Friday, August 08, 2008

KITTEHS


I think I mentioned the stray mother cat who brought her six kittens to our house? She showed up on our porch one night, obviously pregnant and looking like a skeleton. Of course we fed her and then she returned the next morning, all slim and trim. We bought canned food and gave it to her twice a day w/dry food in between. She has remained skinny as a rail (little wonder, feeding six babies), but her coat is glossy and she looks much healthier. It took six weeks, but over a 24 hour period from Monday morning through Tuesday morning, she brought them all to our house. They're living in our garage for the time being. My main concern is getting the mother fixed ASAP, but because we didn't know where the kittens were for six weeks and because she is still nursing, we've had to wait. She's working on weaning them, only nursing a couple of times a day, so I'm hoping in the next week to get her to the vet. The babies look big in this photo, but they're scarcely a handful. The mother is a small cat.
I'm on the waiting list at our Humane Society to turn the kittens in, but because they're a no-kill shelter, it takes a while. In the meantime, I'm hoping to find homes for them. They're all adorable, of course, and a couple have actually started to warm up to us. The others are still a little on the wild side. I plan on borrowing a big cage from the H.S. so we can begin to socialize them and make them good little house kitties!
So if you're in the Ohio area and are interested in one of the most beautiful, precious little kitties God ever put on the planet, please email me - I deliver!!
Have a great weekend!
Laurie

13 comments:

Karin said...

Aw, Laurie, that's such a cute picture. If I were anywhere near Ohio, I might consider getting one for my mom. She loves kittens and cats but hasn't had one since our last was put to sleep due to liver failure about 10 years ago when I was still in high school.

Angie-la said...

Oh Laurie! If I weren't all the way down in Georgia, I would so take a couple of teh kittehs!
Especially the gray one and the one that looks like a calico! I hope you find them good homes soon.

Judy F said...

you are a wonder. God bless you. I love cats but really can't take on another one right now though they are cute.

Dina said...

Laurie,

I have had cats come to my house & live under my back proch and I fed them too, but never had this happen. They are so lucky to have found you and no one that hurt them. Also glad your HS is a no'kill, I don't think ours is.

Laurie D. said...

Karin and Angie-la, I sure wish you were both closer too! Judy, I'm not doing anything that you wouldn't do and you know it! Dina, these are the sweetest little things. I've developed mixed feelings on the no kill aspect of our H.S. - I've always admired it, but with so many negligent owners out there, the number of strays is absolutely mind-boggling. Because they stay full all the time and can't take more, people who can't afford to take care of the strays or cats they can't keep simply abandon or dump them someplace, leaving them to starve or risk being hit by cars. This makes me question whether there should be restrictions on how long cats are kept before making room for more. It's unfair either way, for those who would be put down (humanely, of course) and those who are left on the streets. Like I said, I have real mixed feelings - I hope that doesn't make me seem cold-hearted.

Wolfy said...

What a cute picture, Laurie and how lucky that the Mother found such wonderful people in you guys. Your mixed feelings is not making you cold-hearted, how can you say that when you are looking after Mom and kittens so well. Good luck in finding homes for your little kitties.

Dina said...

I know what you mean Laurie.

There was a time when we turned in a stray that we thought they would find the owner and it went in ok, but got sick while there and they had to put him down. So, it is tough, but I don't like to see animals suffer.

Sasha White said...

I commented earlier but it was lost.

Aside form ohhing and ahhing at the cute babies I have to say I'm a fan of no-kill shelters. Scarlet, who I love and adore was in one for 6 months. As glad as i am to have her in my life, it kills me to think that if I hadn't felt sorry for her in there she'd still be scratching at the walls of a 2x2 cage. I definitely think there should be a time limit on how long they keep animals. I don't like the idea of putting them down, but living in a cage is no life either.

Scarlet still scratches at the walls when she's in a corner. It's effected her mind a bit I think. But I love the crazy/slightly evil girl anyway.

Sasha White said...

Oops, I meant to say i'm NOT a fan of No-kill shelters. *blush*

Laurie D. said...

Our Humane Society has three very large rooms for adult cats and a door flap that goes to a large outside area that's fenced on the sides and top, so the cats have a good area to live, with lots of perches and cubbies to get into. The only cats that are in cages are kittens that are too small to go into "general population" - but some of the kitten cages, while they are decent sized, have 2-3 cats in them. They are stacked everywhere, and they are even housing kittens in the clinic and the lobby right now.

Good news - our H.S. has a $25. spay/neuter day on the 27th and I have an appointment to take the mother and all of the kittens to be fixed. My good friend Lori Foster, bless her heart, has offered to pick up the tab for all of the kittens. She's such a good soul. Besides the obvious benefit of not adding to overpopulation, I'm hopeful that this will make the kitties more desirable to anyone who might be interested in taking one home.

Sasha White said...

WOW! Your HS has a lot better set up than the ones here I've been too. Here, they had o access outdoors, and were all in 2x2 metal cages, only let out when people were interested in adopting them.

The lady who runs the shelters (all of them ) rotates taking them home with her for a week, but then it's back to the shelter circuit until it's their turn again. Which can be anywhere from 2-10 weeks later.

I was heartsick when I was there.

limecello said...

Awe - such cute kittens! I'd like to take one, but I can't have pets where I live. I hope you find good homes for them soon!

Ladytink_534 said...

I wish I lived in Ohio! They are so cute!!