Kitten Day 2

[garote]

We took the kitten to an animal clinic today - turns out there's a clinic literally ONE BLOCK away from our front door - and got some advice. According to the experts, our little orphan is a girl. The doctor put some wet food on a tongue depressor and put it right in front the kitten's nose, and she began eating immediately. She's hasn't learned much about her eyes yet, so we have to get the food within smelling and touching range. After practically inhaling half the can, she lost the frantic expression she'd worn almost constantly since we found her, and became much more relaxed.

The vet explained that a kitten's liver is bad at storing glycogen - meaning that underfed kittens are at high risk for going into hypoglycemic seizures. Kittens must know this instinctively, because when a kitten's not getting enough food it makes a particular kind of yowl. It's a loud cry that sounds alarmingly similar to the noise your stomach makes when it's empty - and you can hear it across a room. Our bottle-feeding kept that yowl away for hours at a time, but not permanently. Once the kitten got solid food, though, the sound vanished, and we haven't heard it since. Just chatty mewing and purring noises.

( More info about kitten hypoglycemia )

When La got home from classes, we gave the kitten a bath, and picked off almost a dozen fleas. We dried her fur a section at a time using a blow-dryer, held some distance away on low heat.

Now that she's getting good meals, we can keep her in a little pen with a heating blanket. Now we can go about our lives while she naps contentedly. (Yes, Mike, that's your armoire serving as a house!)

We have no idea what we're going to do with her. I'm hesitant to ask around the neighborhood because I wouldn't feel good returning her to her previous owners -- they obviously didn't take good care of her. The household has become attached to the kitten, and seems enthusiastic about having a pet. They've even volunteered to split the cost of a full medical package at the animal clinic.

I guess it's ironic that even though I found her, and spent the most time with her, I'm actually the most undecided about keeping her. I've known many cats: neighbor cats and visiting cats, cats owned by friends, and even rescued kittens meant for other people ... but I've only had one cat that I considered mine. She was the ideal cat, and a thing of beauty, and it hurt a great deal when she died. I don't know if I'm ready to go through that again.

Comments

[aquestrian.livejournal.com]

*hug* She's so cute! It's really hard to lose a pet, especially one you really have a strong bond with. There will never be a cat like Sylvester (my first one). I had him from 5 to 15 and he was the bestest kitty in the whole wide world. But anyway, good luck with her! I can't wait to hear more!

baby cat

[(Anonymous)]

Your new friend is adorable, and now you're in for lots of fun and lovey times with the little Trick-or-Treatie.
Can't wait to hear more about her. Luv, Margaret

[breakpoint.livejournal.com]

Pets are like any other important relationship-- you're afraid of how much it will hurt if it ends, even though you know most of it will be wonderful.

The difference with rescuing pets is that you know that, without help from you or someone of similarly good character, the animal in question is destined for a life that, frankly, will probably be sickly, abusive, frightening, and short.

No pressure, eh?

Baccelli died a while ago, while at my dad's. I was crushed, but I also know he was about a thousand times happier running around those fields all day for that year than he ever was as an indoor cat.

We do what we can do, and try to make life better for the people and animals we know in hearts deserve it.

If only we were lucky enough to have something similar looking out for us.

[garote]

That's why we form relationships ;)