As Kitten Season Erupts Three Little Ginger Kittens Are Rescued From Behind A Shed
For me, this rescue is a little closer to home–literally. Cat Man Chris came into my office on April 9th to inquire if I wanted to accompany him. You may wonder where I am. Another cat rescue–oh, the plight of the cats. But this one was different since I had prompted it and was glad to assist in its completion. A woman in line observed some of my cat “merch” when out shopping about a month ago. It spurred cat talk, as is customary among ailurophiles. She lived just a few blocks away from us and had a pregnant cat she’d observed near her house. We exchanged contact information, but we haven’t heard from her since. Then Chris received an email informing him that the mom had given birth. She now need assistance in obtaining the three.
We arrived at the house a few minutes later and met with the woman. They resided immediately near to the farm’s entrance, which was home to a variety of wandering species. Guinea pigs chased a little calico cat around the yard. This, unfortunately, was not the kitty we were looking for on that particular day, but her time will come. The gangs of wild coyotes and pigs that roamed the field next to her house terrified us all the most.
The pregnant feline’s choice of a quiet location to give birth was most likely due of these predators. A shed stood approximately a foot off the ground across the street. Mama Kitty, as she was known, was sheltering with her babies in this location. The shed, on the other hand, was rather huge. We wouldn’t be able to access the kittens if they were centered beneath the construction. What if we were able to approach the three little ginger kittens but not the mama? That was the last thing everyone wanted to happen.
Mama Kitty turned out to be a very affectionate cat that came to the woman for her regular feeding. She and the other cat were fed from atop the woman’s car. We reasoned that this would make her easier to catch, but we needed to make sure we could reach the kittens first. Our original strategy was to capture the kittens and utilize their cries to get their mother to join them.
Fortunately, she was close to the shed’s side, next to a wall of piled bricks. But isn’t that why Chris goes to the gym? Bricks are being moved! Don’t worry, I assisted with a handful of them, as well as filming and supervising them. HAHA We were delighted with a little mound of healthy kittens as soon as we were able to shift the clump.
Mama Kitty turned out to be a very affectionate cat that came to the woman for her regular feeding. She and the other cat were fed from atop the woman’s car. We reasoned that this would make her easier to catch, but we needed to make sure we could reach the kittens first. Our original strategy was to capture the kittens and utilize their cries to get their mother to join them.
Fortunately, she was close to the shed’s side, next to a wall of piled bricks. But isn’t that why Chris goes to the gym? Bricks are being moved! Don’t worry, I assisted with a handful of them, as well as filming and supervising them. HAHA We were delighted with a little mound of healthy kittens as soon as we were able to shift the clump.
About a foot from the hole, three little ginger chunks clustered together. One by one, Cat Man Chris gently pulled them out. We looked for any extra siblings, but three was the magic number in this case.
They were completely spotless, with no fleas at all, which is unusual for strays in Florida. We couldn’t notice any medical abnormalities in any of them, which was quite reassuring. The lads (gingers are typically male) were probably around a week old.
But there was one thing they all lacked that would make our plot to capture Mama ineffective.
The meows of the three small ginger kittens could not be heard!
They all tried to make a cute meow with their mouths open, but it was hardly audible. We left the neonates inside the carrier door open in the hopes that she would wander in and join them. Don’t laugh; it’s happened before! She still wouldn’t go near it after approximately 20 minutes.
We put it on the car, beside the car, and in her regular “food” locations. Mama Kitty accepted our yummy snacks with gusto and danced about us for a time. However, while she was enthralled by the food, the other tiny calico girl was getting in the way.
I just heard the door close and watched Chris dash towards the cage around 10 minutes later. To discourage Mama Kitty from becoming further alarmed, he covered it with a towel. We had planned for mother and her babies to be with Rebecca Williams, one of our wonderful foster pals.
Chris had promised to have Mama spayed when the kittens were done nursing when he first spoke with her. She’d then be restored to her home life, with the goal of becoming an indoor cat. When the kittens are old enough, they will be adopted.
Rebecca and Mama Kitty’s care for the kittens is going swimmingly. We loaned Rebecca our PetCube so she could keep an eye on the family without bothering them. Mama Kitty is a good mother, but she will hopefully never have to do so again.
She did snarl at Rebecca, which made us feel a little better about her returning to her birthplace. Now that she’s experienced the inside life, she could be a little more wild than she first claimed. At the very least, she won’t have any more litters, and these three infants will have an opportunity to live a safe existence away from nature’s hazards.
In the CaM/JaZZ home, it appears that this is all in a day’s work! When the three small ginger kittens are available for adoption, we’ll be sure to let everyone know. In the meantime, here’s a video of the “rescues” in action!