@sloanebcollins - Kitty Love - #birthingkittens #mommacat #ourthreeboys #amwriting #MFRWorg

@sloanebcollins  #birthingkittens  #mommacat  #ourthreeboys  #amwriting

A little over a year ago, a pregnant stray cat chose us to come live with. We had no idea how far along she was, so we Googled cat births, since we didn’t know nothin’ ‘bout birthin’ kittens (having previously only had two male cats).  On that rainy Sunday afternoon, she took turns sleeping on our laps as we researched.  Having never been around pregnant animals before, it was fascinating to me to feel the babies moving in her belly as I petted her.  We watched YouTube videos on how to care for Momma, what to do when she goes in to labor, etc.

So my husband went to bed (since he works nights), and I realized she was actually in labor (thank heavens I’d watched those videos!).  My husband had already lashed two boxes together with a hole cut between them so she had extra space to move around, and we’d padded it with an old quilt and towels.  Over the course of three hours, she gave birth to three kittens, one per hour.  I was petrified something would happen, but she knew exactly what to do to care for them.  So by midnight that night, we had a momma and three babies.  And so precious! Two of them were Tabbies, miniature replicas of the mom, and one was a grey Tabby.

We had already decided we’d foster them until they were old enough to get fixed, then try to find homes for all of them.  But as time went by, we couldn’t fi

nd homes, and I thank God we couldn’t. 
We named them all from the characters in my favorite Julia Quinn novel, “What Happens in London”: Sebastian (the grey one, but he’s nicknamed Scooter), Harry, and Oliver.  Well, actually, we thought Oliver was a girl at first, so the name was Olivia, but the vet corrected us so he became Oliver.  And that was after Googling “how to tell the sex of kittens”.  I’m sure they were mortified, as I was, that we kept trying to figure out boy and girl details. LOL

It’s a year later, and they are such blessings.  Even though we had to pack up all our tchotchkes, and even though I have to clean two litter boxes every week, they are blessings.  The two cats we had way back when were our children (since we don’t have children), and it broke our hearts when we lost them.  We had vowed never to have pets again because it was so hard to lose them. 

But these babies are a joy.  Each one has completely separate personalities.  Scooter is just a little hippie – easy going, calm, loves belly rubs and plays fetch with his favorite jingle ball, bringing it right to me to toss for him.  Harry is feisty, an explorer, and loves his ears scrubbed.  Oliver is a little cuddle-bunny, and loves to snuggle under the covers with me.  And Moms is a great mother.  She definitely likes her quiet time, and will race into the den as soon as my husband gets home from work.  They’ll eat, play, and sleep separately and together, and each one has a distinct meow.  Well, Oliver tends to squeak vs. meow. 

It’s been so much fun watching them grow, from their first minute to now.  I’d love to write childrens books based on their antics someday.  I usually write in my big recliner, and many times they've all piled on the chair with me.  I've had to balance the laptop on the arm of the chair and twist myself to the side to type while one or more sleep on my lap.  But it's well worth it to have them with me. 

How about you?  What are your favorite pets?  What kind of personalities do they have?

#birthingkittens  #mommacat  #ourthreeboys