All my cats ever want to do is sit by the pool, watch tv, or gossip on the patio.... (PS No, I don't dress up my cats, I found the sunbathing picture on the net but I thought it was the cutest thing)

Insofar as how it would impact root health, there is no difference between plastic and high-fired clay/ceramic. If you can see no crazing (myriad small cracks reminiscent of a fish net with small holes) in the glaze, you can eliminate anything toxic making its way from the pot to the grow medium. If you haven't fertilized or used any type of tonics, insecticides, leaf shine, detergents, etc., it's a very good bet you have unwittingly over-watered due to the fact there is no way for water to evaporate or be used by the plant as the new medium is not colonized by roots and remains a hostile environment to roots due to lack of oxygen. My suggestion would be to lift the plant from the pot to see it the lower reaches of the soil column are saturated. If so, see figure D below. Remove the soil from the new pot, place an over-turned pot in the bottom of the pot so it fits snugly, and cover the drain hole of the over-turned pot with something that won't rot (it does not need to allow water to drain through the hole in the over-turned pot, but it's ok to use a screen if you wish). Mix enough of the soil that falls away from the roots or remains in the large pot with an equal measure of perlite and fill to the top of the over-turned pot, then reposition your plant on top of the pot. and back-fill with the remaining soil w/o the extra perlite. The shaded areas in the images above represents perched water. By comparing D to A, you can see the over-turned pot significantly reduces the amount of excess (perched) water your soil will b e able to hold, so air will return the the soil much faster. The operational words for the moisture level of a grow medium is damp/moist, never wet/soggy. After having put the pot to work as ballast, start checking moisture levels with a "tell" you can make from a wooden dowel rod. It is far superior to a finger or a "moisture meter". More about using a 'tell': Using a 'tell' Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need plenty of air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support the kind of root health most growers would like to see; and, a healthy root system is a prerequisite to a healthy plant. Watering in small sips leads to avoid over-watering leads to a residual build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil from tapwater and fertilizer solutions, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor. In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water. Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'. One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue. Questions? Al

Thank you all for your suggestions. I will wait a while to introduce them anyway, but to get a head start on info is good. And the condition that goes with adopting a kitten is that it be neutered before leaving my home or within 2 weeks and I want proof, I work for an animal rescue group that is doing this for free but I will ask each new kitten owner to make a minimal donation to help cover those costs for the rescue. This will also ensure that the people really want the kittens as pets, not to abuse. I see too many "free kittens" that are used for horrible purposes, so if the new owners are willing to make a donation I know they probably have good intentions. I actually took Amy to get spayed a week before her delivery, it was breaking my heart to do it knowing she was pregnant. After I dropped her off in her carrier, I sat in the parking lot and pondered my decision. Then two cars pull up to the MASH unit (a mobile surgical hospital that does spay/neutering as well as all necessary shots for those with low income) and out of the first one comes a pug that looked just like the dog my sister just had put to sleep a few months ago. The second car out jumps a white collie mix that looks like the dog my dad hit on their farm when she ran in front of his truck. I burst into tears, knowing Jade and Francie (the dogs) were telling me something. I ran out of the car, banged on the door and told them I didn't want to do it. They just tested her for FIV and other diseases, if she was infected I would have just put her down but she came up free and clear and healthy. I can't believe I almost did that now that the kittens are here. I am a FIRM believer in spaying, I have three full-blooded Ragdolls but had them all spayed because, as cute as they are too, the line has to be drawn, and I like this MASH unit because it benefits low income areas like mine to prevent any more "accidents". Thank you all. We have a screen door that might fit in the bedroom door frame, I will try that, but will wait. Laurief, the room is a spare, so it has a bed which she had her kittens under and room enough for them to explore and get their legs build strength, although the berber carpet is a challenge with those tiny claws! She can live there as long as she likes. My second question is this; once the kittens are weaned, is it not a good idea to let them out of the room since Amy will be not be with them? I want to raise them "underfoot" where they have the run of the house until they are ready to go to new homes. Last question: how old do the kittens need to be to get them neutered and how long for Amy? I have great knowledge of cats, but I know nothing of raising kittens!!!

Wow I think you're doing great if at 3 weeks they are integrated and if the fights are small! 3 weeks is not so long in the cat universe. Somethings I learned from my own trouble maker cat - after he went missing for 6 wks after I got him back Ive been totally showering him with affection and also never ever yelling at him (even if I step in cat puke) - its turned around the situation completely. I couldn't be happier. I know it can be hard sometimes to love the instigator but be sure you're not transmitting any subtle or not so subtle hostility or anger and you might want to take him in a separate room to give him some affection if he seems like hes too nervous around the other cats to relax and enjoy being petted. Cats do a certain amount of challenging and competing with each other in the wild and even in the backyard among other domestic cats - since youre the food source its only logical theyd be competing over you and your affection. Also the time out is not intended to be punishment but just redirecting and send a message "youre going too far." Do you noticeif his heart is pounding like crazy, does he seem agitated? Is he actually biting? If so the time out is for him to chill out and calm down, that's all. With some cats play chasing and wrestling can turn serious - if you start to notice him get a crazy look in his eyes you could separate before he progresses into biting or serious attack. Actually - Im not really clear from your description that it is turning serious - how do the other cats react? The one is hiding under the bed, but is he/she OK under there? Do they feel safe to come out after a few minutes or are they cringing in fear hours/days at a time? If the former that's a good sign that they'll be OK once they get to know each other and how they operate. If they are eating together nicely that too is a good sign. Sleeping/sitting together? Even better! Editted to add; recently Ive noticed Figgy (former trouble maker) more and more just totally backing down and walking away if Orange hisses at him and doesn't want to play. Not always but its been a huge improvement! Some cats esp those taken away from the litter too early just never learn to moderate their biting and rough-housing - its like they have to be taught. I think part of Figgy's problem was he wasn't really understanding that he was hurting Orange (or me for that matter - he used to claw and bite quite hard when playing.)