Do you ever just wonder why? Why would a little unweaned 5 week old kitten just appear in your tree with no signs of a momma cat around?
I've been trying to solve that mystery for the past week now and have decided that I will never know exactly how he ended up here. It doesn't seem reasonable that he traveled here on his own, since he wasn't even weaned yet. In fact, I found him crying at the top of his lungs last Tuesday in a small tree in my front yard.
He wouldn't let me near him, of course, as he was scared to death. He cried all day and night then into the next morning and afternoon. Finally, I was able to gain his trust a little by tossing some canned white tuna over his way. By this time the little guy was about ready to perish as he was getting very weak. The temperature that day was around 100 degrees with a 120 degree heat index. I knew if he was to survive that I would have to get him to take some more food and water.
He gobbled down the tuna with starving growls, then ran to hide again. Later in the evening I found him crying in a tree in the back yard. So, I took more tuna out and left it in the tree where he could reach it. He was still scared of me, but finally let me barely pet his head while he was gobbling his tuna down. He was so hungry.
Around 10 pm that night as I was walking across the yard from my brother's house next door, I began to hear a strong cry. But it wasn't coming from my yard, it was coming from way back by our garden in my brother's yard.
Evidently, the little fellow had spotted me walking over to my brother's house a couple of hours earier so came over to find me.(lol) I took my flashlight and spotted him. Then I said, " Come on little guy, let's go home to get some milk", and he followed me across the yard to my back door.
I fed him some nice organic whole milk and a little more tuna, petted him for awhile as he purred happily, then went inside to bed.
The next morning he was sitting under my car then quickly scaled my wooden ledge and darted to my front door ready for more food and love.
I had decided that I would try to find his mother in the neighborhood so she could carry on her duties of feeding, but I wasn't able to find any such creature.(lol) He could barely drink the milk and couldn't eat cat food yet. I knew he shouldn't continue the tuna diet any longer, so I broke his cat food up into small pieces and commenced feeding it to him a little piece at a time. Then I gave him the milk again every couple of hours.
By the next day he was chewing the cat food pretty well, drinking water and milk pretty good, but still looking to nurse. It took a couple more days, but he is now totally weaned. He's playing happily on my front porch and hasn't cried when I come in now for a couple days.
I figure he's about 6 weeks old by now so I guess a vet visit is in the near future. I have another orphan cat that I've had for about four years now who isn't happy about this whole situation. I really didn't want another cat in my life, but it looks like I've got one alrighty!(lol) He has made his way into the house now at night, but wants to be out during the day.
That is okay for now, but we live close to the street and I'm sure he will be starting to feel safe in wandering out there in the near future. So now I will have to get him his shots, get rid of his ear mites and fleas before he can come inside for good. This will be expensive....but what am I to do? Attachment starts pretty quickly(lol).
I haven't named him yet, so I'm asking everyone to give me some great ideas for a name...
Thanks everyone..............Deb
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I have finally launched my COOKIE FILLED GIFT TINS. Please visit: www.etsy.com/shop/uniquecozytreasures to see what I have available. I will be adding new items daily.
Here are just a few of the cookies and tins that I will be having available for purchase.
Gourmet Chocolate with Dark chocolate chips & walnuts; Chocolate with raspberry icing; pecan sandies; chocolate with white chips; classic oatmeal with vanilla icing; chunky peanut butter; chunky peanut butter with dark or semi-sweet chips; dark or semi-sweet chocolate chip; dark chocolate & semi-sweet chips & walnuts; snickerdoodles; raisin filled cookies; classic oatmeal.......................and more....
Gourmet Cinnamon Snickerdoodle
Gourmet Dark Chocolate Chip
Gourmet Chunky Peanut Butter
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