As you can see, there has been a new addition to our home. Well, THREE new additions.
Last Thursday, I ran by the pharmacy to get a prescription refilled and as I pulled in, I noticed a small kitten under one of the cars in the parking lot. As I parked nearby, I saw another one writhing around in the weeds. Sigh.
I called our county animal control where I had the following discussion:
me: "Hi, I'm at the **** pharmacy and someone has dumped some very young kittens in the parking lot. I was wondering if y'all had time to come pick them up."
animal control lady: "We don't pick up cats."
me: "Excuse me?"
acl: "We don't pick up cats."
me: "So basically your policy is that these kittens can just wander until they die of hunger because you don't pick up cats."
acl: "I guess so because we don't pick up cats."
me: "Aaaah, my tax dollars at work." Click!
I happened to know that the store/pharmacy sold travel kennels so I went in and bought one, along with a towel, and started gathering kitties. Once I had the two safely in the carrier, I heard yet another one screaming in the tall weeds/woods nearby.
Now, I'm a girl with allergies and mild asthma and tromping into the weeds looking for a kitten didn't sound too exciting, particularly in sandals, but I hiked up my skirt and off I went. I finally found the little one trapped under some heavy brush.
Now, I'm a girl with allergies and mild asthma and tromping into the weeds looking for a kitten didn't sound too exciting, particularly in sandals, but I hiked up my skirt and off I went. I finally found the little one trapped under some heavy brush.
Poor kitties - they were so sick. Their eyes were completely matted shut and they had bad respiratory infections. I took them to our vet and the rest is history. They cleaned them up and gave them medicine and we've been taking care of them ever since.
During the day, they live in a big wire care on our front porch, sleeping happily on a heating pad. At night they come into the laundry room. That makes the 2 a.m. feedings easier.
Since one of the things I'm allergic to is CATS, you can often find me with a mask on, feeding them, rocking them, or playing with them in the front yard. I look ridiculous but I haven't had a hint of a sniffle (knock on wood) so it's worth it.
They are feeling so much better now. Their eyes are clear, their respiratory infections are almost gone, and they are eating like little piggies.
I don't know what we're going to do with them. We will either look for inside homes for them, or keep them and let them live outside here at the farm. They can join our other three. And if we can teach them to catch the moles that are tearing up O's front yard, he will build a shrine to them and feed them tuna every day.
The most ironic thing about this situation is that not a week prior to stumbling across these little ones, I was thinking about what it would be like to have a baby in the house and wondered how I'd do with having my sleep interrupted as I took care of their nighttime needs. I'm a girl who needs her sleep - at least 8 hours. Now I know. I'll do fine. I will occasionally have a crying meltdown, but I'll do fine.
Moral of the story - not only do you need to be careful of what you ask for, you apparently also need to be careful of what you WONDER ABOUT!
Must run - yowling kitties demand food.
