The Kittens Are Coming
(and some are already here!)
It is that time of year, a time of hope and sadness, joy and sorrow and laughter and tears. A time of roller coaster emotions, working for endless hours every day, bottle and hand feeding every two hours, medicating when necessary, rejoicing when we are successful and tears when we are not.
IT IS KITTEN SEASON.
This is our first family of 2011. We and the kittens are fortunate as they have their mom. She was brought here for our spay/neuter clinic and the vet determined that she was almost ready to give birth. She had been living in a barn and the people who brought her here allowed us to keep her. She gave birth on March 6th, 2011 to five little ones, four white with colors on their heads and the odd boy (or girl out) a little tiger.
Mama is the best mother you can imagine, she cares for them selflessly, and never tires of providing them with nourishment and warmth. Within a few weeks they will begin to use those little legs and they will be scooting all over and exploring everything. We will try to update you on their progress and perhaps post new pictures on flicker as they grow.
But as I indicated, these are the lucky ones, they were born safe and warm with mom. Most of the kittens we will receive this season will not be so fortunate. From past experience we know that many will come without a mother, found abandoned or along the road, as young as only days old, often weak, sick, dehydrated and malnourished.
We will care for them all, getting out the warming blankets, hot water bottles, and heating lamps. They will be hand or bottle fed if necessary, they will get tiny doses of antibiotics and whatever else they need to give them every chance at survival, and if we are as blessed as in past years, most will.
When they are old enough they will be FIV/FELV tested (if any test positive they will have their home here with us at the sanctuary), dewormed and vaccinated.
Then the kitty karavan will roll transporting them for adoption. Thanks to the help and support of the rescue groups and individuals we partner with in New York City and other locals throughout the metropolitan area, they will find their special persons and their special homes.
Last season this remarkable coalition found super homes for over 100 kittens.
Without the ceaseless efforts of Gretchen, the sanctuary manager, and her dedicated staff, this could not happen. We are grateful to them for all they do to help save these little lives.
All eight are about three and a half weeks old and as you can see are beginning to scramble on their own, they are also just beginning to play.
Lola is my "temporary" office mate. She is "temporary" as we hope she will have a new forever home (with a bed and pillows to sleep on) in a few months.
The two mommies arrived at the Sanctuary on April 7th, 2011, and they did not arrive alone, but with eight little ones born April 2nd-3rd. We received a call that these two wonderful mothers gave birth at just about the same time. A kind lady had taken them into her home not knowing they were pregnant. When they gave birth she told her social worker that she did not have the funds to provide properly for all of them. The social worker contacted us and brought them here. We don't know which kittens belong to whom, but since the two mommies are happy co-parenting, it's just fine with us. The little ones have doubled their weight and are healthy and beginning to crawl around. We haven't named the two mommies yet, and if you have any suggestions let us know. 
