Just checked on the kittens upstairs. McKenna was out of the bed, but the kittens were warm, they were sound asleep and not fussy so I have to hope she is good mom and she didn’t abandon them last night. All signs appear to show otherwise though.

Yesterday was a rough one for her. Although she popped these babies out of her with such ease- at least the last three- not all survived. She had three while I was with Mike at the doctor’s. When I woke up yesterday and went upstairs to feed her and say hello- she was acting strange.

Pacing, restless, kneading the floor- eating as if there had been no food for weeks. I looked at her- I looked at the six (yes 6) well put together birthing boxes (all rejected by her highness.) I thought “she’s not going to have these kittens today is she?” But something said that was exactly what was going to happen, so I spread a huge white bedspread down underneath the futon and put more blankets over the carpet (just in case.)

When we returned from the doctor (more about that in a minute) I ran upstairs to check on her and she was wet! I thought good grief, she is going to have her kittens now! In Broad Daylight unheard of – usually they come in the wee hours of the morning. So I grabbed the book I was reading The Dog Who Talked to God and I settled in for the long-haul with her.

She was licking her rear like crazy and so I thought did she already have them? I grabbed the flashlight and on my belly squirmed under the futon (where is a camera when you need one?) There they were, three little black kittens on the white bedspread sound asleep!

I squirmed out from under the futon, grabbed the alcohol and wiped my hands down. Gently, I picked each kitten up- Mckenna watching intently but made no move to attack me. They looked purrfect- but were laying in a wet spot, so I moved them over to the other side of the futon.

Suddenly, McKenna ducked under the futon and the next thing I know, she is licking and chewing like crazy. I grab the flashlight and here is another kitten! This one didn’t respond quickly to her mothering. She tore open the sac and began to lick him, but the umbilical cord was still attached. Ten minutes later, the umbilical still hadn’t been severed, so I cut it and dabbed it with iodine to stop the bleeding. (You need to cut it at least 2 inches from the kitten’s body and you should NEVER pull a kitten who is attached to mom because it causes umbilical hernias.)

I picked this boy up, but he was ice cold and so weak. I put him back on mom and took a warming cloth and rubbed him. Nothing, not even a squeak. He couldn’t latch on to a nipple although his brothers and sisters were chowing down. I grabbed a small dropper and dropped some warm formula into his mouth. He couldn’t swallow so I took the bulb syringe and suctioned out his mouth and nose. These small balls of brown goo came out. His mouth was sticky with mucous and he was heaving trying to breathe.

McKenna suddenly stood up, darted to the other side of the futon and soon another kitten had appeared! This kitten too was quite weak, cold and unresponsive. I suspect she was mated with twice and one Tom was healthy, the other not so much.

I took the four kittens who were warm and fed and placed them in a small box with a heating pad. Then with McKenna laying down, I put the two new babies on her belly. They didn’t move much. I expressed her nipples got a drop of milk and put each kitten right on the milk- nothing. To make matters even more concerning- McKenna ignored both babies (a bad sign) Because she was so attentive to the other kittens, I knew that these two had something wrong with them and she sensed it. But I kept trying, tried to feed both- but it wasn’t working.

A few hours later, both kittens had passed leaving McKenna with four healthy kittens two boys and two girls. I buried them in the horse pasture and wept that I wasn’t smart enough to save them.

On the doctor front- this doctor Mike’s primary told us that the reading on the MRI is inconclusive. The radiologist wouldn’t say either way if Mike had a bone infection or not. The report read that the foot is abnormal but the film not conclusive to say yay or nay about infection.

When we got home, the orthopedic surgeon called and said tomorrow before our appointment he wants to run more film on Mike’s foot- these while he is standing on it. Then we will all meet and discuss the findings.

I am hoping with all the prayers and good thoughts being sent in his direction that Mike’s foot won’t be as bad as everyone seems to fear it will be! I have to hope that the cloudiness on the film is God at work healing what used to be diseased and doing what He can do best- creating a miracle!