A Kitten Story

Our endless rainy days have turned into days of relentless heat and humidity making for some uncomfortable days if you have to be outside. 

My friend, Ell, and I were talking recently about the summer heat and wondering how our mothers coped without air-conditioning, and even in their earlier days having to cook on wood stoves in this kind of weather.  We both agreed that we would have most likely served up a lot of sandwiches in that kind of weather.  

I remember going to bed as a kid, before we had an air-conditioner put in, and fanning myself with one of those old-fashioned fans with a handle.  Anyone remember those?  We probably had an oscillating fan going, but it didn't always do the job when it was this hot.

Well, enough about the heat.  I wasn't going to tell this story because it is sad and I'll probably cry again before I finish this post.  

Yesterday was a very sad day for me and I didn't get a lot done because I was just too bummed out to do anything other than cuddle the little kittens and work a bit in PicMonkey on the computer.  I only visited a couple of bloggers as my heart just wasn't into making many comments.  

 

 ~Little One~

This sweet little kitten was one of four that was born to an outside

cat that hangs around our place.  It was a feral kitten, not letting us get close to her to catch her.  We could see that she was much smaller than the other three and we hoped to catch her and tame her so we could give her extra food and kitten formula.  She would often just sit away from the others that were playing with her head down and sleep. 

Their mother disappeared several days ago and hasn't come back.  The other kittens were eating dry food, but I don't know how well Little One could eat.

Well, Little One was missing all day Sunday and I knew something had happened.  It wasn't like her to leave the others.  

BG decided to do some trimming in the yard.  When he was close to the wooded area next to the pond, he heard a kitten crying.  He went investigating and found Little One down in a hole trying to climb out, but couldn't.  He carried her to the house.

It was discovered that she couldn't use her back feet at all.  She was cleaned up and fed and put into a box in the house to see how she would do.   At her last feeding before bedtime, she ate and then laid her head down on my arm and went to sleep.  I gently laid her in her bed. 

The next morning, I found her crying and sitting up as best she could.  I fed her and she ate quite a lot and sipped on some kitty formula.  But, she still couldn't move those hind feet.  A trip to the vet was in order.  He determined that she most likely had a severed spinal cord and I approved the x-rays to be sure.  Well, he was right, unfortunately.  So the decision was made to put her to sleep.  

I've had lots of pets and know that these things happen, but it doesn't stop the wondering what we could have done differently.  Maybe we didn't try hard enough to catch her.  

How did she happen to wonder off that far by herself?  She had to have followed another cat or kitten. 

I have to say the only blessing I can find in all this is that BG heard her and found her and she didn't suffer long or starve to death.  We would never have heard her if he hadn't been in that particular spot working.   He must have been meant to be there at that time.

Rest in peace, Little One.  I won't forget you.  

Most of you know by now that I'm an old softie when it comes to animals.  I can cry when I hear the song "Bless the Beasts and the Children" sung by Karen Carpenter.  Of course, you know I also have a heart for children, too.  For all those who, as the song goes, have no voice and no choice.

 

Happy Tuesday to you!

xo Cheryl