/2026

Former foster June (previous Sunburst) came to stay for a week while her people were on vacation. Such an amazing kitten. (BTW, she is completely blind, though you'd never know that from this clip.) #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/08/2026

Oh no... I moved to the bedroom for a change of scenery while editing and the kittens have figured out how to climb onto the bed. 😂 #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/08/2026

These three are pretty funny together. (Francis Noodle, Kitty Tuna, and The Kitten Formerly Known As Prince) #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKittens

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/08/2026

My fosters are very photogenic. (The other eleven are also super photogenic, but I don't always have my phone on me to capture the moment.) #FosterKittens #CatsOfMastodon

Photo of a gray tabby kitten (The Kitten Formerly Known As Prince) sleeping curled up in a round bed.

Photo of a gray & white cat (Francis Noodle) lying on the floor facing the camera with his front legs crossed. He is definitely The Most Interesting Cat in the World.

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 31/07/2026

I had to close mom into the feral box so I could safely do a full clean of the dog crate, so the babies got a new box. They seem to enjoy it. The babies come out to run around the bedroom for a couple hours every day. We're pushing hard on socialization now. #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKittens

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T.M. Baumgartner @tm-baumgartner.mstdn.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/07/2026

Francis Noodle is everyone's buddy. (That's The Kitten Formerly Known as Prince curled up like the world's cutest little backpack.) #CatsOfMastodon #FosterKittens

Photo of a large cat (Francis Noodle) sleeping in the round cat bed with a small kitten (The Kitten Formerly Known As Prince) curled up behind his shoulders.

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