stray cat st(r)utt-er

The good news is, four kittens are rescued. They spent their first night warm and safe, down at a local animal shelter. The bad news is that it was their first night without mum or one of their litter-mates. Yesterday, we had to make a move. Mum was losing interest, she wasn't protecting them from humans, and she wasn't going to play the food game. She did show up a couple of times, but didn't go to the nest, or eat the food, whereas the kittens had been very interested in sardines. So, with three friends, and after asking the advice of local cat rescue people, we went for it. Damn, but do little 6 week old kittens move. An hour and a half later, scratched, stung, soaked, we pulled up at the shelter, and handed them in.

The fifth escaped into a neighbour's garden, no way were we going to find him, so we had to leave him behind.

Much later that evening both mum and the kitten were back, together, but early this morning both the food and the cats are gone. We will keep feeding, just in case. We have the loan of a proper cat-trap, just in case. But just in case is more likely probably not.

And I am telling you this not because it is that interesting, but because I feel guilty and full of doubt. Did we move in too quickly? Will the kitten die, as the weather gets worse? Will mum be out there, breeding again, nesting elsewhere, and more scared of humans who are trying ineptly to help? But four are safe. Four is better than nothing at all.


By the way, if anyone wants to see, Puplet has more pictures.

Normal knitting content will be resumed next week. At least yarn isn't quite as traumatic as stray cats.