Cats About Town Society Dedicated to stopping the suffering of homeless & abandoned cats & kittens P. O. Box 1224, Orangevale, CA 95662-1224  (916) 484-3700

Survivors February 14th, 1999 She was just a kitten herself when she gave birth to seven others on Valentines Day. They may have all survived if they were wanted, cared for, and given a chance. It was a volunteer for Cats About Town Society that decided to rescue these kittens from certain death. Unfortunately, by the time arrangements could be made, 3 kittens had died. The malnourished mother was not producing milk for the babies. The mother and 4 remaining kittens were taken to a veterinarian for a complete checkup. Using a warm compress the mother was able to produce milk for the kittens. She was put on a high protein diet and the kittens seemed healthy. Janet and I took over their care on the 25th. We were very excited about caring for these babies. There were two boys and two girls. They needed names so we decided on nuts as the basis for the kittens’ names. Chestnut, Cashew, Macadamia, and Praline were now the newest members of C.A.T.S. We named the mother Goldie because of her golden-colored eyes. Through the weekend all was well. It was Monday night that I became concerned; Macadamia was not doing well her breathing was shallow and she sounded congested. The next morning I made an appointment to take the whole group in for a checkup. It was not soon enough, Macadamia died that morning and Praline was now showing the same signs. Our veterinarian thought they might have pneumonia and prescribed antibiotics for all the kittens but told me it would take three days to take effect. I hoped that Praline could hold out that long. That night we knew Praline was not going to make it. She was crying constantly and crawled away from the others as if she was going away to die. We began feeding her directly but she was not able to eat. Janet and I got sleeping bags out and took turns holding Praline, trying to console her. Around midnight I took the last shift. I got a small towel and bundled her up in it, placing her on my chest as I rested in my sleeping bag. I petted her and talked to her, telling her how much she was loved. I finally dosed off but was awoken around 4 am. Praline was not crying any more and was breathing very heavy, I knew she was dying. I woke Janet up and we took turns saying our good-byes. She died a few minutes later.   Praline fought hard to live but it was not meant to be. An autopsy on Macadamia did not turn up much in the way of an explanation, possible heart problems with a respiratory condition. Under better conditions maybe they all could have survived but their brothers are alive and well, and for that we are grateful. If any story encompasses what our group is about I think it is this one. Our mission is to stop the suffering of abandoned, unwanted, or feral cats. Although we could not save all four kittens rescued, we saved two from certain death and maybe made the last days a little better for the others. Chestnut and Cashew were adopted May 1st, 1999 at the PetsMart Adoptathon.   Goldie, mother to Chestnut and Cashew, was adopted on June 27th,1999. John Bennett Cats About Town Society April 18, 1999 Home Page | About C.A.T.S. | Adoptions | Curious Cat Info. | Cat Links | Events | Contact C.A.T.S. Cats About Town Society. Copyright © 1999, All Rights Reserved.