RUG HOOKING BLOG

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I'm a mother of four grandmother of seven and great grandmother of three. I live with my husband in the house that we built with the help of my brothers and will have been married for 57 years this February.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

A COW ON THE LOOSE AND AN ABANDONED NEW BORN KITTEN.

I checked my calendar and it's been 24 days since my last post and life hasn't slowed down for me but is going a bit faster... go figure....

It's been raining just about every day here but today was exceptionally beautiful with clear blue skies and warm sunshine.

I've been busy with the baby here and work but gardening and yard work has been neglected  because of the rain. Everything is growing so fast, the grass and the weeds and the cucumbers.

I wanted to post before this but by the time I sit at the computer I'm dead on my feet and brain dead too and I also have many more excuses... but here I am this evening...

A few weeks ago I got a parcel in the mail that was so well wrapped it took me for ever to open it and inside I found this cutest little cow pitcher pin cushion  made by Doris-Ann Savoie of  THE  WOOL GARDEN SELLING BLOG. 

Thank you so much Doris-Ann for your thoughtfulness. Sorry it took me so long to find the time to settle down to post a picture. What a cute pin cushion.

You can visit her blog by clicking on THE WOOL GARDEN SELLING BLOG above and see other creative project handmade by Doris-Ann.  Thanks again Doris-Ann, it will go in my rug hooking room.



Last Saturday when I came to work at the barn I found a tiny new born kitten that was just left on the cold cement floor  and it was in a wet pool and still had the placenta attached. I scooped it off the dirty floor without touching it and deposited it in a box with hay that was already there. All the barn cats came to check it out and one by one  they seemed to be scared of it as they all acted funny. I had an expectant mother cat but she was still very pregnant and refused to even sniff it. She had her kittens about three or four days after and hid her kittens up in the hay loft.

I let it at the barn as I thought that a stray cat left her there and would return but in the morning I found the tiny kitten had climbed out of the box and had travelled about eight feet from his box in the cow holding area that had wet manure on the floor but it was in a dry area thankfully. It was meowing loudly.



 I cut out the umbilical with a pair of scissors because it got itself tangled in the cord. I found out that it was a female and I fed her a tiny bit of warm cow milk with a syringe because I didn't know what to do with it. She was cold and still dirty and I wrapped her in a clean rag, put her in a small bucket and took her home and bathed her with warm running under a gentle stream and wrapped her in a dry warm face cloth.



I checked on the internet to find out how to care for an abandoned new born kitten and followed their instructions and I was planning to take her to the vet in the morning to buy some kitten milk formula and bottle and nipple.


 My daughter  cut off the luer-lok  excess from the syringe and it made it easier for the kitten to suck milk, she even  gave me some warm breast milk to give to the kitten as cow milk is too hard on their digestive system. I even wipe her tiny behind with a kleenex to stimulate her to pee and poop like they instruct us to do because new born kitten cannot pee and poop by themselves. The mother usually lick them to make them pee and poop.



I kept the kitten warm on my belly when I was reading my book THE HELP and I even took her to bed with me, in a box with warm towels and a heated Magic Bag wrapped in towels to keep her warm as baby kittens can't keep warm by themselves. I woke up every two hours to feed it a tiny bit of warm breast milk during the night  and at 4:30 am  when my alarm rang I saw that she was  barely moving when I picked her up so I skipped that feeding and by morning  she was dead the poor little thing. I felt so bad and wish that I would have brought her home right away instead of leaving her at the barn all night. Now I know how to care for an abandoned kitten. It's not easy though.

I was so very  tired the next morning and feeling pretty bad but it had only a 50% chance of surviving the first two weeks and because she spent all that time being cold and hungry her chances of survival were slim.  Now I have new admiration for a mother cat with a litter of new born kittens. It's really demanding work. At least she did not died without love and care.

Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment.  JB

18 comments:

  1. Hi Julia, Poor Kitten I am so glad your having a good summer.

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  2. Julia,
    It's so nice to see a post from you! What an experience you had with the darling little kitten. It's heartbreaking when they don't make it but you went above and beyond the call of duty! Bless your heart Julia!!
    Hope you are having a good summer and all is well on your farm!
    Take care!
    Cathy G

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  3. It's wonderful to hear from you. The poor little kitten. You really worked hard to save her, and I agree, you kept her in a loving way until she passed. Sounds like you are having good visits with your daughter and the new grandbaby! Hope all is well and you're getting some time to hook.
    Love the cow pin cushion!
    Hugs!

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  4. I was so happy to see you post this morning. I am so sorry about the little kitten but you did make it feel loved in its short life.
    You are always so busy I feel like a slug when I hear all you have done.
    Cathy

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  5. I'm so sorry she died, but I commend you on your compassion. Bless you for taking care of her. They say that mother animals abandon or kill the ones who have something wrong with them. Perhaps no amount of care would have helped. I'd have cried buckets when she died. I get SO attached. Have a good rest of the week.

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  6. The poor little kitten. But you certainly did everything to try and save her. At least she wasn't alone in the barn.
    Hope you are having fun with the precious little grandson. I'm sure you will have lots of baby stories when things get back to normal.

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  7. Awww, you did everything you could. so sorry it passed. You definitely tried. You are such a kind soul.
    glad to see you posting, and love the cow pin cushion. Hope things slow down a bit for you.

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  8. Thank you for trying so hard. That tiny little kitty may not have made it, but she knew you were trying your best. Rest now.

    Pat

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  9. Poor kitty but you tried. I wonder who the mother was? I know you have been so busy, it was nice though to read about what has been going on with you.
    Rest if you can, I know you are racing winter now so you have so much to get accomplished before snows blow, but I do enjoy your posts.

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  10. You are such a good person with such a loving heart for animals. I love kittens and it is nice to know there are people out there that will do all they can for the sweet little things.
    So good to hear and see you back. Fall is a little in the air in the mornings here but it is still 91 degrees today.

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  11. Julia ~
    So good to hear from you!
    Love your cow pin cushion. What a perfect gift for you!
    Thank you for giving the poor kitty a chance but some things are just not meant to be.
    Enjoy the visit with your daughter and grand!
    Pug hugs :)
    Lauren

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  12. What a good mamma you are!!! Poor baby!! I love your pictures and seeing all the pictures ...you saved that kitten's life!
    I know your summer is like mine, enjoying the baby and family. Very busy but family time is the best! Give kitty a hug for me and am so glad to reconnect with you!!

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  13. What a wonderful thing you did trying to save that poor kitten. You went over and above. It makes you wonder why the Mom abandoned the kitten. Cute cow!

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  14. Now that is not how I expected your story to end... so sad. But you are right, at least she was cared for in her last hours.

    It's good to have you back. I know what you mean about things just getting busier. It's funny. It seems like I'm in a constant state of 'it will slow down soon'. Maybe that's just our coping mechanism!

    Blessings, Debbie

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  15. Ohhh sweetie! I'm so sorry that the little kitty died. And well you sure gave it a good try!

    I hope you don't find any more kittens.

    And thank you for giving me some more tips on catching mouse! ;-)
    Leontien

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  16. i wish i could be like you
    your my idol!
    take care and stay happy!

    i luv cute things...

    from:kath valencia

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  17. Aw, what a touching post how you tried to save this little kitty! I like that cow pincushion too :)

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  18. So sorry the little kitten did not make it. Since none of the other cats would have anything to do with it and the mother abandoned it most likely something was wrong with it. But you sweet Julia let that little sweetie know someone cared and you showed it love. Bless you for that. What a cute little cow pin cushion. Hugs

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