Kindness of strangers

The vet , after running various tests on Matilda, decided she must have been bitten by a brown snake.By then it was too late ...she was dead. It had been a sudden onset.It never crossed my mind since she has been inside 95% of the day since the kittens were born.
I was devastated.

Late Tuesday night after DH got home from the vet with cat milk powder replacement (and $271 + bill)
I searched the net for information.I started syringe feeding the seven tiny kittens cat milk formula. It took 1.5 hrs including toileting them. Mother cats are so clever...

I went to bed about 2-30am.Not long after S was awake and crying and I crawled into bed with him.
At 6am I started feeding the kittens again.At 9am I trawled the Internet more and started ringing to get advice how to best care for them.I wasn't prepared to have them euthanized without trying to save them.

I was most disappointed in a few so called cat rescue agencies. I left 3 messages at one and emailed too but they didn't even have the courtesy to return a call.

I found a cat forum and posted a message. Immediately I got a reply. I posted my location and got a personal message from a lady, H who lived close by.She offered the loan of a tiny teat for a syringe , bottles and advice,She gave me her address and off I went.She was lovely. She sent emails to others in her organisation DCH.
The teat for the syringe worked. I feed the kittens twice more.Then H sent me another message and the phone number of B who might have a lactating cat to foster the kittens.H's purebred cat has 5 day old kittens and she even offered to foster 1-2 kittens if they were 'fading' in a few days.

Another lady called me back in between but couldn't help her cat was too old but she gave helpful advice.I rang and left a message for B who called me back at 7pm. She said we could met at 9am Thursday or maybe in an hour.We arranged to meet at 8pm that same night (luckily) she lived 30mins away.

Sadly, I knew it was going to be the best chance the kittens had.As much as I didn't want to let them go I had to.
I got a little lost, we had no street directory at home and the directions from the Internet weren't good.It was on dusk,almost dark but I asked strangers walking on the street for directions.Then I spotted B or she me. The mother cat was in a neighbour's shed.

Pickles, immediately took to the kittens and Onions was another mother cat there too who started to groom them , plus there were 3 @ 6 wk old kittens. They were orphaned at 3wks when their mother was hit by a car.Pickles and Onions litters had died. They started to groom and soothe them, plus they tried latching on.B wasn't sure if Pickles still had milk because the older kittens were on solids.

We waited and it seemed the kittens were latched on.It appeared quiet as we waited outside.I felt so overwhelmed I wanted it to be okay and yet I wasn't sure. I went home with a heavy heart.B said it would be okay and she would ring in morning.I was worried because she was next door. She rang again at 9.30pm to say she had checked all was quiet from outside except for an occasional soft meow.That was very kind of her ...it eased my mind a little.B didn't have time to keep them if Pickles or Onions didn't accept them.

At 3am after a restless sleep I woke with a bad headache,vomiting and my heart racing.I don't know if it was a virus or the events of the last few days.My body had crashed and I worried if I had something worse...perpetual worrier I am. I went to back to sleep eventually after a few disprin and good chuck.

I woke with S & J climbing into bed about 6am, still feeling very sick. I let them nurse briefly and they finally went back to sleep till later. I was so glad.I went to Dr's at 9.15am got an injection to stop the vomiting & nausea.
I came home and slept for a few hours. It was just what I needed.My husband looked after S & J, then his sister came after lunch (they were asleep by then) so he could go to work (self employed) to attend to some necessary things.

B called at 5pm to say the kittens were latched onto Pickles and she couldn't get them off -so that was a good sign.She had checked them 3 times that day. She is going to weigh them to make sure they are gaining weight.
She said I can come see them anytime.

I plan on keeping two of the kittens.They will re home the others.Two kittens will keep each other company and they are so sure to be entertaining.I will happily pay the fee for desexing/worming/microchipping/vet check /vaccination etc

There was no way I could have cared for them this morning.As sad as I feel it is the next best thing for another cat to mother them.

Another lovely lady rang tonight too to say she has a lactating cat almost finished weaning so we have another backup.

My little boy, S was so gentle with the kittens on Wednesday while watching me feed them stroking them and saying in his tiny toddler voice "alwight" over and over ... melted my heart.They needed a lot of loving more than I could give.

Dh kept S & J out of the room while I was sleeping and around midday they got away from DH and were excited to see me (LOL after only a few hours) and cuddled up to me. More heart melting stuff ...awww.J clearly says I love you now too and squeezes his chubby arms tightly around my neck.

Tonight I feel a bit better after sleeping most of the day.There is a lot of good and kind people in the world and it re affirms my faith in human nature.

Advice of the day

1. You have to be a contributor if you want to be a receiver. Support animal rescue organisations in your area any way you can ~ donate time, pet food, towels , blankets or money or buy their calendars or items from their online shops.
2. Adopt a new pet via animal rescue.Read the Rehomed animal Happy endings HERE
3. A person is not finished when defeated, they are finished when they quit.
   

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