Orphaned kitten tails.. er tales.

I have been closely associated with the local “no-kill” shelter for that last 7 years.  I began volunteering there in August of 2001.  I decided to help out because  when I dropped off a dog that had wondered onto our property and promptly began to bite my husband ( ex now.. should have listened to the dog) every chance that he got ,the  front desk of the shelter was being manned by a 12 year old whose uncle was the ACO and was on a call.  It bothered me that a 12 year old and his 10 year old brother were the only ones on hand so I volunteered.  I am sure you know how that goes when you are passionate about a cause… one day a week turns into two.. then four and then before  you know it you are there every day to make sure that all of the animals are being cared for.

My one day a week stint began with Tuesdays taking care of the cats and kittens in the cat room.

I was cleaning the cat room on 9/11.

A friend called from New Orleans to tell me that a plane had hit one of the twin towers.  We all remember that day and where we were.  By noon I was out and following the details of that day minute by minute.

One Tuesday in September, when it was cold and rainy, not a typical weather pattern for our area , I finished early and began to walk around the shelter to help clean up any other areas that were in need.  On top of an animal carrier was an empty plastic litter box.  Well, empty except for the two tiny white kittens lying motionless in it.  I picked up one and found that he was dead.. and very cold.  The other was alive but very cold and weak.  They appeared to be only a day or two old.  The ACO was out on a call and I could not leave the shelter until he returned.

I tucked the kitten under my shirt for warmth and held him there hoping that somehow he would survive until I could take him to the local vet’s office.

Thirty minutes later he died.  When the ACO returned I asked why he would have done that to the kittens and his reply was that there was no one to care for them so he just let them die.  I was appalled and made him promise to call me if another incident like that occurred.

I didn’t have to wait long.  The call came two days later.  Someone had brought in 3 kittens which they found on the side of a road.  The kittens were underweight, covered with fleas and debris and had their eyes glued shut by a thick yellow discharge.  I gently wiped the gook off one  of the kitten’s eyes and as soon as he could see he looked right at me and meowed.  I cleaned them up as best as I could and then took them home for further care.   Luckily the three mouskateers grew to be healthy, loving and happy felines, who were placed into loving homes.

Later,

charlie