Junioretta, became a mom on July 3rd. She gave birth to kittens underneath the front porch near the hydrangea bush. She looked to be carrying a large load of kittens. You could see her misery the week before she bingoed. Because of her size, it seemed like she would have at least four to five kittens but on Monday, July 5th, she brought her two kittens into the garage and secreted them in a tiny space with a buffer of garage things to protect them. I heard them for days before ever getting a glance at them. Then the constant crying was replaced with periodic meowing for mom. Junioretta, while so young herself, stayed with them almost twenty four seven in the garage. She had them in several select places and finally as they were nearing four weeks, she moved the two toward the front by the door where the kitties slept on a shelf behind empty coffee cans. I was able to pick them up at that point and realized something was wrong with their eyes. Almost completely matted shut. This sounds like a case for Dr Google and I found how they could be helped. Whenever I could get to them, I cleaned their eye area and applied antibacterial cream around the edges of their eyes. The little orange kitty, cleaned up better than his calico sister. His eyes remained open from that time forward, but he still got a cleaning and cream whenever he could be captured. Those kittens were so undersized for their age and truthfully, didn't think they would make it once Junioretta let them go outside. I told Roy, I am not going to get emotionally involved with these kittens and I took care of them but did not go with the next step....until, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't.
The kittens, whose temporary names were Helen and Keller, began their outdoor adventure. Helen tagging along behind Keller, who could see and lead the way, they spent a lot of time under the truck in the shade and Junioretta stayed under the truck as well or sometimes under the Mustang. I hadn't seen Keller for almost all of Wednesday but they disappear into the wonders of getting behind or under things, so I wasn't concerned. Poor Helen, she was all alone and didn't seem to know that she was baking under the hot sun on the asphalt of our driveway. I would pick her up and bring her back into the garage where a small box that she could enter and exit might keep her safe. Thursday morning, I was prepared not to find her or find her dead. She just didn't seem like she would make it. Much to my surprise, I found Keller instead, tummy down and all four limbs sprawled out, dead close to the garage door. Something had attacked him and went for the vulnerable stomach area. I will spare the details but I got him onto a small shovel and placed him in a cardboard box without seeing too much innards. After changing out of my jammies, I went outside to search for the body of Helen. She was alive and nursing with Junioretta, under the back of the Mustang.
Since the kittens had become a little more mobile and spent time under the cars, I always honked and banged on the car before starting it. My gut feeling on Thursday was to get the hose and spray underneath just to make sure. I am so glad I did because Helen flew out from underneath the car and headed to the side flowerbed, with only one eye opened partway. I got her, brought her into the garage, got some food and water and a stuffed bunny. Placing her with all those things in the big box, in the gorilla yard cart, then to the smaller box before I left to take care of my errands and to think through what the next step for Helen would be. Of course I knew the next step, but I had to get emotionally prepared. I am not over the disappearance of Hector Protector and also with Buddy aging rapidly in the past few weeks, I didn't know if I could do it. I also see how God was preparing me for this moment. Rarely do I ever watch videos on FB, Thursday was the exception, but there were three kitten rescue videos that got my attention that morning. I watched them, the rescue of abandoned kittens and the difference these little ones made in the rescuers lives. God was softening even more my already soft heart for these members of The Feral Fam.
Helen was all cuddled up with the stuffed bunny when I returned home. No, that came later...when I returned home, Helen was on the driveway with Junioretta on the steps of the back porch. That's when I put her back in the box with the bunny. Sorry...for the mix up in the story. The next step, find the pet playpen, dust it off and clear it of any spiders and their webs and bring it into the house, setting it up in the living room. I found Hector Protectors favorite blanket and put it inside with some food, water and a makeshift litter box. Even with a disposable litter box, Helen would not be able to get in and out of it. A box top from Chewy's made a nice solution. Without any pet shampoo I did what animal rescuers do, I used Dawn. I also had some flea spray from Wondercide with a lovely lemongrass scent. No harsh chemicals. Helen didn't fight me while she got her bath. In fact, she kind of liked the spray on her. We were drowning those fleas left and right, she was covered in them. She got a gentle but good face washing to further clean out around her eyes. We sat together, sprayed fleas and dried her off. Her little paws shook with not fear but being chilled by the air. Living in a garage and being on a driveway had not prepared her for the cooler and welcoming climate of a home.
She cuddled up the her new friend Bunny and slowly but surely made her way onto the soft blanket and that little baby fell asleep probably for the first time ever, safe and not bothered by fleas. I watched her, so did Buddy but not with the love I had for this little one, and I knew Helen could not be her name. Her eyes were open, getting better. Off to Google names and I found her new name, Malynn with a change in the spelling. Malynn means, strong little warrior. The next logical step was calling the vet to get an appointment, Monday 9:00 am, first available. Within the hour they called back, Friday at 3:30 opened up due to a cancellation.
Thursday night was a rough night, for Buddy which affected me. This ancient of days cat began acting like a teenage kitten. She was trying to climb curtains, sit on the top of our iron bed railing, she cleared off papers on the desk and tried to hide in nooks and crannies, where she is nearly impossible to rescue. I finally put her in the front bedroom and closed the door to get my two hours of uninterrupted sleep. Since I had an early appointment on Friday, I got up even earlier at 5:00 am to move Malynn and playpen up to the bonus room and then to sit with Buddy like we do most mornings to give her a sense of stability and normal.
When it was time to leave for the vet, I went out the front door as not to alert Junioretta her kitten was in the crate. Once Keller died, Junioretta lost interest in Malynn. Junioretta would only be interested like a child wanting the toy someone else has, then once getting the toy, show no interest. Off to the vet where Malynn snuggled underneath the blanket. Our vet is still practicing original Covid protocols, so the tech comes to the vehicle to take info and take the animal into the office. When Morgan learned that Malynn was a calico, she fell in love sight unseen with her. She knew Malynn was a rescue and asked about her coming home with her. Then when Morgan saw Malynn, she was head over heels in love. I pondered letting Malynn go. In the big picture it would be the best decision, but my heart was now wrapped up in Malynn. But Buddy, cranky, grumpy Buddy who has been by my side these last sixteen years, especially when I was so sick. My sidekick that rescued me out of a deep depression, it would be best not to have another cat with her one person outlook, although she barely accepts Roy as part of the deal. The vet came out to discuss Malynn, upper raspatory infection, maybe some parasites internally and went back in and took a sample. Morgan brought Malynn out and I asked her, was she serious, did she want Malynn. Morgan hesitated with a, really? Yep, and then we talked about Buddy. Morgan is well acquainted with Buddy. Malynn went home with Morgan that evening and I can only think she will live happily ever after.
I took a few pics of Malynn, hugged her goodbye and returned home to Buddy. I put up everything while Buddy searched for her mortal enemy, little tiny Malynn. It wasn't until later I looked at the pics we had taken. Oh my goodness, that kitten who really never looked pretty and for whom I took as maybe a special needs kitten, was beautiful. She had gone about life always with her head facing downward, probably trying to discern where to walk. Her fur matted over. Before we left for the vet we had been playing. She was climbing the side of the playpen net, having a great time. She played outside but nothing like this. She probably wasn't getting enough nutrition from Junioretta and all the other Feral Fam eat almost everything in a bowl.
God prepared me for twenty four hours of helping this little one from unwanted by mom and poor eyesight to a little beautiful mighty warrior. She has a place in my heart and for now I am keeping her little bunny who was on the way to Goodwill, when rescued for service in the cat kingdom.
Malynn also helped me, she crawled into the corner of my arm just like HP did, even as an adult cat. The first member of the Feral Fam I was smitten with, Cali, was a calico. The cat we grew up with in Houston, Kitty, was a calico and as my brother said, it was meant to be. Malynn pulled me out of my sadness of losing HP and gives me hope that someone found and rescued her and she is living happily ever after, too.
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