Street Cats No More - Coco and Butterscotch

It is a never ending cycle, people throwing away kittens because they don't want to deal with them. These are such helpless creatures, sometimes just a few days old, with no chance of surviving alone.

This is the case with 2 tiny kittens my Mom found in a large garbage can. Good thing she saw them in time, before they fell to the bottom of the garbage.

One was male and the other female and they still needed to be bottle fed. Sadly, the male kitten passed away. The female, who now answers to the name Coco is doing well. At first, it was touch and go, she didn't want to take anything.

Then one day, along came this orange and white kitten who kept on meowing in the street. We don't know if he got lost or if somebody intentionally placed him there. It seems he liked living on the wild side, he liked sleeping in the middle of the street. So in he goes, together with Coco. We call him Butterscotch. He has sad, droopy eyes and a very sweet disposition. Coco, the smaller one, likes to bully him and he just lets her. However, when she gets a little too rough, he stands his ground and Coco quiets down.

It's always a joy to watch kittens with all their antics. During playtime, Butterscotch would have fun exploring but Coco seems intent on just going after him, looking for attention. It's funny to watch him trying to get away from her. She's come a long way from that tiny, frightened and dirty kitten.

During their vet visit last week, we were expecting just a normal ride to the hospital. But Coco decided to poop on the way so the two were given a bath when we got there. Made us a little dizzy, too. When the staff was trying to get them dry I could see the bottles on the table flying everywhere, it was so funny.

When they are ready, we hope to have them adopted but as a pair. They have grown too attached to each other and it would be too stressful for them to be apart. This is the hard part, growing attached to them as well. But if a good home can be found for them, where they will be loved and cared for, then it would mean more space and resources for us to help other cats who are struggling out there. One thing is for sure, they will never be back in the streets again.

It Must Have Been Fate, Cupcake

Last March 26, I was driving home, when I turned on a street and saw that there was heavy traffic on the usual route I took. I decided to go to the grocery first, in the hopes that traffic would have eased up by the time I went home. Sure enough the street was clear except for this familiar silhouette in the middle of the road. I drove slowly and this kitten looked up but refused to budge from where he was standing.
It looked like he was lost and was looking for something. There were creeks on both sides of the road. I took it to the side where there was a gate, thinking that he may have gone out and got scared. It went under the gate but kept crying. I went back to the car but I didn't go far and was trying to see what the kitten would do next. It ran from under the gate, onto the street to the other side to stand on a low wall where it could plunge onto the creek. Ok, enough was enough, I went out and tried to get the kitten who then decided that he wanted to play catch first. After causing a scene, I was able to get him only to realize I didn't have a carrier or box.

I kept the kitten on my lap to calm him down but he kept trying to escape and was still crying. I sang to him like I do with my babies when they are agitated - and it worked. Its head was slowly getting heavier until I could feel its even breathing. Maybe I bored the poor kitty to sleep, but it worked! We were able to get home safely. 

The kitten turned out to be a she - her name is now Cupcake. She had her first vet visit last Sunday. I was thinking of putting her up for adoption, but we'll see. One thing I am sure though, she will never live in the streets again.