Five Precious Babies

Currently in our storage building, there is a mother cat and her five kittens. I'm upset over this actually. However, it is not mamma cat's fault. Mamma is too friendly to be a feral cat. I cannot help but believe that someone, dumped this poor baby when she became pregnant. Their way of not dealing with kittens, dump mom out and let her fend for herself. That is what upsets me, even as I have no proof of this. The thing is, this has happened too many times not to be so.

She simply showed up one day seemingly out of nowhere. We saw her crossing the yard toward where all of the left over scraps were tossed out. The first few times I saw her, I actually thought she belonged to one of the neighbors. I knew every time she was crossing the yard thanks to our dogs.  They  hate her. She is an uninvited interloper that is stealing attention that is supposed to be theirs. There is also the fact they are dogs, she is a cat, and dogs and cats are supposed to be enemies. (Don't tell that to my dogs and my inside cats, because they currently get along fine.) Because of thinking she belonged to one of the neighbors I didn't pay her much attention. I sure didn't try to pet or feed her.

Then, one day, my son fed her. 

He said he couldn't not feed her as she walked right up to him crying, with this terrible begging, hungry, forget pride, meow. Once he fed her she followed him all around the yard. Not asking now for food for the body, but for the spirit. She wanted, needed to be paid attention. She wanted someone to rub her head and belly. She wanted a back scratch. She wanted to feel wanted.

                                                      (she didn't like the flash going off)

The next time I saw her, I fed her. Once again, once her belly was filled, she wanted her heart filled. Spending a little time with her was easy as she is so sweet and loving. I didn't try to pick her up as I realize she is still very cautious even in her easy disposition. I thought at first she was expecting, turns out, she had already had her kittens.

I found them today.

Five beautiful, precious little lives, curled up in the back of our storage building. Their eyes are already open wide. I had carried some food and fresh water out there for mom and my flashlight since I was planning on a little seek and find. It only took a few moments before I saw them. Originally I saw four kittens curled up tightly together. Two grey and two calico. I kept talking to them as I made my way over some of the stuff piled up out there. I also kept an eye on little mamma as I didn't want to upset her. She was happily eating and glancing my way occasionally. I got to a place where I could stretch out and barely touch the kittens. They were very nervous of my presence so I didn't push it too far. I pet them very lightly for a few moments and when I saw them getting agitated I stopped. In their agitation though, the calicos moved revealing they had been piled up on top of yet another calico. Five precious babies, Little Miss Mamma didn't look big enough or old enough to have born five babies. Obviously though she had, as here they were. 

Now what?

I have to find a way to tame this group and get them adoptable. As precious and adorable as they are, I'm hoping that won't be too difficult... hoping, really hoping. As all babies deserve and need a good home. One that won't dump them out at the slightest reason or difficulty.

I currently have two dogs and two cats as members of our family. They are family, not pets. They give love, they give companionship, they give protection, they give because that is their nature. They only ask that we love them back, give them the food and shelter from the elements they need and make them the part of our family they deserve to be.

Someone out there, dumped this precious cat and her unborn babies, and left her to survive or not. Once she was dumped, she was no longer their problem. They had no concern over her, or the fact that she could have been hit by a car. There are coyote in the woods and there are big dogs all in the area. This mother cat is small, she looks to be only six months or so in age. How could anyone, with any heart at all, have dumped this sweet baby out and left her? How could anyone do that to any animal? They are not just dumb animals. They have heart, they have spirit, they have a great intelligence. They have an amazing capacity for love, even for the humans who treat them so poorly.

This could have been avoided if this kitten had been kept inside. It could have been avoided if they had taken and got her spayed. Pets which are spayed or neutered have a better and longer life expectancy. They have less health issues. There are no unwanted babies. They roam less. They are not in danger of being taken out to some back country road and dumped out in the hopes someone else with more heart will take care of them.

To the someone who dumped Little Miss, I pity you. When you tossed this baby, you tossed away a very loving, very sweet lady who could have given you a life time of love, affection and companionship. I hope that I can tame the babies and find them and her a home deserving of such love.