Days Thirty Eight, Thirty Nine and Forty-Bye Bye

This is the last blog post for a while...all is well. Our baby kitties are growing like weeds, gaining weight, fat and sassy, all leggy as they grow into teener kitties. They are enjoying their area so much and we love them so much we cannot imagine life without them. On July 28, 2006 we released Mama Kitty and the two kittens into the wild again. To many, this seemed like a contraversial move, but where we live, there are limited options for rescue and none for feral animals.Of course, the best case scenario would be for them to find fabulous homes and live indoors, like our cats....but we couldn't do that to mama, having her search endlessly for those babies she loved so much. She was much too wild to be adopted, and her babies would bear the stigma, too. We were told by all the places we contacted that they would be put to sleep. We had to give them a chance.

We scoped out the place, a beautiful park/wildland area, with lots of water, food and shelter available. We brought with us a large tupperware container that had perforated holes, about 4 foot across, inverted it and brought their blankie and left it there for the kitties to rest. When Mama Kitty saw the door to the cage was open, she hesitated, looked at us and then went for it. She didn't go far, just around the corner, and waited to see what was next. The kitties were confused and scared, so we lifted them gently out and placed them in the container. It had a large opening so Mama Kitty could get in and out easily. They were docile and calm, no clawing or mewing, just interested in what was happening. At four weeks old, they were nice and big, fat and furry. Mama did a great job nursing them. We left then so that Mama could take care of bizness. The next day was a Saturday, and I went out early, around 11 am to check on them. To my surprise, they had set up a huge carnival in the area where we had relocated the kitties. Someone had thrown a jacket over the container. I talked to a lady nearby who said that she had been there all day and when she got there there was only one kitty, the tiger one, in the container. A little girl fell in love with her and adopted her. No sign of Mama Kitty or the other kitten, but then we didn't expect to see them.

Now they are free, like they were meant to be, born free, live free. And to us, being a small part of that, was awesome. God will take care of the rest.

Day Thirty-Three thru Thirty-Seven- Up and rarin'

Got a few days behind and all this heat makes it hard to get up and go!!! This is one of the hottest summers on record for us in the Inland Empire/High Desert-last week we averaged 120 degrees all week. Mama Kitty is hanging in there, I have SO much admiration for her, she is a trooper. We are close to relocating them to their new home, maybe a few days left. The babies are getting big and scoot under Mama whenever anyone is about. They are very sweet, but definitely look different from our kitties. Longer snouts, not as furry, etc. Different mamas, probably the same papa. Now, I promised to show you the cool floating bed we built. I found a padded headboard in my rounds, and we cut off the legs and attached it to a 2X4 to the wall with molly screws for stability. Then we attached heavy duty hinges to the 2X4 and the bed, so it can be laid flat against the wall. Then we used a molly on the ceiling and hung a hook and attached a chain so that it can be easily removed when you fold the bed flat. They have a wonderful window with a great view and we used a child safety gate laid sideways for them to scamper up and down- which they love to do!

The girls are eating twice a day wet food and have dry food available all the time. We purchased an automatic waterer so they always have water.

Starshine is weighing in at 2.8 lbs and Miss Kitty at 2.5 lbs., so they are growing steadily. They are eating well, and love to play, and then find places to hide.

Day Thirty, Thirty-One and Thirty-Two-Much to Do!

Lots of stuff being done in the past few days, and much to report! Our girls are getting fat and sassy...Starshine weighing in at 2.5 lbs and Miss Kitty at 2 lbs. Their fur is long and shiny and both eyes on each are free of any infections. They are scampering about and LOVE their home. We built them a kitty floating condo in the sky I'll attach photos tomorrow's blog. They are eating well, both dry and wet food. We also built an interior screen door to prevent them darting out. Yesterday they cheered up the residents of the senior home-boy were they a hit! And they had their first car ride. We have a wonderful carrier that attachs to the seat belt and allows them to still see out but be completely enclosed and protected. They were soooo good. Mama Kitty, aka Lady Madonna, is really a trooper. It has been 120 here during the day and thank God she isn't out in it. Her babies are growing, with eyes open and fur growing long.

Day Twenty Nine- All is Fine!

The girls are handling the playpen change just fine. They have found their own little hiding places and the room is so large they can run around like a race track! I was in there cleaning today and I turned the radio on and Starshine freaked!!!! Disappeared and wouldn't come out until I turned off the radio. I picked her up and danced with her and sang to the song and she relaxed enough to stay out with her sister. Miss Kitty is a definite rock n roll kitty. It is such an experience to see the difference between the wild outdoor kitties and our kitties! Mama Kitty is feeling the strain of being cooped up, especially in this heat. Today we had a full cage clean with all new stuff so she seemed mollified by that. The wild babies seem to sleep a lot, but then again, they are only about 3 weeks old, if that.

Day Twenty-Seven and Eight-Sorry it's late!!

Big news! We are growing up and being big girls!!! Today we took the playpen down and the girls have the run of the room now. They were spending more time out than in, so the playpen had to go. Mama Kitty is getting a little tired of the mama routine, and is still hissing and showing her teeth. The babies are getting bigger, but still stick close to Mom. We are adapting the screen door a bit and building an entryway into the room, so that the door may be closed before the screen door is open, creating a safety barrier. The girls are enjoying looking out the window and sitting on the sill. Yesterday a hummingbird flew by and I thought they were going to fall off the sill they were so surprised!!!

Day Twenty-Six- It's a fix!!

We are doing some adjustments to the screen door we built, cuz those two darlings of ours are out of the playpen more than in. They are also eating more solid food, as we make it a little bit thicker each time. Mama Kitty is still nursing those babies, and both seem to be well and thriving. She still hisses when we put in her food, but I know she is just reminding me that she is the protector of those babies! We would really like to get her spayed but cannot afford to, if anyone knows of any organization who might donate...would hate to have her repeat with more litters in the wild. Our local animal control and rescue shelters and organizations in the High Desert area do not have this service available for free, although they used to. They used to spay the feral cats for free and then notch their ears so they could tell that they had been spayed and therefore did not need to be traumatized by being caught again. Too bad they don't offer that service now. Our vet will do it for $60, so if anybody out there knows of an organization willing to help stop more numerous litters in the wild, please contact us!! Thanks!!!

Day Twenty-five- The Climbing Jive

Miss Kitty, dear little thing that she is, is not a dumb cat. She has figured out how to climb out of the playpen, and back in again. Good thing the room is now kitty proof, and we added an extra litter box and waterer outside the playpen as well. We also built an interior security screen door. Starshine sits in the playpen and meows, even though she knows full well how to climb out, too. Meanwhile, Miss Kitty drives her wild by scampering around and having a good ol' time. Mama Kitty is eating well, and both babies definitely have their eyes open. The black and white one is LOUD! When Mama Kitty rolled over on her- boy, did she let her know! Mama Kitty gave me a disgusted look. I reminded her that at least she wasn't preggers again!!!!

Day Twenty Four Let's Play Some More!

My, my do our kitties love to play!!!Chase each other, run around, attack the ball, the toes, whatever is unsuspecting and open to attack by the fierce baby kitties!!! On the wilder front, Mama Kitty is getting very snippy. She is eating well, thank God, and baby kitties seem to be growing and moving around the cage more. She still does NOT like us coming even near the cage, and putting in food is a big hissing and spitting match. But then again, I wouldn't want to be in a cage, so there ya go.

Day twenty-three-Mama makes three

Mama Kitty ate all her food today-hiphip hooray! We truly were not looking forward to having a sick kitty with babies. Big news! Babies opened their eyes today and seem to be growing...they sure have been feeding 24/7! Our girls are growing, too- Starshine now weighs 2 lbs and Miss Kitty weighs 1.5 lbs! They are such sweet girls, and are loving scampering around. Here's pictures of Starshine and Miss Kitty asking to be picked up.

Day Twenty-two Cootchie-coo!

Starshine and Miss Kitty are thriving and gaining weight. They love their food, and are very communicative.

They love to lift their little paws in the air for us to pick them up...too cute and precious! What IS it about darling adorable babies that make you talk like this???

Mama Kitty and the babies are hanging in there. Mama Kitty eats well, and as a wild kitty, this is probably the best she has ever eaten in her life! She is being awfully good about being caged up and is very protective of her babies. She allowed me to take out the litter box and replace it, without trying to dart out...that was a milestone!

The babies still have their eyes closed, but it is hard to see while they are snuggled up to mama so close! It's nice and comforting to know that they are all safe from predators, and can grow in safety.

Day Twenty One- Oh how fun!

Guess what? As we went into feed them breakfast, our two darling lil' ones CLIMBED OUT OF THE PLAYPEN TO GREET US!!!!! Oh, dear, are we growing like weeds or what.... Today we found wood to make an interior screen door as an added protection to keep the dogs from accidentally getting to the kitties. Here's the dilemma: most interior doors are 30" wide, and screen doors come in 32" and 36" widths...SO we are building a frame out of 1X4's and will be stapling on animal screen. Then we found a track mechanism to slide from side to side. They are eating so well, no more bottle for them. I have been pouring the KMR mixed with step 2 into their food and making a paste that is easy to lap up. Mama Kitty continues to growl and hiss but babies are still doing well and nursing.

Day Nineteen and Twenty- Love A'Plenty

Everything is status quo...Mama Kitty and babies are doing fine. She still growls and hisses when I put in her food, but I don't take it personally. She is really being good considering she cannot roam. Starshine and Miss Kitty are in the most adorable stage where they play with anything...toes, shoes, balls, pieces of lint, imaginary wild animals they are stalking, etcetc. They are now mostly off the bottle. We are mixing the second step with the KMR and then mixing that into chopped chicken with an egg. They are supposed to be lapping the milk from a bowl, but they turned up their little noses at that, so we have to kinda sneak it in. We definitely made the right decision to keep them...it feels so right to have them in our lives.

Day Eighteen- Much to be seen

Kitty update! Mama Kitty is adjusting well and really being a trooper staying in the cage and just laying there while babies feed. She still growls and hisses, but it's merely a warning. Here she is with babies nursing:

Our two are flourishing. They have really filled out, no more hollows or big bellies, getting leggy and very, very playful.

What's really amazing is the communication and connection to these small beings. They want to show love, they purr, they play, they reach up their little paws to be picked up. Truly heart-tuggers!

A special heartfelt thank you to Suzanne...you know why.

Day Seventeen-Lean and Mean

Well, the Daring Kitty Rescuers are at it again! Yesterday we heard mewing and tracked it down and found, surprise, surprise! Not the grey kitty we were looking for, but two newborn baby kitties, with their eyes not even opened! Now, most people would say just leave them alone, but when it is 111F in the baking sun and rattlesnakes, you cannot leave these babies there for mama to come back from hunting. So we took them in, fed them a bottle every two hours and then God blessed us yet again and allowed us to capture Mama Kitty in the humane trap. Mama Kitty was NOT happy OR amused, hissing, spitting and throwing herself against the cage. We quickly put together our giant holding cage, and put her two babies in there, and transferred Mama to her babies, and held our breath. We left them alone and then at about 3am, Jim checked and found Mama Kitty laying on her side with two baby kitties nursing happily away! One newborn kitty is much like Miss Kitty ( same father we are sure), a tortoiseshell kitty, and the other is a black and white kitty with a black tail. Both kitties are less than a week old, and have their eyes still closed. We weighed one which weighed 3 ounces. Here's their picture:

The black and white babykitty is EXTREMELY vocal, and let us know that bottles were NOT Mother's Milk!!!!!!!

Day Sixteen Salon Day!

Today the kitties got a much needed salon day...pampering, a full package including getting our little clawnails clipped and trimmed. We were pretty dirty little kitties from rough and tumble play but here is their before and after makeovers!!!! Update on our errant kitty-at-large: haven't heard heads nor tails of this kitty in a week, and heard a baby kitty this morning. Not sure whether it is our same missing kitty that didn't want to be caught or another. Heard her but couldn't get to her as she was hiding under a water trough. Maybe we will set trap tonight and see if she goes for it. Breaking news! Found two tiny baby kitties with eyes not even opened. Figure they are about one week old, if that. Pretty weak, one of them, who looks a lot like Miss Kitty, drank thirstily from the bottle; the other, a black and white version of Starshine, refused to eat much. Hopefully they will eat more in a wee while.Still not our gray missing kitten, but we set trap for Mom and hopefully she will get caught so these kitties will have Mom. I think we have a gypsy sign on our property that says, Kitties are safe here.

Day Fifteen How Strange Life has been

Doing this blog was supposed to be an educational experience. I wanted to learn how to blog AND we wanted to document this amazing voyage with these incredible little lives. We had decided to give these kitties the best lives possible, and an amazing couple, Suzanne and Pat, agreed to put their lives aside and take these girls in. Also, Dr. Irene Cote, in San Diego, California, offered to check them out as well. What caring people these are, and how God truly makes sure there are guardian animal angels in this world. After integrating with these amazing little souls, we realized we couldn't stand to lose them. They now are so much a part of our lives. We tried to imagine taking them to San Diego, and coming home without them. We became so despondant we realized that, for us and for them it was the wrong decision to give them away. Although they could have the best home possible, with all their every needs taken care of, they belonged with us. They were born here, we cuddled to them, sang to them while we fed them with a bottle and when they raised those tiny paws and touched our faces, we were sunk. So, since this blog is supposed to be educational, we feel this is an important part of the process. We had NO intention of keeping these cats, but sometimes you have to trust that inner voice telling you what to do. So, if you are contemplating taking care of baby kitties, realize that this could happen to you. But truly, don't let it stop you from doing it...the experience has been so rewarding and will continue to be as these girls grow into the amazing little beings we expect them to be. We may not be the most experienced, and certainly not the richest, but in the love category, they are set for life.