So Friday I walk into my backyard where my chickens are free ranging to see my neighbor's 17 yo daughter looking over the short fence between our properties. No big deal, we both have chickens so I figured she was checking out the new girls I let out with my existing flock this past week. I say "Hi Kirsten! like the new girls?" And she proceeds to point to my garden and says "there's a kitten in your bushes by the house". oh no. not a kitten. no.
She tells me she's been trying to catch it for a few days and it tries to get into her coop and last night she chased it into my coop but it ran out before she could get it. double oh no. I go to look under the gardinias and sure enough, ZOOM, this white and black kitten hits it into the woods.
I ask Kirsten if she's tried food. "oh, mom says not to feed it. Dad's very allergic and she doesn't want it". okay. So I give her a can of cat food (I have 2 cats of my own) and a carrier and tell her if she catches it, I'll bring it to the rescue group I work with.
Fast forward to Saturday afternoon. My DBF is putting siding on my new coop and I see this wee little thing slinking through the woods. It's heading straight for my 8 week olds who are happily scratching and doing their free range things. She gets within about 2 feet, sits down and starts meowing pitifully and rubbing her face on a sapling. I thought she was trying to catch one but now I'm convinced she just wants to be near them for company. Poor little lonely thing.
So DBF and I try to catch her. All around the coop, in the wood pile (the chickens think this is cool, so they come and get under foot), around the garage and into it! We close the door and corner her after about 10 minutes of falling over lawn equipment. I grab a rag and nab this little spitting, hissing demon. The tirade lasts about 15 seconds and then she is just a little limp kitten. I put her in the carrier with some food and put it in a quiet place. She eats like a pig.
I bring her into the house and close her in the bathroom for a closer look. She hisses when I reach in with the towel but quiets down when out. She is covered, I mean covered in fleas. Ticks. Her ears are packed with black gunk.
Luckily I had bathed my big male cat the week before and the flea shampoo was handy so she got a bath. She just hung there and let me do whatever I wanted. I cleaned her ears so she could hear again. NASTY. ear mites. covered in flea bites. Starved and scared. She let me use the blow drier on her - not a peep out of her or any struggle whatsoever. She seemed weak. Confirmed that it was a she.
She cleaned up nicely and ate another meal. She's white with a black tail and a black spot on her back that makes it look like an exclamation point, two black ears. green eyes.
DBF let me keep her in a spare room at his place. We set up some beds in boxes, food, water, litter box. She knew how to use the box right away.
I thought I had a crazy, feral kitten to deal with. I did not want another cat, my others will not tolerate one. But I couldn't leave it outside. So now I had to tell my rescue organization that I have yet another unplacable cat to add to the roster.
Sunday she start purring when her breakfast is brought in. She lets me pick her up and starts to snuggle. Now she's turning on the charm. Sunday DBF and I lie down to take a nap and I bring her in to see what she would do. She curls up next to me and sleeps for an hour. She gets in his cat's furry bed (the one KirbyKat ignores) and starts making biscuits. Oh, the little scamp.
So by Sunday night she has gone from this wild banshee to a perfectly charming and affectionate little kitten. Rubbing on things, rolling over for belly rubs, making air biscuits, purring like an outboard motor. She looks you straight in the eye and, I swear, she flirts. Shameless hussy! dangit. Now what? She is about 6 weeks old. and I think I'm getting attached. I'm such a sucker.
She tells me she's been trying to catch it for a few days and it tries to get into her coop and last night she chased it into my coop but it ran out before she could get it. double oh no. I go to look under the gardinias and sure enough, ZOOM, this white and black kitten hits it into the woods.
I ask Kirsten if she's tried food. "oh, mom says not to feed it. Dad's very allergic and she doesn't want it". okay. So I give her a can of cat food (I have 2 cats of my own) and a carrier and tell her if she catches it, I'll bring it to the rescue group I work with.
Fast forward to Saturday afternoon. My DBF is putting siding on my new coop and I see this wee little thing slinking through the woods. It's heading straight for my 8 week olds who are happily scratching and doing their free range things. She gets within about 2 feet, sits down and starts meowing pitifully and rubbing her face on a sapling. I thought she was trying to catch one but now I'm convinced she just wants to be near them for company. Poor little lonely thing.
So DBF and I try to catch her. All around the coop, in the wood pile (the chickens think this is cool, so they come and get under foot), around the garage and into it! We close the door and corner her after about 10 minutes of falling over lawn equipment. I grab a rag and nab this little spitting, hissing demon. The tirade lasts about 15 seconds and then she is just a little limp kitten. I put her in the carrier with some food and put it in a quiet place. She eats like a pig.
I bring her into the house and close her in the bathroom for a closer look. She hisses when I reach in with the towel but quiets down when out. She is covered, I mean covered in fleas. Ticks. Her ears are packed with black gunk.
Luckily I had bathed my big male cat the week before and the flea shampoo was handy so she got a bath. She just hung there and let me do whatever I wanted. I cleaned her ears so she could hear again. NASTY. ear mites. covered in flea bites. Starved and scared. She let me use the blow drier on her - not a peep out of her or any struggle whatsoever. She seemed weak. Confirmed that it was a she.
She cleaned up nicely and ate another meal. She's white with a black tail and a black spot on her back that makes it look like an exclamation point, two black ears. green eyes.
DBF let me keep her in a spare room at his place. We set up some beds in boxes, food, water, litter box. She knew how to use the box right away.
I thought I had a crazy, feral kitten to deal with. I did not want another cat, my others will not tolerate one. But I couldn't leave it outside. So now I had to tell my rescue organization that I have yet another unplacable cat to add to the roster.
Sunday she start purring when her breakfast is brought in. She lets me pick her up and starts to snuggle. Now she's turning on the charm. Sunday DBF and I lie down to take a nap and I bring her in to see what she would do. She curls up next to me and sleeps for an hour. She gets in his cat's furry bed (the one KirbyKat ignores) and starts making biscuits. Oh, the little scamp.
So by Sunday night she has gone from this wild banshee to a perfectly charming and affectionate little kitten. Rubbing on things, rolling over for belly rubs, making air biscuits, purring like an outboard motor. She looks you straight in the eye and, I swear, she flirts. Shameless hussy! dangit. Now what? She is about 6 weeks old. and I think I'm getting attached. I'm such a sucker.
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