Conference misery::feline_v1

1379.0. "Kittens & Dogs" by CHALK::MURPHY (Is it Friday yet?) Wed May 18 1988 11:16

Thought I'd share this with you as I think it's cute.

First of all, 3 weeks ago a stray cat my friend, Nancy, took in gave 
birth to 4 kittens.  They are like their mom, tiger tabbies, except for 
the one female who has a couple of orange patches on her head.  The males 
(like their mom) have the double paws on front feet.

In the meantime, her "barn cat" who became pregnant before she could 
get her spayed with her other 9 cats (that's a lot of $$), gave birth 
to "one" kitten which didn't live long.  The barn cat was beside 
herself trying to find her now buried baby.  Nancy took one of the 
male kittens from the stray cat and gave it to the barn cat.  She (the 
barn cat) was overjoyed with purring and adopted her "new" baby 
immediately.  By the way that new baby is now eating out of his 
adoptive mom's dish; going to be a big boy.

When all babies are thoroughly weaned both mom's will be spayed.  If 
she can't place the 4 kittens in good homes, Nancy will keep them and 
have them spayed/neutered too.  I think the big boy in the barn is 
spoken for already.

Anyway, as some of you already know Nancy has my toy poodle, Cookie, with 
her 5 days a week as sort of a "day care center" so I wouldn't have to give
her up. I got a call last night from Nancy and she said there was something 
important we had to discuss.  She said, "I can only pay Cookie five cents 
an hour for kitten watching!"  The 3 little kittens (where have I heard that
before?) are now at the playing/curiousity stage so have been moved from their
quiet birthing room (diningroom) to the playroom (livingroom/kitchen area).
They are climbing in and out of their box that they sleep in and investigating
everything and anything.  Cookie is fascinated by these 3 active (smaller than
her) furballs.  She'll sit and stare at one or all for the longest time, I was
told.  

Walter, Nancy's hound dog, even picks up a kitten and carries it ever so 
gently to another part of the room where he feels it should be washed.
If one wanders off, Cookie is right behind it and, because her mouth is
much smaller than Walter's, she nudges the kitten with her nose trying to 
head it back to the others.  They can't get out of sight for long with 
my little "kittenhound" on their trail.  :-)

During all this attention to her babies from 2 dogs, the mom cat shows 
no concern as she seems to sense neither dog will harm her kittens (it 
probably gives her a break too).  Between Auntie Cookie and Uncle Walter,
these babies are going to be loved to death!   :-)    Hope Cookie doesn't
decide to adopt one.  :-}

    What a great little story!  This person who has all those cats and
    kittens must be a saint!  If only I had enough room to have as many
    animals as that; one of these days :-)  
                                                       
    Erin

    What a cute story!  Reminds me of my dog Brandy who adored my sons two
    gerbils; she thought they were hers.
    
    Ande