Yesterday, I stopped by another rescuer’s home and we were just chatting a bit before getting on with our day. In a covered cage, I hear all this squawling and screaming and found out that three tiny kittens had been delivered to her a few days prior. Much like Pinkerton and Silverton, these kittens also had been attacked by field rats. One had already passed. The screaming grew louder and it is not in my DNA to ignore the screams of the babies, so I asked if I could hold one and try to nurse them. Apparently, they were hard to nurse, fighting the bottle and once you tried to feed them- poop just poured out the poor bums.

I was holding this little boy not even two weeks old and sure enough, when he tried to eat- it just instantly came out the other end. The gal told me that the kittens were screaming non-stop and she was so tired, she needed some sleep. That’s when I suggested we try letting Grumpy Gretel nurse them. If they had an intolerance to the formula or any dairy products, then Gretel seemed to be the answer. After all, she had accepted ALL the kittens currently under our care here at the house (14 in total). The gal gratefully accepted my offer and off I went.

I noticed, when I put them in the truck, that although they were both on top of a heating disc in a heavily blanketed carrier, both kittens were cold. I rushed them home, temped them 89 degrees! I called my vet and switched my Cooper dog appointment of the day to a 2 critically ill kitten appointment. Then I took them over to Gretel’s cage.

I had them cuddled in my hands and I told her: “Gretel, I know you have been through a lot, but I really need your help. These babies, their mom was poisoned and they are so hungry but nothing fed to them, stays with them. Please, help me one more time and take these babies under your care.” Then taking a deep breath and praying- I slid them into her.

She instantly went for the kill! She was not kidding. She was not going to have anything to do with these two precious babies. I got her away from them, checked for damage, there was none. How she showed me these babies were in greater danger than originally thought is she dove for their throats. She was going to carry them off and finish the job (that’s how smart this snowshoe is!) I just kept the babies warm, snuggled and tried to feed them- switching from KMR to goat’s milk- but it didn’t matter. They screamed and pooed the entire time. I couldn’t wait till that vet appointment.

Off to the vet we went where it was decided that because of the age, the severity of the low temp that wasn’t coming up and other factors (such a mom who was poisoned by rat poison) the wounds etc.. that the best thing to do was just let them go. So 45 minutes after they were presented to us, they were gone. No more pain, no more trauma, on to a better life where they will thrive and be all they should have been.

I asked my vet if I made the right choice? We could have gone with a feeding tube or something- but he just looked at me and told me that he had no problem with complying with my wishes, And he gives every cat or kitten who has a chance, a chance to live. So I knew that Gretel was right- she wanted these babies out of pain and she was going to do the job for us. Like I said the smartest cat I have had in a very long time.

Rest in Peace Badger, and Franklin- two kittens who really never stood a chance at a normal life.