The Emergency Vet

The day after settling Miss Caroline and her babies into the kitten room, I weighed everyone for the second time. The tiniest kitten, the lighter colored calico "Anne Arrundel" had a problem. She had a small crusty spot on her shoulder that had now turned into a nasty abcess. It was swollen and red and about the size of the first joint of my little finger. I rushed...literally ran to the Emergency Vet. I am a lay person in terms of medical issues, but I know enough to understand that an infection like that could quickly overwhelm a tiny kitten. They lanced the abcess, drained it and flushed the infection out. She had a fever but miraculously she had gained weight and was still quite vigorous. Clavamox for ten days, careful watching, warm wet compresses and keep it clean. By the next morning the wound seemed much better. There are no guarantees, of course. Annie is the smallest kitten, but she fights her siblings for her place at the soda fountain. She is scrappy and I have high hopes. I love the calicos!

NOTE: Miss Caroline was not happy with my attempt to weigh and judge the sex of her babies. She lept up grabbed the kitten by its neck and jumped down to the nest box. I decided to respect her wishes. I took quick weights but no excessive handling. I don't want to break the trust she has in me...determining gender can wait.

Miss Caroline

This lovely girl is Miss Caroline. She is a brown tabby with white. She is long and sleek and has a very long slender tail. Miss Caroline delivered 8 healthy babies on March 10. The next day they were dropped off at the Caroline County Animal Rescue where they faced a very sad fate. The awesome folks at the shelter reached out to Homeward Trails to rescue their charges and they were genuinely pleased that we could help. We honor them by naming their girls Miss Caroline and Miss Maryland...all the resulting babies will have Maryland county names (to be determined.) Miss Caroline is an incredibly trusting cat...especially for a queen (mama cat with kittens). She allowed me to handle her and her babies right away. She accepted the nest I created for her and hasn't moved the babies at all! She is calm and generous with her litter and seems to trust that I mean to help her raise her babies. Miss Caroline needs to put on some weight...octuplets can take it out of a girl! She is eating well and gratefully eats off a spoon when I offer it to her as she nurses the brood (breakfast in bed.) She will soon need help supplementing her nursing and I am prepared with bottles and KMR (reconstituted kitten milk formula.) This gentle mama cat is sharing the kitten room with her sister Miss Maryland and she allows her sister to peak into the nest box and even lets her sleep on the cover of the nest with her face inches away (picture to follow soon.) How sweet. It is unusual to raise two litters together like this. Ordinarily we would quarantine them, but these circumstances were unusual, the girls were bonded, and it seemed right!

Miss Maryland

Miss Maryland is a beautiful mac tabby, with green eyes and areas of golden brown in her fur. Her black stripes are very defined and she has a very proud tail with a distinct white section about two inches in from the tip...unusual! She would be long and sleek except that she is ready to pop with her babies. Her imminent pregnancy gives her a rather cow shaped belly which looks uncomfortable. She is extremely good natured and has bonded very easily with me. She puts up with my touching her swollen belly to feel the babies and gives me frequent head butts. I hear her calling to me when I leave the kitten room and she is already playing with my resident cats through the crack under the door. Miss Maryland is sister to Miss Caroline and she is curiously attentive to Miss Caroline's babies, watching from a respective distance. I wonder if she knows that is what she has in store for her soon?

SAVED!

On Saturday, March 13 I set out to Caroline County Animal Shelter with a friend to rescue some animals. We intended to bring home a pregnant cat and a few dogs all of whom were doomed to euthanasia if they were left behind. In the end we came home with 5 dogs, a pair of 7 week old kittens, and 2 sisters, one with 8 kittens and one about to give birth. Quite a haul...but they all would have faced certain death but for our rescue.

I came home with the the pregnant mom and the mom with 8 babies who were 4 days old. My kitten room is full and I can only imagine what life will be like with 8+ kittens over the next several months. Join me on the journey.