Celeste

by Shelley Mccormack
(Hesperia, Ca)

At 5 weeks and 5 months

I found Celeste when she was just hours old with 2 sisters and a brother. 4 bassett hounds were digging in shrubs to get them. One of the dogs actually grabbed Celeste and tossed her across the shrubs. I grabbed all 4 of the kitties and told the lady I would keep them because the mother was wild, the kitties were in danger and no way was she taking them to the pound.

Now I have 4 few hour old kitties and no mama and have never nursed an animal. So I get a sitter for them, go to feed store and get kitty milk. 15 bucks a can!!! whoa.

I called a vet to explain what I got. He says: feed the 1-2 tiny ml droppers every 2 hours. But he expresses: even with the best love and care you can give them DO NOT EXPECT them to live. Kitties are hard to raise especially at hours old. So I say to myself BS watch this.

I go home, mix milk, and force feed 4 kitties 1 dropper each. Then I get big warm bowl of water and 2 soft rags, I rub and pat bellys and genital areas to simulate mama and wow they go to the bathroom, then I wipe clean with warm wet rag to bathe, and put in box with blankies and warm rice mamas (rice filled sock microwaved holds heat).

Then I cover box and go about my day. 1 1/2 hours later I wake and repeat. Soon they wake and want repeat. They eat 2 droppers, and they want to sleep next to me. So I sleep on floor with ball 4 so as none fall off bed and get hurt.

These 4 kitties went everywhere with me in a box, with a diaper bag consisting of bath bowl, 2 rage, rice mams, clean blankies, formula and depending on the stage a dropper, syringe or baba.

Celeste is now 10 months old and pregnant, and a prissy queen cat. She is one of my 4 savior angels.