Yup, it's happened again. I was REALLY hoping that after no new cats showed up here last year, the streak was broken, and whoever kept dumping cats on us had decided to quit.
No such luck.
When Joe came home tonight at about 8:30, he was leaning on the horn all the way into the yard. I know what that means. It's a signal to me that he's got company and to get ready! I slipped on my barn boots and walked out to meet him and the "company" in his car. Sure enough, snuggled up against his chest was a tiny, hairy little beast, purring away.
This one is just a baby - my first kitten dumpee. Baby has the flat, smooshy face and long coat of a Persian, and appears to be around 4 mos old. Too squirmy for me to hold still long enough to part the hair and determine gender, (s)he is very, very friendly and very, very happy to have been rescued and fed. Poor little thing is skeletal, weighing in at a whopping 3.75 lbs.
It's little wonder that Baby was happy to be rescued. Joe found the kitten just before our property line in an area where a mother fox has been raising her three kits all summer. When Joe drove up on them, Baby was sitting in the middle of the road with one of the young foxes standing no more than 5' away, very probably contemplating kitten for supper. When Joe got out of the car, the fox ran off, and Baby just cried and cried until he picked him/her up and drove up to the house.
Baby's coat was full of burrs and mats. While (s)he was busy inhaling food, I managed to comb out all of the burrs and some of the mats. I came away with a fistful of mouse grey hair that was as large as the kitten! This little one still looks mighty ragged, but his/her deplorable condition isn't dampening Baby's enthusiasm for loving.
Baby will be spending the night in the master bathroom where I hope there will occur some recognition of the purpose of a litterbox. If Baby does use the box overnight, I will expand his/her territory to include the master bedroom tomorrow and put the baby gates back up in the doorway between the bedroom and livingroom so that everyone can become acquainted with our newest family member.
My vet is on vacation for another 10 days, which should give me time to put enough weight on this kitten to improve overall health so that (s)he can be safely vaccinated and dewormed. Neutering or spaying will wait for another couple of months, assuming I am correct in my guess of Baby's current age. I suppose it's possible that this kitten could be older than 4 months and just badly malnourished.
Fortunately, "malnourished" is a temporary condition that certainly won't last long around here. I can't wait to see this little raggedy ann or andy grow up into the stunning, amber-eyed, blue-coated beauty which is obviously this animal's destiny.
Time to make room for one more at the dinner table.
Laurie
