Sept 27, 2002: I heard them crying in the woods... two tiny, sopping-wet kitties in striped 'jammies huddled together against the wet chill. We'd had several days of bad storms/wind, and now was turning cold. They were thin, covered w/soil and leaves and had inched their way out from under what protection a downed tree offered them. They looked to be 1-2wks old (but what do we know about cats?), barely filling each of my hands. Mama Kitty had not been around for awhile. I brought them inside; towel-dried and massaged them. Both had eye infections which was gently wiped from eyes that had not yet opened. They were placed in a towel-lined cardboard box atop a heating pad on 'low'. The tiny orphans immediately stopped crying and slept... long enuff for me to get online, find some kind of a homemade
formula and get it prepared. It was after-hours, everything was closed... of course..
From an eye dropper they got their first of many hand-feedings. They lapped up the recipe that 1st day and night, then drifted into blissful, carefree sleep. I uttered a "thank you" to the kind beings who posted the formula on the Web (who have since moved their site around and hidden their formula page well! The above link is to another site, but same formula from what I remember), along w/the amt per wt/age, and the frequency of feedings. The next day we bought KMR Kitten Formula and a wee bottle from our Vet, and eye ointment. They stayed on KMR for about 4wks.
Names! Hubby, being a "Lord of the Rings" fan, immediately dubbed them Frodo and Bilbo Baggins. At their first exam at 6wks it was announced both are li'l gals! Ohhhh-kay... FroDORA and BilBONNIE. (Actually we now call Frodo "Kiki" and Bilbo "Puppycat" cuz that li'l gal follows me around like a puppy. Who knew?)
The 3rd day at their scheduled feeding, Bilbo was limp when I lifted her from the box, and her breathing labored.. I felt her nose, the inside of her ears; then felt Frodo's, which were much cooler. Sophie, our American Eskimo, came over and licked Bilbo's head repeatedly... she knew she was sick. I swabbed the top of Bilbo's head w/wet rag and ice for 2+hrs before she rallied. Three hours later she was again suckling from her bottle and drank her fill. This has been the only time either showed signs of distress.
Being "dog people" we were in awe of what mother nature gave these determined kits to survive their cold, wet beginning and my clumsy hand-feeding. We were amazed how easily they took to the litter box, dry food and water w/o missing a beat, all before they were 5wks old. While we only made these things available, they knew exactly what each was all about and taught us dog-people a thing or two! We've not told the canines or felines they're mortal enemies, so they accepted each other from the start and get along so well.
What (I think) I've learned: They are domestic shorthair gray tabbies w/classic or "blotched" markings: three wide black dorsal lines and "bullseyes" on their sides. With the exception of the white sox and bib on Frodo, they are alike. Three of our vets think they have Maine Coon in them.. coloration, tails, size, I dunno. They are big boned cats.
ARE THEY IN THEIR FOREVER HOME? Sure :)
WERE THEY SPAYED? You betcha!
ARE THEY INSIDE CATS? Yes - for their safety, and to protect the birds that grace us w/their feeder visits.
WILL THEY BE DE-CLAWED? No. Besides being a painful, disfiguring procedure, an open door ushers them outside and defenseless. They are learning to use their scratching post and understanding what a water bottle *squirt* means.
