Hanna & Macy Make a New Friend

Bridgeport, Connecticut has lots of rough and tumble neighborhoods. No one knows how many free roaming cats live there, but there's a never-ending supply of them in the local pound, their numbers reflect just the tip of the iceberg compared to the ones trying to live on the streets.

One of my friends, who owns a few rental properties in the area, is constantly trapping, vetting and trying to save as many cats as she can. It's a very hard life for cats in this part of the state. It's very urban, there's plenty of crime and not enough welcome places for a cat to find a break. There are some kind souls who feed the cats what they can or cal for help when they find a litter of kittens under a rusted out car.

©2011 Robin A.F. Olson. Hanna, left and Macy, right

Two little kittens, barely two weeks old, perhaps not even related, were found by my friend. She knew they needed care right away, but didn't have a foster home for them. She called someone she knew who might be able to help-who had lots of experience caring for neonatal and very young kittens. The friend said yes, but on one condition, that a rescue group take ownership of the kittens, provide future vetting and eventually be responsible for getting them forever homes.

©2011 Robin A.F. Olson.

That's when my phone rang. As long as the woman could provide a foster home, I'd do the rest. The littlest of the two kittens, a tiny dilute calico named, Hanna, was in bad shape. Both kittens were so flea-ravaged that we weren't sure they'd make it through the night. Macy, the larger of the two kittens, was weak, but due to her size, it was hoped she'd be able to pull through.

©2011 Jessica Roque. Please doggie, do not FART!

The foster mom and her daughter cared for the kittens. Hanna survived the night and both kittens showed signs of improving. A few weeks later, I brought the girls to the Vet. It was my first time seeing them. They were huddled together, their eyes a bit runny. No one even knew if the cats were related due to their difference in weight-it was so different that it was thought that either Hanna was a runt or they were not blood sisters. Regardless of their parentage, they are very bonded. They've been through a lot. The upper respiratory they're flirting with could kill little Hanna. For now, they're basically all right. They need better nutrition-which I already took care of, and they need time to rest, recover and get back on their paws.

Along the way, they made a new friend-a huge dog who is part of the foster family's home. The kittens don't know the difference between a dog and a cat. They just know it's a safe place to sleep. The dog just had surgery, so maybe they can all recover together?

In time, the girls will be big enough to be adopted. At least they have a new friends to watch over them until they're ready to move on with the next chapter of their lives.