Big rescue operation yesterday, we found a litter of 4 kittens in a garden, the lady reported that she had not seen the mum for a couple of days.
Almost simultaneously we discover the local cat hoarder had trapped a female cat she wanted to keep as she believed her to be pregnant.
2+2=4 yes? Trapped cat is not pregnant - but lactating - and had been incarcerated since TUESDAY
Firm words issued and not without something of a fight we recover ownership of the cat and whizz her to the local vet for a quick teat check and sure enough she's not pregnant but has so much milk she looks it.
OK, cat back in carrier and off to find the kittens, within seconds of placing mum's carrier in the vicinity of the kittens we have mewling and scrabbling, then a very fraught 30 minutes whilst the keystone cops get these four babies into baskets, then off to the vet again for urgent health checks.
They're cold - the littlest is 425g and only 36 degrees body temp. She's a teeny black girl aged about 5 weeks. She's weak, covered in fleas, anaemic, starving, de-hydrated, and gorgeous.
Her three brothers, one black and feisty, two beautiful tabbies, all in similar condition, the black boy has a gunky eye, we all hold our breath "oh please gods, not the flu, not again"
Vet Klaartje (our current Vet Angel) is off today as it is her birthday, but she opens up after hours regardless to see these babies and I'm so grateful and relieved. De-flead to counter the anaemia. Get them home, get them warm, get them wormed and fed and see how they get on.
Back at mine they're reunited at last (Mum had poo'd everywhere in her stress) but she's so upset she attacks the babies. They stink of flea treatment, she hasn't seen them since Tuesday, shes angry, scared, full of milk, irrational
I sit with her for a couple of hours and make sure the babies at least get some kitten gruel - mashed up kitten food, complivit and warm water. They devour it and finally settle to sleep in a heap in the corner of the crate. I worry all night that mum might continue her attacks but by morning Mum has settled and is feeding the babies herself once more.
So, Mum, a petite 3.5kg all black sleek female with huge green eyes, i've name her Emily after my gorgeous niece, seems so much happier today.
Our amazing sponsor Marion pitches up with 8 boxes of kitten food, two chickens and a bag of kibble. An equally brilliant Purrs Lady sent us a heat pad which is helping to thaw the four little frozen bums.
I've named the single female kitten Cherry, the tabby boys will be Willie & Scottie and the black boy is Link.
Suddenly the only obstacle is hubby's long face "i thought you said no more kittens....."
Meanwhile, Whiskey the Post Office cat has been returned, spayed, chipped and better than new.
Four of her beautiful kittens are being rehomed this weekend, I have Whiskey's no.5 Dewey (now named Milo) to pair up with Minty (of course I'm not keeping her!) and they're getting on just fine.
The two remaining feral kittens Maybelle and Star are almost there, we now have purrs and they are fully chikkun trained, non-aggressive and occasionally loving so they too will be going up for adoption this weekend.
I also have a lead for a new fosterer in my sights
I'm hoping to make a little time to go see him (yes, you read that right!
) tomorrow.
Maybe he will like Emily and be able to convince her babies to be nice too.
