Inky had quite a day!
The day was nearly wrapped up. It was busy and we were looking forward to winding down to catch up on all the paperwork and close down for the day. You can almost imagine cooking dinner and having some family time, and just as you do, the phone rings and everything stops.
A kitten was rescued from a campsite and was coming in. We were relieved the kitten was found.
Earlier in the day, a kind woman came in to our adoption center and told us about a little kitten she had seen at a local campsite living under a woodpile. We gave her advice, some food and a kitty carrier, and she was going to work with us to catch the kitten over the weekend.
But when she got to the woodpile all she had to do was set out the food and the little kitten ran out to eat!
Imagine being a little kitten living alone under a woodpile.
Great care is made to be sure all fleas are removed and kitten isn't chilled or stressed during bath.
The nights have been cooler and we’ve had some bad rain this week. A lone kitten with no mom and siblings has no warmth, nourishment and comfort.
Campsites are closing up now and some residents have been feeding strays all summer. Now they’re leaving and the cats will have no food source. It is disgraceful to us who love animals.
Worse yet, some people actually get kittens and cats for their children to play with over the summer while on vacation — then desert them when they leave for home! This is so cruel and unthinkable. But it happens every year, especially here in beautiful Maine, Vacationland.
How this kitten became alone is a sad thought, but we didn’t have time to wonder when he arrived.
Checking out the new kid
We checked his gums. They were white, which indicates anemia from flea infestation. We bathed him to rid him of fleas and dirt from his life in the wild. He was a good sport about it and complained very little.
Rinsing is important. Here you can see how painfully thin Inky is.
We all were sorry to see how very thin he was, like a little skeleton. Every bone was visable. He had been hungry for a long time. We fed him and this little one ate heartily on his own.
A baby scale is on our wish list so we can weigh the kitties when we get them in, but we used what we had: a regular kitchen scale. He weighed about 1-1/2 pounds. Too wee for flea treatments. Flea combing and a bath is all you can do when they’re this tiny.
The quietest hair dryer and towels heated up in our clothes dryer get Inky dry and warm as fast as can be!
We warmed up some towels in our clothes dryer, dried him off quickly, then used a quiet hairdryer to completely dry him. While working on him we named him Inky. The name seemed perfect for this darling little fellow.
Once he was completely dry, we put him in a kitty enclosure on blankets placed on top of a heating pad. We knew he’d want company so we gave him a friend, Mr. Bear, who he befriended quickly.
Fed, bathed, dried and all warmed up, Inky rests and gets to know his new teddy bear buddy!
He is doing very well this evening. Taken home into foster care, I gave him kitten formula in a baby bottle and he enjoyed it so much. He’s now in my shirt as I write this, up against my chest and he’s purring up a storm.
We’ve put a call in to tell the people at the campground to be sure that his mom and siblings are not in need; we’ll take them in, too. The thought of any cat in need out there is so horrific. They had only seen this little fellow.
Kittens need close contact with people and the closer the better. Inky enjoys the comfort of resting in my shirt. He's purring loudly as I write to you all!
Because he is an only child, we will join him with other kittens his age once he has his health check and is tested. His anemia should go away with good food, vitamins and a little time. He’s on his way now to a happy long life.
Rescue work like this is worth missing dinner on time or a restful life. Once you rescue, you know the reward. You see it when you look in their eyes and hear their purrs. It’s one of the most rewarding hands-on work you can do if you love animals. We are blessed to be able to help them. God bless all our dear little ones out there.
