Sweet Lucky when I first met her “Please consider it,” asked Christine. My 26-year-old cat had died that day and I was exhausted. But because I said yes, I had one of my most memorable experiences in cat rescue. It was October 1, 2015. A nearby foster family with Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue (VOKRA) had been caring for a mama cat and her sole surviving kitten. Somehow mama Cindy had gotten out and was hiding under the deck. They needed a trapper to bring her back into care. “We don’t want to lose this kitten,” Christine urged. “All of Cindy’s kittens were premature. The others didn’t survive, but this little one hung on.” The foster mom later showed me a photo of the scrawny newborns with hairless little legs. “Can’t you do it?” I whined. “I’m so worn out I can hardly move.” “I’ve never trapped before,” she said. “I don’t know how, and I don’t have a trap.” That surprised me, as I knew her as very capable in everything to do with cat rescue. Christine was our foster coordinator in Surrey, B.C., and worked nonstop helping homeless cats. My heart went out to the little family needing to be reunited. I hung of the phone after agreeing to at least get a trap in place and start the process. My steps were heavy as I loaded my car with a humane trap, some smelly cat food, a plastic food dish, newspaper to line the trap, and a sheet to cover it. At the house, foster mom Amanda showed me where Cindy was hiding. We climbed down beside the deck where there was a gap in the wood. When Amanda activated the flashlight on her phone, glowing eyes shone from the cat huddled twenty feet away in the dark far corner. The space was tight and there was no way to get to her, and even if we could, the cat would bolt. I noticed that the edge of the deck had a number of gaps where an animal could enter or exit. There were pieces of scrap wood nearby. I asked if we could close the gaps, so the only exit would be the trap. Amanda agreed and found a hammer and nails we could use. When Amanda had to leave for an appointment, I was ably assisted by Connie, who helped with the children. She sawed some of the wood by hand to create the size we needed, and we used rocks, a pail, and whatever else we could find to secure the space. Although I tensed with the stress of the cat in need, there was a pleasant rhythm to our movements on the crisp, clear afternoon. An hour later, the site was locked down and the trap set. Then I asked to see the kitten. My heart melted when I saw the tiny orange tabby with the round tummy all alone in her box. Lucky curled into my hand and sought my warmth. Her little legs were weak and waved wildly in the air when she rolled onto her back. The video I took of her adorable movements is one of my favourites. Later she had water therapy to build strength in her legs. Amanda took a photo of Lucky sleeping in my hand nested next to my middle. It was fun when the family’s toddler joined us. I showed him how to be very gentle and speak softly with the kitten. We tried to get Lucky to eat some Kitten Milk Replacer, a mixture that can somewhat substitute for mother’s milk, but the four-week old baby wasn’t too interested. Neither did she eat much of the canned food we spread on a paper plate. The family was already having their own dinner when I let myself out of the lovely laundry room where the cat bedding was kept. It was a gift to see this sweet kitten on the day that I had to say goodbye to Missy. I’d cared for this amazing elderly cat for almost a year. She’d been such a warm presence in my life, forever loving and cuddly, but her chronic kidney disease had progressed and the time came when I knew she was suffering. A friend drove as I held her in my lap for the ride to the vet. My grief was raw, but I went through the pain and it doesn’t bother me the way other grief has sometimes stuck. Holding Lucky helped to lift that grief for a time. Later that evening, Cindy went into the trap and vigorously cleaned her kitten when they were reunited. I was so relieved. When I visited the next day, I was surprised that Cindy had tortoiseshell markings just like Missy, but her body was lean and long like a Siamese. I took a video of her wrapping an arm around her kitten while she nursed. This time Lucky wasn’t too interested in my affection. It seemed she had all the love she needed from her mama. I was a bit disappointed, but pleased with the reason. They were reunited, and it felt amazing that I could be part of that. It didn’t take long before both cats were adopted. Do you have a favourite cat rescue experience? I'd love to hear it. - Irene Plett Topics: cat rescue, cat trapping, VOKRA, foster families, grief, pet loss, chronic kidney disease, cat health, kittens, Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR), mother cats, Lucky, Missy
1 Comment
4/12/2023 10:19:45 am
I got a valuable points here...
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