Heartbreak

debby

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Hi,

I didn't know where else to fit this in at, or what to title the thread, but if you think it belongs elsewhere, please move it for me.

I just have a story to share with other sympathetic cat lovers, but it is sad...so if you don't like sad stories, don't read any further.

One day I came home from work, and there was Tabitha (Tabby) on the porch, she was so pregnant, I had been worring why she didnt have the babies yet....she was HUGE!!!

anyway... I came home, and there she was...I affectionately rubbed her belly and said, sure hope you pop those babies out pretty soon, Tabby. But I had no idea she would start in the next 10 minutes!!! Anyway, I came back outside to get something out of my car, and there she was in amidst the other cats and the dogs, with a tiny baby still attached to the cord laying on the porch.

I freaked!!! I pulled the baby the rest of the way out, my hands were bloody, and I picked up both the mama and baby and lugged them into the garage...I didnt want the dogs to get to the babies!!! So then she had a few more, and then I brought her into the house...even though my husband is horribly opposed to cats in the house...I put her on the back porch and checke on her every hour.

Beleive it or not she ended up having 8 babies!!!!!!!!!!! Some of them were awfully little. After a couple of days I realized that the littlest ones were not going to make it without my intervention, so I bottle fed about 3 of them, they were so cold!!! (but it was warm in the room)

Anyway they didnt make it, which was hard for me to take...but 5 of them were still there...I thought those 5 would all make it. But then maoma must've rolled over on one of them and smothered it, thats all I can figure, because it looked healthy.

So that left 4. Well, my husband was hollering something awful about them being in the house...even though they were only on the back porch...he's not much of a cat person, and even though I tried to let moma out 2-3 times a day to potty, which was hard, since I work full time, I think what really sent him over the top was when he came home and found a huge pile of poop in the bathroom sink (we have two bathrooms, one is on the back porch)

Anyway....he demanded that I put mama (Tabitha) and her 4 babies outside!!! Well i was terrified to do this, as I was afraid the dogs would get them, they were still so little....so I figured out a solution....I put them back into the garage, and cracked the door enough to where moma could still come and go, but the dogs couldnt get in.

Well they were just doing so well!! I even named them...Sabrina, Barney, Felix (my second attempt at a felix) and Merlin. Well then the tragedy struck. I was getting so attached to the babies, and petting and playing with them, then one day I came home from work, and I saw my German shepherd eating something....stop if you will get queasy...I didnt think much of it, the dogs are always catching muskrat or squirrels, but I went down to see what it was...when I got closer I realized it was one of the kittens.

My heart leaped into my throat as I rushed forward, praying the whole time that at least dont let it be Barney, who I had grown especially fond of....but it was. All that was left of him was his head and front paws. I screamed and I cried and I hit that dog so hard!! And I do love my dog, I know now, that she didnt realize she wasnt supposed to kill it...she is only 5 months old, so I have to remind myself that no matter how big she is , she is still a puppy (shes a german shepherd)

Anyway, then I couldnt find two more of the kittens....they obviously met the same fate. What had obviously happened was that the kittens had decided they were big enough to follow moma outside the garage. Poor things.So then I looked around for the fourth and final kitten and couldnt find it either....after a long time of searching, i finally found it...it was merlin. He had obviously been roughed up a bit, and I dont think mama knew where he was, he was in one of the barns, in a corner...he was scared and hardly moved. I brought him inside, called a friend who knows alot about cats, and she said she thought he was dehydrated....probably since moma didnt know where he was and he was missing,so he couldnt nurse.

So I bottle fed him milk, and prayed for him alot!!! And he got stronger!!! After a few days i put him back outside with moma...so he could nurse, and I shut them both in the garage again....but this time I didnt crack the door open, mama only gets out now when I LET her out...which I try to do twice a day...Merlin is fat and healthy and I know he will make it!!! And when he is bigger I will let them both out...the dogs dont bother my adult cats at all, so when Merlin can safely defend himself, i will let them out. Sorry this is so long, but I figured if anyone in the world would care to hear this story, which means so much to me....it would be on this cat forum!!!!

[Edited by Anne on 11-05-2000 at 09:34 AM]
 

Anne

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Oh, that is a terrible story - definitely not for sensitive people. Poor poor kittens and poor you for having to go through that. What a horrible experience!

Why don't you neuter the cats and dogs? There are so many homeless cats out there, why let the cats bring more kittens into the world? Spaying females is also very good for their health. It lowers the risk of them getting certain types of cancers. You should also neuter the males for their own good.

Again - my sympathies.

I moved the thread to this forums, because I couldn't see it fitting into any other category. If you think I should add other categories, please let me know through the feedback forum. By the way, I edited the post just to make it into several paragraphs instead of one - it's easier to read that way.
 
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debby

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Thank you Anne, and thank you for breaking it down into paragraphs for me, I'm not very good at that, and am rather new to using a computer. As for the spaying and neutering...I had already checked with the local vet and he told me it would cost $50 each to have my females spayed.I have 6 of them!! I certainly can't afford $300 to have them all spayed,so I am going to only spay three of them, including Tabitha, but I have to wait till December, because the other two arent quite old enough to be spayed yet.(they were born in May I think) I decided to not spay the other three females not only because of the cost, but because they are such beautiful cats and I would love to have some kittens from them next summer, though it didnt turn out so good last time, but the pup will be older then, and maybe no better. As for neutering the males...there again it would be $50 each, thats another $200. I guess I will have to just take my chances. Hope you don't think I'm awful.
 
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debby

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Just wanted to update this...Merlin is as fat and sassy as ever....he weighs in at 3 lbs. now...and he is 2 1/2 months old. I did have to stop at the vets today and get him some pills, though, because he is sneezing alot, and his breathing sounds a little raspy at times, but the vet thinks this medicine will take care of that in a week.
 
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