Not on My Watch: The Halloween Express

Maria is full up with foster cats and kittens. Even though I know that, it weighed heavily on me that there were three orange kittens and one little black one that I could possibly help. Adoptions are going too slowly and I'm worried that because I don't have everything in place to advertise my available cats that if I DID greenlight getting more kittens, that I wouldn't have room for them by the time they arrived in two to three weeks.

I emailed a few folks about possibly helping with fostering. Everyone is busy, but a few said they COULD help me out. I did not want to drag my feet so I decided to go for it.

I found out early on that the two smallest kittens had been put down. URIs are rampant. At the first sign of a sneeze, they put them down. I f-ing HATE IT, but that's the rules. I'm not going to show their photo. I know it makes you guys cry. It sure made me do the same thing.

I didn't want to take just two since I should have room for more when they would arrive. I should take as many as I can get. The two kittens are 12 weeks old and by the time they get there, 14 or more. It's harder to get them adopted than small kittens, but I can get them spayed/neutered in GA and have them ready to go when they arrive-instead of waiting a week-or in the case of my last batch of kittens, over a MONTH for the S/N to happen here in CT. Then I was faced with if I didn't take those two cats that they would probably die...and could I live with that?

You look at their faces and tell me you can say no to them.

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. “SAVE ME!!!!”

Another round of calls and emails. Betsy emailed me at 3:30 and said that the two orange kittens were sneezing and were going to be put down...in about 30 minutes. They had two siblings who were OK so far. If I wanted to help them, I need to decide.

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. “SAVE US!!!!”

My hands started to shake. Now I had four kittens to rescue. My stupid iPhone was going too slow. I needed to call Maria, Bobby and Betsy as fast as I could. If we could juggle some things around it could work. I called Betsy and this time she was at the shelter. Over barking and other people talking and shouting I was able to get Betsy to GET THE KITTENS PUT ON RESCUE HOLD and NOT PUT THEM DOWN!

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. “SAVE US, TOO!!!!”

Betsy said if not tonight, they would be put down in the morning. I told her I had Bobby coming over in 15 MINUTES to pick them up and to get them ready to go!!!!! I was at my wit's end. I didn't even know what the two siblings looked like so Betsy read off their ID numbers to me so I could see them on Petfinder. As I started to look at the listing, I noticed there were a few siamese mix kittens there, too. SHIT! I couldn't take them! What I really want to do is EMPTY THE PLACE OUT! I just got 6 cats out of there yesterday and 4 more today! I honestly don't know how other folks do this all the time. The stress is not good. The life and death choices are worse.

So...at least these four kittens are safe.

Bobby picked them up and has taken them to the Vet. I could hear them "singing," as Bobby called it, while we talked on the phone. I said they were screaming “THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY LIFE!”...which couldn't have been more true and couldn't have come at a better time.

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. Meet Trick (left) and Treat (right)

Welcome to Kitten Associates, little ones!

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. and Jacques O'Lantern. (left) and Candy Corn (right)

As for me, I'm having a “ho boy, what have I done?” moment, but it won't last. As soon as I see their little faces and hear their purrs for the first time, I'll just be happy that I could help a few more escape death's cold embrace.