I Give You Kittens!

When I first moved to Anacortes, I got to work at a Cat shelter.  It was a very special place.  Unlike many other shelters, The Cat’s Meow was an old house completely dedicated to creating homey spaces for kitties waiting to find their families. 

The many rooms had large-windowed doors where little family groups of cats could be safe and comfortable with couches, fuzzy blankets, pillows and toys.   Not to mention food, water and litter boxes.  The kitties were brushed and groomed regularly.  It was a very sweet set-up.  And immaculate!

Kittens

One of my favorite jobs was taking care of the very young kittens.  Every spring, we would inevitably get a number of litters of kittens.  More than once, I arrived at the shelter to find a literal cardboard box on the doorstep, taped shut with a pile of kittens inside. Sometimes the litters were feral, sometimes very sick, sometimes we even got the tiniest of little buddies who needed bottle feedings to survive.  I loved it!

I took care of most of these little guys at my home.  It was necessary for me to give them the round-the-clock care they needed.  But also, it provided a great opportunity to socialize them to my nurturing mama dog, Mika.  Kittens raised with dogs have a greater chance of getting successfully adopted. 

And speaking of socializing, Gus was in middle school at the time.  We had all sorts of kids coming and going and you better believe those kittens got handled and snuggled by every kid that walked through our door. 

Horatio

One spring, someone called the shelter with a brand-new kitten that had been left behind by its mama.  As soon as I got him, I started bottle feedings.  Every two hours.  It was like having an infant again.  We named him Horatio.  I have no idea why.

When I had other work I needed to do, or errands to run, I tucked Horatio into my purse in a little tiny blankey nest and packed bottles.  Everywhere I went, people were delighted and astonished by the little muffin.  Most times people were so awestruck it was like they had never seen a small baby creature before.

I really have no point to this.  Except that it’s a wonderful memory for me and I wanted to share it with you.  So today, for your enjoyment, I give you kittens!

If you love kittens or have a wonderful memory you’d like to share here, let’s be friends!