The neighbors were just gaining their drive when a car sped past after
heaving what looked like a duffel bag from the window, it landed with
a dull thud and a weak, painful yowl. One of the kids though he heard
a sound coming from the crumpled sack and ran to check. Carefully
unzipping it, four tiny kittens lay shivering and traumatized. They
were put inside the shed of a dairy with a cat colony and provided
with food, water and shelter. A few days later one kitten was dead.
I
learned about it and inquired of my neighbor if I could have them;
she gratefully brought them over right away. An orange and two grey
kittens were the worse for their usage. They were no more than four
weeks old, wasted and ripped from their mother way too soon. They'd
been ill-treated by whomever had chosen to 'rid themselves of them'
instead of doing what you and I would consider humane and take them
to a shelter. The first thing they got was a warm bath and wrapped in
warmed towels then placed beside the register in the kitchen for
extra warmth; they refused to go anywhere else. Here they slept, ate
and kept warm but they treated it like it was the only source of
warmth they had.
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| Winkin, Blinkin and Nod (she looks like a mouse) |
 |
| Nod, Winkin & Blinkin |
Of
the three that had survived, the tiny all grey female caused the most
concern. She was so diminutive in size that she fit in the palm of my
hand, literally. She clung to me constantly so I was obliged to hold
her all the time. The poor creature could not eat without being sick,
although she was ravenous. When she ate solid food she brought it up
again just as quickly so she stopped eating altogether. The other two
fared better, with a tuna and milk diet they were recovering and
starting to play together the following day.
 |
| Nod |
I
dropper fed Nod tuna juice for a few days until she started to come
round. All she did was rest and watch Winkin and Blinkin play. I
could tell by watching her reactions that she wanted to join them but
she just couldn't, she was still too weak. Finally by the fourth day
Nod could sit up on her own and I was able to put her down for brief
periods; the fifth day saw her actually jumping down from the chair
and attempting to join her siblings. She started eating on her own
now and sought the company of Emerald as a mother; Em was not too
enthusiastic at first but she tolerated Nod being near her, perhaps
sensing her need.
 |
| Nod and Emmy |
As
their health improved their personalities began to blossom; orange
Winkin was a gentle soul who was especially fond of ambushing
Blinkin, the grey and white kitten. Blinkin was overtly curious about
everything in his new environment and Nod seemed bewildered at her
good fortune, that someone could be kind to her and my four cats were
careful with all three of them.She
would crouch on the floor and gaze up at me with a long, fixed stare
until she started to doze off. Searching those wide grey eyes, she
seemed to be pleading a thank you for her rescue.
I
kept them for two months before I wrote and posted a single ad on a
popular classified site over the Christmas of 2010. Within hours of
acquainting the internet world of their plight, I was blessed with
emails and phone calls from people offering their homes and their
hearts to them. I personally met each new owner of each kitten and
offered food to go with them. Then they were gone, entrusted to
loving new owners and exciting new homes but the gift they gave to me
and my husband will never be forgotten and will continue to enrich
our lives.
 |
| Winkin |
 |
| Blinkin |
Catspaw
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