Mother's Day Kittens

About a month ago, I got a call from the mom of Lexi’s friend, Olivia. They were moving to a new house where they couldn’t keep all their pets. Lexi really liked Skye, their kitten, when she was visiting, and Olivia would like to give her to us. Would that be okay? Sure, I say. We’ll give it a try. If she gets along with our other cat, she can stay.

David meets the cat that first day and says to me, “You brought home a pregnant cat.” He’s sure; I’m not. Some times she just looks fluffy because she has long hair. Sometimes, she looks very round.

Well, the cat – who is closer to full grown than kitten – makes peace with Frank, but doesn’t like the idea of going outside to the bathroom and uses the dining room floor instead. I’m about ready to send the cat to a new house where they’re okay with a litter box, but do I give her back to Olivia or on to someone else?

I talked to the mom last Friday. I’m going to try one more thing to see if I can teach her to go outside, but if she won’t learn, she’ll have to leave. They said they would take her back.

Then first thing Sunday morning Lexi comes running upstairs, “Skye has a kitten!” You’re kidding, I say. No, I’m not kidding she says. Sure enough, the cat is in her closet with one little gray kitten. David looks into the situation, says there’s more cats there. Maybe the mom isn’t feeding the baby. Maybe we’ll have to do something about it when we get back from church. Do you know a vet that’s open on Sunday?

We come home. Still one kitten, but it seems to be eating. Mom cat is still making those funny purring noises. Hmmm… Maybe we’ll do something about it tomorrow.

About 11pm, Lexi comes out. I can’t sleep, she says. Skye keeps getting out of the box. The baby starts to cry. I have to put Skye back in the box. Can I sleep somewhere else?

First thing in the morning, before kids are awake, I go check out the situation. If all is not well, I didn’t want the kids to find it first. It’s already a full day, but if I have to, I’ll squeeze in a trip to the vet. Surprise, surprise. There are three more kittens, and one of them is white! Skye, the proud mama, is looking so much more comfortable now.

So there you have it. The tale of the Mother’s Day kittens.