Taking Care of Each Other

These four kittens were born last October 2, 2009.

We helped their mother Mallows give birth to them, they are very close to my heart. The firstborn is Mochi, then Uni, followed by Jelly Bean and the last baby was breech and he is Chili. They are now 4 months old and as is expected, very curious of their surroundings. They would often race me to get inside my room and play there and push my things off the table.

Last Jan 18, while I was on a business trip, my Mom sent me an sms that Jelly Bean was not eating and was hot to the touch. Just losing their mother Mallows, I was already paranoid. Jelly Bean was the smallest and to look at her, she was so frail.

Based on her blood tests, she had high liver enzyme values and also had a viral infection. I was quite relieved that it was not kidney failure but it was better for her to stay at the hospital where she can be hydrated and given medication.

Before going to visit her, we noticed that Chili was also lethargic. We could see it in his coat and his face looked different as well. So while visiting his sister, he also had an exam. He didn't have any infection but his liver enzymes were elevated. He was confined next to Jelly Bean.

 

These two would compete for attention when we visited them, so we took turns carrying them while they slept. They would also eat when hand fed which was a good sign. At home, we kept a close watch on Uni and Mochi. Uni was so sweet at this time, as if she was trying to comfort me. Mochi, on the other hand, started sneezing and we took him with us in one of the visits to Jelly Bean and Chili. He was prescribed antibiotics and vitamins for his colds. 

Jelly Bean and Chili were confined for 6 and 5 days respectively. They were given a clean bill of health and were finally able to go home. I think Mallows would be happy with the way things turned out. Maybe because of all the stress, I got sick too and had to stay at home the next day, where the kittens in turn kept me company.