Wednesday, August 26, 2009

A hissing, spitting kitten crew is beginning to blossom....

Early last Thursday morning, i got four frantic messages from a feral cat caretaker about four kittens that she found sleeping on a chair on her apartment's patio. She was afraid that someone would see them and take them to animal control. After much debate and tears (because i had really wanted to take a short break after getting all of my other fosters adopted), I decided to take them in. But i made her promise that she would help me find homes for them and that she would get the mother cat trapped and bring her to me so that i could get her spayed. I really need the people that I help to step up and do their part so i am trying to get that point across. So, she delivered the kittens to me on Friday morning and shooooowee, they were a hissing, spitting, lunging, wild mess! I took them to the vet and my amazing doctor and her techs managed to get a capstar in each of them to kill their fleas, draw blood for a combo test and do a brief exam. As i was leaving, Dr. Stacey said, "May the force by with you!" Ha! Ha! She knew i had my work cut out for me. BUT i knew that since they were only 5 or 6 weeks old that they would eventually come around. They were just terrified of all of us. I worked with them for hours on end on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and then finally on Monday, two of them were purring and feeling comfortable. Woohoo for that! It's so fun (and a huge relief!) when you get them conquered and they succumb to the love :). The 3rd one, the only girl, is still timid but she hears the other two purring and comes over for some affection too. As for the 4th bugger, he is a chubby little grumpster. He does NOT want to give in. It cracks me up because i will pick him up and force head rubs and kisses on him and he just growls and grumbles. And so, my adventure with this new little gang begins.
As for their mother, Socks, the caretaker delivered her to me on Sunday night and I had arranged for her to be spayed on Monday at a vet who is willing to do it at a reduced price. I just couldn't wait to have her done at the monthly $10 clinic, unfortunately. Here are some photos of Socks after her successful surgery and the kittens...tentatively named Sammy, Scout, Skippy and Suki!!


Sweet little Sammy!


Spunky Scout!

Growly, grumbly Skippy :)!

Shy baby Suki!


As i was writing this, i got a message from my vet asking if I could take in 4 kittens that someone brought in and left with them. Their mother was killed and they need to be bottle fed. SOOOO sad. And the same caretaker that gave me my current foster kittens, is begging me to take 5 more that are at the stockyards. Ahhhhhhhh!!! Sometimes i just want to put my head in the sand. Why can't people understand how important it is to spay and neuter? It seems like such a simple request.

More later....i have been determined to get some artwork done, and i am on a roll at the moment. It is such a good escape from cat crazy reality.

6 comments:

The Creek Cats said...

Carrie, you rock! This new crew is completely adorable, and if my husband sees Suki he's gonna go nuts! He loves calicos with interesting faces like our Maggie May. Best of luck finding homes for these little guys!
Spay and neuter, it's such a simple concept, why can't some people grasp that?

Monkey-Cats Studio said...

Oh my Carrie...it is that time of year for kittens and boy are you getting multiple doses!!! Suki melted my little heart so I know how hard it would be to decline assisting others. People not spaying and neutering will always be a problem unfortunately!!! Sending you cyber hugs!!!!!!()()()()()

Jill said...

Oh Carrie, all I can say is God bless your sweet heart. They say He never gives you more than you can handle but sometimes we wonder! My daughter came home from Walgreens last night asking if we could go back & rescue a small cat she saw in the parking lot. I couldn't say no! We did go back & see him but he kept running away from us into the bushes so all we could do was leave food & water out. Poor thing. A nice man in a truck said he tried to catch him too & would've given him a home! Such a shame. We just keep trying don't we? Hang in there! ~ Jill

Ginny Diezel said...

Carrie, as tough as it is, your work is so important. Bravo to you for being willing to put yourself out there for the sake of little creatures who, through no fault of their own, have desperate circumstances! xoxo Ginny

Jenny Carter said...

Wow, you have your hands full. At least they are young enough to help. My two older kittens I doubt I will ever find homes for. The other two have been great, but still no signs of new parents.

Anonymous said...

You really do ROCK! You are dping such a marvelous job.

The kittens are adorable and we feel sure they will find loving forever homes quite quickly. Suki remined us od Harry Potter with that cute little "lightning strike" on her head. Perhaps she should be called Hermione?

Well done for the good work.

The Mom