My 4 year old was playing in the front yard when he stepped on a bee and got stung in the bottom of the foot. As luck would have it we couldn't find our antibacterial ointment. So, my wife left to drive up to the local dollar store to pick some up. About five minutes later she opened the door and called for me to help her.
I had been in the middle of relaxing with a paint by number beach scene for our cottage and sweating through my shorts on a 95 degree day when I heard the commotion. I got up and saw my wife holding a kitten. It had been on the hot pavement at a 4 way stop in the downtown area of our rural farm town. She was panicked and the kitten was bug-eyed and wild. She wasn't having any of it. Little baby tiger girl had a bad limp, conjunctivitis in her eyes, and a bloated belly. It didn't take long to realize that she was likely part of a feral litter a block from where my wife had found her.
Now, caring for feral cats is great but PLEASE try to work with your veterinarian on a trap/neuter or spay/release plan to cut down on the likelihood of neglected kittens getting thwacked by traffic on busy roads. This little girl was lucky and, though we know where she likely came from, we won't be returning her to live outdoors and wild.
She was maybe 7 weeks old. Her eyes are transitioning to their adult color and she immediately went to the food bowl. Within an hour she was welcoming pets and by the evening wanting to snuggle. Feral kittens this young tame quickly. It helped that the moment she came into the house our 14 year old ginger turkish van welcomed her, showing her the food bowl.
By this morning she has already litter trained and made peace with the other cats.
My poor wife had the little girl at the vet until 11pm last night, getting xrays on her hip and leg. Fortunately nothing is broken and she was sent home with dewormer and antibiotic. We both slept like crap, still stressed from the day and wondering if our other cats would rough her up overnight.
They were all fine this morning. When things get too hectic young Arabella (named after the protagonist in my forthcoming novel, Maestra) hides beneath the television stand for a few moments until things quiet down. Her limp isn't as bad and she enjoys playing with toys -- both her own and my 4 year old's, much to his chagrin.
Life will slowly return to a new normal, but for a couple of days it probably means no writing. I didn't have time as I was tending to a concerned 4 year old who couldn't understand why mommy wasn't home to tuck him in last night. Today I am groggy after maybe 2 or 3 hours of sleep last night, wondering if baby was going to hold her own in our house or find a way to injure herself with a house full of fun and potentially fatal toys!
Just when the ducks are in a row, one waddles away again. So I am spending a couple of days just ushering them back into place while Mango, Clarysse, and Coal adapt to sharing their home with hyper little Ari.
In the end the journey will resume. Sometimes life gets in the way...as it should!
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