New alarm clock and stinky kittens solved

I've been trying to figure out how to get myself up an hour earlier (groan). Now that there is a dog to walk, I need another hour before work. And sometimes I work before work.

A problem with "working from home" is that it is quite easy to just turn off the alarm and close your eyes for a little bit longer. When I absolutely have to get up (to catch a plane, trap some cats, get to the vet) I put the alarm clock across the room, so that hopefully by the time I reach it I've remembered that I actually do need to get up.

But doing that every day? Uck.

Well, I finally discovered which of the four kittens is the one who insists on sucking and sliming all the others. It's also that one that doesn't eat as well because (and please, if you are easily grossed out, don't read farther) he's filling up on pee and poop by stimulating the others and...well, you get the picture.

So I put the clear plastic tote in the playpen with a SnuggleSafe heater and separated him out after he has been fed and played with the others. No more sucking on his sibs while they are snoozing and when they wake up hungry.

And--surprise! No more wet kittens, and Little Mr. Messy is eating normal food like a champ. I try to put them all together as much as I can (they are together now), and Messy doesn't seem to be too distressed by the alone time. Hopefully he'll break himself of the slurping habit so they can all be back together again.

And the alarm clock? Well, a single hungry kitten makes a lot of noise at 5:30 am, let's just say. And while he may shut up for a few minutes at a time, there comes a point where he says "I want attention NOW" and the squeaking does not stop.

I'm up! I'm up!