Getting ready for bed I heard a cry from outside my window. An injured sea bird perhaps or maybe a baby had fallen from one of the nests that permeate that side of the roof near the big gnarly tree. A slow perimeter sweep by full moon light, in my pajamas and nothing caught my eye. But then I heard it again, and closer. I could have sworn I saw a blob on the ground move and quickly snatched my phone for the flashlight. The light revealed rocks and more rocks. I walked around anyway, maybe it hopped near the oyster plants. Nada. But at the dead end corner of the side yard just as I was about to call it a night, I saw a texture that didn't belong...fuzzy.
A wee tail on a wee bootie squished up between the sapphire paneling and the seldom used kayak. I reached down to pick it up, fully prepared to be bit or see fuzzy lightning sprint out of my reach or running speed. But instead it purred. I held it to my chest and it purred and purred and purred. If I lifted it off my chest, it screamed like that injured sea bird.
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| Rescued Feral Kitten |
It started sucking on my fingers and kneading my chest, my face, my arms. It was still a baby and I only had food for enormous dogs. A friend left some heavy whipping cream in the fridge and I tried warming it with some water. I had a syringe and slowly gave it an oz or 2 and it purred and purred then fell asleep. I wrapped it up in my Costco sarong and tried to fall asleep holding it. This was touch and go. It was too scared to leave me so I didn't feel like it'd jump out of bed but every time it stopped purring and fell asleep, I'd wake up worried it'd died and wake it up to check. This happened over and over throughout the night. "Are you still alive little one??" It snuggled into the crook of my arm, and reached it paws up to my chin purring and fell back to sleep.
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| Baby Bunny Kitten |
Morning came and I gave it a warm bath as I started thinking about fleas, mites, pinkeye, feline aids...all the things I didn't think about when I slept with a strange cat the night before and let it snuggle my face. The water ran red, even after a few rinses. I didn't see any injures except for a cut on the lip. Afterbirth? Did the mother get hit by a car?
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| Kneady Kitten |
All clean, I took the sleeping baby to Petco. "Can someone help me with a little kitten" I said as I came through the doors. A young woman quickly took me down isles, grabbing things and explaining them as she walked, "You can get it formula then start to transition it to solids...Are you gonna keep it..cause if you are not sure don't feed it wet food, it all get spoiled.." and brought it all to the register. I refrained from telling her I'd probably feed it salmon and other real food as dry pet food it total shit. The cashier wanted to see and pet the kitten even after telling me she was "very allergic". "So am I", I said "I'm taking one for the team". The swollen face, itchy eyes and throat is not the best waking up experience and yet I keep kissing that fuzzy head.
It's just too cute.
We dropped by my parents house to borrow their pet carrier and show off the cuteness. Weighed it on the kitchen scale, 14.9oz. It met Ari, the feral kitten I raised during the pandemic. He was courteous but the look on his face after the hellos was "But that isn't staying here, right?" My family stopped me before leaving to pray for the kitten. For health, for being a possible Marlow buddy and for me taking care of it. Amen!
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| Full Belly of kitten formula. |
Flea combed and bathed again to rid the teeny one of fleas. Olive oiled the ears to suffocate the mites and I had one happy baby. Purring and falling asleep as I did it. No more itching. Internet research on Kitten sexing...by the way I'm not a fan of that term or entering it into an internet search. But I'm pretty positive it's a baby girl. I was calling it Little Bird after thinking it was a bird. "Birdie' for short. It's proper name is now "Little Bird Polu" Hawaiian for blue, where I found her calling for me.
The $3 kitty fishing pole from the grocery store was worth it tenfold. She played the whole time it took me to make dinner.
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| Kitty Fishing Pole |
Can the biggest dog and the littliest cat be buddies?!?! Stay tuned... When I tell Marlow that's his kitten, he gets a big smile on his face and wags his tail.
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| Marlow's Kitten |
P.S. This is the second (and shortened )version of this blogpost..just as I finished it this morning, Birdie jumped on the keyboard and deleted the whole post.
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| But you sure are super cute. |
Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the gentle, the kind hearted, the sweet spirited, for they will inherit the earth.
