The question came to me the other day: do kitties have angels? How did two tiny orphaned kittens, not much more than two weeks old, born under our mobile home, know to go towards a tiny bit of light they saw seeping through a vent? How did they know to go right to the only spot I could have reached them? How did they know I WOULD rescue them? They had no adult cat to direct them. So do kitties have angels? I think they do.
Part II:
Thursday, June 23
I talked today to Dianne to see how she made out with the kitten yesterday. She said it was as if he had been born to that mother. Right away she started to wash him all over, and he started suckling her. I am so glad that he fit in. It is a relief to have just the one kitten to look after. It was very exhausting to be chasing after two, to see that they ate properly, went to the right place for "litter boxing," and didn't get stuck in dangerous places ...Today I got a couple of cans of kitten food, but I am still giving a mixture of cat milk and diluted canned milk. Since BB insisted from the start on using the big cat's clumping litter, I gave the Swheat kitty litter to Dianne for her kittens.
Friday, June 24
Something very cute and noteworthy: I had just filled the water dish with fresh water. Scooter and BB were sitting looking at it. Scooter looked over at this tiny kitten, and as if trying to get him to pay attention reached out and put his paw on top of the water, then licked off his paw. I had never seen him do that before. Next he looked over at the kitten, as if trying to say, "See, this is how you do it. This is water. It is to drink. Just reach in and take a sip. You will like it." BB stretched his neck and put his mouth on the water. He shook his head, and then tried again. Suddenly, as if he had just caught on to what Scooter was trying to tell him, he lapped at the water. From then on he knew what that big bowl was for. I have never seen Scooter reach into the water dish with his paw since. He was teaching his little brother how to use a water bowl.
BB at the water dish. Scooter
Saturday June 27th to Sunday July 3rd.
It is amazing how BB has grown. He has lost his baby-blue eyes, replacing them with grey. He ignores the special food and partakes in the food of the big kitties, including the hard stuff. He, from the start, has been using the big kitties' litter box. He runs up and down the hall, climbs on and off the bed. He puts the run on all the cats, and torments Rocky. He entertains company, his favourite game being untying shoelaces. He has joined EZ and Rocky as official "company greeters." He is the delight of the household, and is staying right here as the latest member of the family.
As for the mother, there is still no trace of her.
Friday, July 8th
A slight setback in the development of BB. A couple of days ago I noticed that he was losing weight. Last night he threw up, refusing food. I am very concerned for him. So if kitties have angels, I do hope his angel will help him get over this little set back, for if I were to guess, I would say he is not going to make it. I am so sad, as I have done all I know to care for him. Despite the rain, this morning Rocky and I walked to the Vet's to see if we could get some advice and medicine. The receptionist was very helpful and sold me some worming liquid, suggesting that most kittens have worms and should be wormed. (I did not have this problem with either EZ or Scooter.) I filled her in on the history. She said that kittens, especially when born in the wild, get worms from their mother's milk. She explained the dosage of medicine to give, and sold me some powdered milk supplement and a can of kitten food. With a dropper I forced some medicine down BB. So far I have not been able to get much of anything else down BB, but will keep trying. At least he and all the other kitties got a dose of worming medicine.
Saturday, July 9th
My heart is so heavy. I don't see much chance in BB's survival. He just won't eat. I force feed him, but he fights every drop. So if kitties have angels, I do hope BB's angel will care for him.
Sunday, July 10th
I see a slight improvement in BB. I bought some Whiskas pouch chicken and squeezed out a tiny bit on a saucer. He licked at it. I tried to give him some milk by a dropper, but he refused it. So, several times during the day I put a bit of Whiskas in a dish and set it up to him. He licked more and more each time. My heart is encouraged. I'm sure his angel was standing close by and came to the rescue.
Monday, July 11th
What an improvement in BB's condition. He is beginning to eat the hard stuff again, and more and more of the Whiskas. He still refuses milk, but is beginning to climb on things again. His eyes still look a little droopy, but he is much peppier.
Tuesday, July 12th
BB has bounced back to his old self again. I have decided to rename him "Friday." He came to us on Friday; his life-and-death turn around came on Friday. So from now on, I shall refer to this little kitty as Friday. As to the determining of his gender, I am still in a bit of a quandary. It has never been a problem for me to tell the gender of a cat, but Friday really puzzles me. I change my mind every day, as to whether Friday is a "he" or a "she."
Friday, July 15th
No more questions as to Friday's gender. He is definitely a male. He becomes more endearing every day. His interaction with the other cats is entertaining and a pleasure to see.
Casper and Friday
This evening a neighbour dropped in for a visit, bringing his year-old puppy, Katie. Katie has been here several times and bounces around the other cats without upsetting them too much. But this evening something very funny happened. EZ was sitting on the cat tree just staring down at Katie, when out of the blue Friday appeared out of thin air, ran up to Katie and they started a little game of hiss-and-bark. Katie got excited and became a bit aggressive, frightening Friday. He started to spit and hiss and hop around with his back all humped up. Suddenly EZ jumped from his perch and sprang at poor Katie, growling and snarling, as if to say, "You leave my baby brother alone!" It was hilarious, watching the reaction of the three. It was the first time we have ever seen EZ being that aggressive. It warmed our hearts to know that our little Friday has a protector.
E~Z
Tuesday, July 19th
First of all, NO, we are not giving Friday away. He is here to stay. He now gets along very well with his Uncle Scooter and his Grandma Keeper. Keeper has decided at last that her little grandson is okay. They sleep curled up together. She licks him just as if he were her own kitten. It is good to see the three of them together.
Friday, Scooter, Keeper
I know that some people think we are crazy for having six cats. Well, not that it is any body's business, but we will soon be down to five again. We have an elderly neighbour who is moving into a smaller place, even nearer to us than she is presently living. She mentioned that she would love to get a cat when she is settled. We told her we have the perfect cat for her. Our quiet, gentle Casey, whom we love very much, doesn't react with the other cats. He is our beautiful, three-year-old purebred smoke Himalayan. We feel he will be a perfect companion for Vera, so when she is moved at the end of August, Casey will have a new home. I will be able to go visit him often to reassure him that he is still loved.
Casey
The End.
© Helen Dowd 2005:
Friday
If you loved this story, be sure to check out Helen’s other stories:
Finders’ Keepers’, Losers’ Weepers’ * This is Keeper’s story.
A Morning Kiss
A morning kiss, a discreet touch of his nose landing somewhere on the middle of my face.
Because his long white whiskers tickled, I began every day laughing.
Janet F Faure