ADVENTURES ON THE HOT ROCK: Fostering Kittens

Last Friday, a notice went up on a local Facebook group about three kittens that desperately needed fostering. I wondered if I was up for the challenge, having never done anything like that before. Being impulsive, I replied that we would take them, and then wondered what on earth I had done!

We received three tiny little fur balls from a girl called Alexa who had driven through from Port Louis, where the kittens had been found, abandoned in an alleyway. I drove home with three mewling newborns in a cardboard box, and two extremely excited kids. After a flurry of bottles and specially imported animal formula from the pharmacy, we started feeding these littlies every three hours. Slowly they grew, fattened up, and started taking the bottle without struggling. Sadly over the weekend, the littlest one, who we named Runty, grew more and more tired, as he struggled to feed. Eventually after a trip to the vet at PAWS, the animal rescue organisation just near us, the poor little thing died.

The other two kittens, called Sniffles and Gingersnap, continue to thrive. They sleep most of the day, and eat like piranhas when they wake. already. The vet today put their age at about two weeks, as they have just opened their eyes.

The trip to PAWS today was en eye-opener. Any animal rescue organisation has my deepest respect, but this one in particular as they work on a budget of practically zero- they have no government subsidy and yet are the islands primary and probably only animal welfare organisation.

These little guys may be small in the grand scheme of things, but the conversations our family has had a result, are huge. Compassion, care and empathy are things that can only be shown, and death and sadness have been discussed for most of the day. Plus it reminded me of the incredibly patient, gentle man I married. A very humbling experience for all of us.

Three tiny little kittens arrive in a cardboard box, late Friday afternoon.

James giving Runty, the smallest, a kiss.

Katie bonding with her kitten, Gingersnap

Mike going through the toilet routine :)

A visit to PAWS, Monday morning. for one kitten quickly fading, and the other two in need of larges poohs. Nothing like constipated kittens to get you worried on a Monday morning.