What an adventure last night! We got a call from a girl who's mom had found 4 orphaned baby kittens in the middle of her barn. 2 of them were cold (this is very bad) and so she took them in her house and warmed them up with a hairdryer. We had just taken in a mama with newborn babies from Wolf River Vet Clinic the day before, so she called us to see if we could take the orphans and put them on that mama to see if she would be a surrogate. So I was off to a barn in Hortonville last night.
When I got there a half hour later, mama had shown up! This was GREAT news because the best chance for newborn babies' survival is to have mama's care and milk. The lady wasn't sure how old they were, but she knew they were young. Well, turns out mama was feral (wild) and it was quite the ordeal to get her in the carrier with her babies. Especially since they were hiding way back in the hay bales. But, by some miracle, we got them all in a carrier, I got them home, and they are settled in their carrier (mama wouldn't come out) in a big cage in my basement bedroom.
I've been checking in on them and mama and babies are doing well! The amazing thing is, last night there were 4 babies - 2 orange tabbies, a calico and a tortie - and tonight there were FIVE! Another orange tabby was in the carrier this morning! Poor mama had been in labor through the whole ordeal last night. If I would've known the full situation, I don't think I would've tried to capture them - would've left them alone for a couple days, since it's not that cold, and then gone in to rescue them. But, they are all doing well, and we will take care of them and raise them until the kittens can be adopted. Then mama will be spayed and returned to the barn where she can live out her happy feral life. :)
All is good in kitten rescue land.
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