The other morning when Jon headed out to work, he came right back in and said, "We have a situation in the garage". "WHAT? A mouse???", I said. "No, worse". What is worse than a mouse??? A cat that just had kittens. Ohhhhhhhh.
I was sitting reading with the kids, and just didn't want to deal with it or see it, so Jon got on the phone to take care of it. He said Provo Police would be here soon to take them. Eli was real curious with the tid bits of conversation he was getting and went out to investigate. He came back in and said it sounded like an animal was screaming. Uggggggghhhhh.
Right when the nice policeman showed up (which was really quick!) Zeke pulled off his diaper like Houdini in one fling of his hands- it was full of poo. I showed the policeman the general area Jon told me the cat and kittens were and had to attend to Zeke. I'm bathing him in the sink in the kitchen and told Eli to stay out of the policemans way but to stay near if he needs anything. Eli came back in saying he needs paper towels. I grab a roll and send it out. Jon had told me he saw a dead kitten lying on the ground, so I'm assuming it's not pretty out there. Once I get Zeke cleaned up and dressed, I grabbed a garbage bag and went out. I was sad to hear the mom had split right when he got near. (WHY was the garage door opened???- DUH!) He said that cat had to have given birth within the last 10 minutes. (that would explain the screaming) There were three kittens in his cage, so sad, barely even cleaned up, meowing away. That policeman was so nice, he was wiping up the mess, asking if he could use our dumpster. I'd just assumed he'd take the cats and go, not stay and clean up, apologizing like it was his fault. Maybe he felt bad he hadn't caught the mom. He left and I felt a little bad that I didn't feel more bad. I went on with my day.
When the boys got home from school Adren got an earful of the morning events and felt bad he'd missed out. Eli told him no worries, he'd take him out to show him the blood. They both quickly scampered off. Soon enough Adren came in and told me there was a little kitten left behind, asleep on the garage floor. Yikes! I went out to investigate, and sure enough, there's this icky kitty, black with birthing stuff on it, umbilical cord, clearly dead, lying there. I told them not to touch it (it looked like Adren had moved it out with a stick) and ran inside for some paper towels to scoop it up and dump it. (Ewwwwww!) In fact, I was going to make Adren scoop it up and dump it. Paisly and Adren's faces were 1/8 of an inch to it when I came back out, saying it had moved! Then I'm poking it with that stick, and I can't tell if I saw it move. It doesn't look like it's breathing, but for some reason it doesn't look totally dead. How can I toss a kitten in the dumpster that might be alive??? I'm not that person! So I scooped it up in the paper towels and brought it to the kitchen sink. Eeeeeeeek! I put on rubber gloves and ran it under warm water. Almost immediately it started moving! It wasn't making any sounds, but it was alive. It was very cold. I scrubbed it with soap, and scrubbed it some more, and kept running it under the warm water. We wrapped it in a dishcloth and I got online to see what to do. It said it needed to be fed with a bottle and kitty formula, found at pet stores. They can get dehydrated easily. So we all hopped in the car. I mean, it's got to eat, right? I was trying to figure out where to go, and decided on the Pet Hospital I've noticed on University. Just for some advise. The lady there told me how much work and attention it takes to care for a new kitty, the feedings every two hours, all the complications without the mother etc. Where is that mother??? She said it didn't look very likely it would live another day or two. By now it's getting later and I've got to get back home, Adren has a soccer game with pictures beforehand, and I'm speaking at Enrichment, which I'm still not 100% ready for. Zeke is sooooo wet and poopy, (that boy) and traffic is terrible. We finally make it to Petsmart, and I find a kitten bottle and grab a can of formula and we're on our way. By now it's meowing and really moving around, Adren is having a hard time holding it, but it's definitely hungry and sucking away.
Jon is shocked when we get home with a kitty, but it isn't disgusting anymore, and it's so tiny, and it survived all day on that cold garage floor! He's allergic to cats, and I'm just not ready for this. We all have to go to our various things so I put it in a little tupperware bowl with it's dishcloths, and it's sound asleep. I'm wondering if it will even be alive when we all get back to it later.
I asked around at Enrichment and learn there is a family that has been sortof feeding and keeping a very pregnant stray cat. I called when I got home but they hadn't seen the mother and did not want the kitty. I told them if they saw her to catch her because this kitty needed it's mom, not us! By now Jon and I are really kicking ourselves for getting rid of that cat!
Adren and Paisley especially are really loving on this kitty, Adren is so very worried it is going to die, so we talked about it before bed, that we've done everything we can, whatever happens is supposed to happen. He want's it to sleep near him, so we put it on his dresser and he says a prayer for it. I'm thinking, if it's going to die, we'll just make it as comfortable as possible. I told Adren if he hears it in the night he'll have to feed it.
Before I know it, it's 2:00 in the morning and Paisley is crying by my bed, saying Hello Kitty is soooo sad. (I guess this is what she named it) I could hear it, so I went in and she had it by her bed and was trying to feed it. It really took some skill to feed it with the bottle. You have to squeeze the bottle so the milk is right there, then put the kitty in almost a headlock by making a circle with your thumb and pointer finger. I'd read it has to be upright to suck, otherwise the milk will go into it's lungs. Can a four year-old Paisley do this? No. So there I'm sitting, at 2:00am feeding this little kitten. It falls back to sleep, I turn off the lamp, and we all go back to bed. Next, it's Adren at 3:00am by my bed (I hadn't really gone back to sleep) saying it's meowing and won't take the bottle. I get back up, and try to show Adren what to do, but it's so squirmy, and keeps pushing it's paws away, it's too hard for him. So I sit there and feed it some more. Every time I get back in bed I say to Jon, "We're in a pickle! What are we going to do???" He says, "You are toooo nice". Then at 4:30, Adren is back, upset for the kitty. I feed it again, but it wont stop meowing. I remember reading they have to stay very warm and wonder if it's too cold in there. So I fill up the hot water bottle and put the little bowl on top of that. It burrows in and settles down. It woke us up at 6:00, and from then on we all just stayed up. I don't think I've ever had one of my own babies so high maintenance! Where is that mother???
So now I know to keep that water bottle piping hot and it stays happy and quiet. As Adren left to school I told him the kitty would probably be gone when he got home. We both agreed it was a hard night and we couldn't do that every night.
Paisley had school and I had to bring Eli and Zeke since Jon had appointments. I got the kitty all cozy on the floor and we left. (I can't leave it in the cold car!) When we got home it had crawled out of it's bowl and was shivering in the middle of the floor. Poor kitty! It seemed especially happy when Paisly would hold it up close to her. Not so much when Zeke would grab it in his fist around it's neck and run and jerk it around so no one could get it. I started to think this little thing might survive, and I've got to do something. I am NOT going through another night like last night! I just couldn't bring myself to call Provo Police to take it away, or bring it to animal control. I mean, why did I bring it back to life and why did I stay up all night feeding it, just to have it euthanized? This little thing needs to live! I called the Humane Society and told the nice lady the situation. She asked me some questions and told me they would take it, they have volunteers that would care for it and they have a 95% success rate on raising newborn kittens. This is the answer!
I couldn't get up there until it was minutes away from closing.(It's in SLC) I was so stressed that I wouldn't make it, and then what would I do??? There were two women out front chatting when I arrived and asked if I was the one with the newborn kitten. They had been waiting for me! We had quite the little crowd of people wanting to peek at it because it was sooooo tiny and cute! I felt like I was handing over a human with all the instructions: It last ate at 4:00, it took a whole tablespoon, more than it has yet. Here's it's bottle and can of formula, if it's kept refridgerated, it will last a whole week. It's starting to meow because it's off it's heating pad! Those ladies were so impressed with how good and healthy it looked and could feel it had a full belly. (thanks to Jon) It was strange to think at that same time yesterday it was the still, cold thing on the garage floor ready to go in the dumpster. They said I had done everything right and even wanted to recruit me. Yeah right. I thanked and thanked them for taking it in and off my hands! How nice to have "cat people" out there in the world!
Man, I felt so good driving away from there I wanted to cry! I guess I was sleep deprived. Hope that little kitty makes it and finds a good home. Either way, I did my part.
Here's some pic's. none of them turned out too great:
Zeke constantly wanting to hold and squeeze the kitty.
Paisley and Hello Kitty!
Adren so sweet feeding it.
Awwww, what a softie! (This was right before I took it to HS)
I was sitting reading with the kids, and just didn't want to deal with it or see it, so Jon got on the phone to take care of it. He said Provo Police would be here soon to take them. Eli was real curious with the tid bits of conversation he was getting and went out to investigate. He came back in and said it sounded like an animal was screaming. Uggggggghhhhh.
Right when the nice policeman showed up (which was really quick!) Zeke pulled off his diaper like Houdini in one fling of his hands- it was full of poo. I showed the policeman the general area Jon told me the cat and kittens were and had to attend to Zeke. I'm bathing him in the sink in the kitchen and told Eli to stay out of the policemans way but to stay near if he needs anything. Eli came back in saying he needs paper towels. I grab a roll and send it out. Jon had told me he saw a dead kitten lying on the ground, so I'm assuming it's not pretty out there. Once I get Zeke cleaned up and dressed, I grabbed a garbage bag and went out. I was sad to hear the mom had split right when he got near. (WHY was the garage door opened???- DUH!) He said that cat had to have given birth within the last 10 minutes. (that would explain the screaming) There were three kittens in his cage, so sad, barely even cleaned up, meowing away. That policeman was so nice, he was wiping up the mess, asking if he could use our dumpster. I'd just assumed he'd take the cats and go, not stay and clean up, apologizing like it was his fault. Maybe he felt bad he hadn't caught the mom. He left and I felt a little bad that I didn't feel more bad. I went on with my day.
When the boys got home from school Adren got an earful of the morning events and felt bad he'd missed out. Eli told him no worries, he'd take him out to show him the blood. They both quickly scampered off. Soon enough Adren came in and told me there was a little kitten left behind, asleep on the garage floor. Yikes! I went out to investigate, and sure enough, there's this icky kitty, black with birthing stuff on it, umbilical cord, clearly dead, lying there. I told them not to touch it (it looked like Adren had moved it out with a stick) and ran inside for some paper towels to scoop it up and dump it. (Ewwwwww!) In fact, I was going to make Adren scoop it up and dump it. Paisly and Adren's faces were 1/8 of an inch to it when I came back out, saying it had moved! Then I'm poking it with that stick, and I can't tell if I saw it move. It doesn't look like it's breathing, but for some reason it doesn't look totally dead. How can I toss a kitten in the dumpster that might be alive??? I'm not that person! So I scooped it up in the paper towels and brought it to the kitchen sink. Eeeeeeeek! I put on rubber gloves and ran it under warm water. Almost immediately it started moving! It wasn't making any sounds, but it was alive. It was very cold. I scrubbed it with soap, and scrubbed it some more, and kept running it under the warm water. We wrapped it in a dishcloth and I got online to see what to do. It said it needed to be fed with a bottle and kitty formula, found at pet stores. They can get dehydrated easily. So we all hopped in the car. I mean, it's got to eat, right? I was trying to figure out where to go, and decided on the Pet Hospital I've noticed on University. Just for some advise. The lady there told me how much work and attention it takes to care for a new kitty, the feedings every two hours, all the complications without the mother etc. Where is that mother??? She said it didn't look very likely it would live another day or two. By now it's getting later and I've got to get back home, Adren has a soccer game with pictures beforehand, and I'm speaking at Enrichment, which I'm still not 100% ready for. Zeke is sooooo wet and poopy, (that boy) and traffic is terrible. We finally make it to Petsmart, and I find a kitten bottle and grab a can of formula and we're on our way. By now it's meowing and really moving around, Adren is having a hard time holding it, but it's definitely hungry and sucking away.
Jon is shocked when we get home with a kitty, but it isn't disgusting anymore, and it's so tiny, and it survived all day on that cold garage floor! He's allergic to cats, and I'm just not ready for this. We all have to go to our various things so I put it in a little tupperware bowl with it's dishcloths, and it's sound asleep. I'm wondering if it will even be alive when we all get back to it later.
I asked around at Enrichment and learn there is a family that has been sortof feeding and keeping a very pregnant stray cat. I called when I got home but they hadn't seen the mother and did not want the kitty. I told them if they saw her to catch her because this kitty needed it's mom, not us! By now Jon and I are really kicking ourselves for getting rid of that cat!
Adren and Paisley especially are really loving on this kitty, Adren is so very worried it is going to die, so we talked about it before bed, that we've done everything we can, whatever happens is supposed to happen. He want's it to sleep near him, so we put it on his dresser and he says a prayer for it. I'm thinking, if it's going to die, we'll just make it as comfortable as possible. I told Adren if he hears it in the night he'll have to feed it.
Before I know it, it's 2:00 in the morning and Paisley is crying by my bed, saying Hello Kitty is soooo sad. (I guess this is what she named it) I could hear it, so I went in and she had it by her bed and was trying to feed it. It really took some skill to feed it with the bottle. You have to squeeze the bottle so the milk is right there, then put the kitty in almost a headlock by making a circle with your thumb and pointer finger. I'd read it has to be upright to suck, otherwise the milk will go into it's lungs. Can a four year-old Paisley do this? No. So there I'm sitting, at 2:00am feeding this little kitten. It falls back to sleep, I turn off the lamp, and we all go back to bed. Next, it's Adren at 3:00am by my bed (I hadn't really gone back to sleep) saying it's meowing and won't take the bottle. I get back up, and try to show Adren what to do, but it's so squirmy, and keeps pushing it's paws away, it's too hard for him. So I sit there and feed it some more. Every time I get back in bed I say to Jon, "We're in a pickle! What are we going to do???" He says, "You are toooo nice". Then at 4:30, Adren is back, upset for the kitty. I feed it again, but it wont stop meowing. I remember reading they have to stay very warm and wonder if it's too cold in there. So I fill up the hot water bottle and put the little bowl on top of that. It burrows in and settles down. It woke us up at 6:00, and from then on we all just stayed up. I don't think I've ever had one of my own babies so high maintenance! Where is that mother???
So now I know to keep that water bottle piping hot and it stays happy and quiet. As Adren left to school I told him the kitty would probably be gone when he got home. We both agreed it was a hard night and we couldn't do that every night.
Paisley had school and I had to bring Eli and Zeke since Jon had appointments. I got the kitty all cozy on the floor and we left. (I can't leave it in the cold car!) When we got home it had crawled out of it's bowl and was shivering in the middle of the floor. Poor kitty! It seemed especially happy when Paisly would hold it up close to her. Not so much when Zeke would grab it in his fist around it's neck and run and jerk it around so no one could get it. I started to think this little thing might survive, and I've got to do something. I am NOT going through another night like last night! I just couldn't bring myself to call Provo Police to take it away, or bring it to animal control. I mean, why did I bring it back to life and why did I stay up all night feeding it, just to have it euthanized? This little thing needs to live! I called the Humane Society and told the nice lady the situation. She asked me some questions and told me they would take it, they have volunteers that would care for it and they have a 95% success rate on raising newborn kittens. This is the answer!
I couldn't get up there until it was minutes away from closing.(It's in SLC) I was so stressed that I wouldn't make it, and then what would I do??? There were two women out front chatting when I arrived and asked if I was the one with the newborn kitten. They had been waiting for me! We had quite the little crowd of people wanting to peek at it because it was sooooo tiny and cute! I felt like I was handing over a human with all the instructions: It last ate at 4:00, it took a whole tablespoon, more than it has yet. Here's it's bottle and can of formula, if it's kept refridgerated, it will last a whole week. It's starting to meow because it's off it's heating pad! Those ladies were so impressed with how good and healthy it looked and could feel it had a full belly. (thanks to Jon) It was strange to think at that same time yesterday it was the still, cold thing on the garage floor ready to go in the dumpster. They said I had done everything right and even wanted to recruit me. Yeah right. I thanked and thanked them for taking it in and off my hands! How nice to have "cat people" out there in the world!
Man, I felt so good driving away from there I wanted to cry! I guess I was sleep deprived. Hope that little kitty makes it and finds a good home. Either way, I did my part.
Here's some pic's. none of them turned out too great:
