sad kitten doom
I have now heard the cry of a kitten who is about 25-28 hours and has not been fed by their mother. It is a heartbreaking, repeated shriek that Shadow just... watches impassively.
The stripey squeaker (there are three in this probably-doomed litter, two black and one stripey) squirmed out of the sad kitten pile in the corner of the box and went tottering around, looking for warmth and/or a nipple. They started squealing once they had gotten halfway across the box. I am in the same room and gently guided them back towards the warmth of the other two, where they ceased for a bit.
But now they are squirming around again, looking, and screaming, and it is fucking tearing at my soul.
Especially with Shadow sitting there full of milk, and resisting when I make an attempt to put her in the box. She refuses these kittens.
sad kitten doom
Can you not try to contact a local shelter and find them some help? >.<
sad kitten doom
@zetasyanthis @anthracite this. please, if you aren't going to help at least ask if someone else will.
Or put them down. Starving to death is not a good way to go.
re: sad kitten doom
@Doephin @zetasyanthis @anthracite We looked for options. As noted to Zeta, New Orleans's shelter and rescue services are perennially slammed.
re: sad kitten doom
@Doephin @zetasyanthis @anthracite If it gives you any sense of proportion here, the most recent animal intake on the main New Orleans animal rescue site is from 2017.
re: sad kitten doom
@zebratron2084 @Doephin @anthracite
That is heartbreaking. >.<
re: sad kitten doom
@zetasyanthis @Doephin @anthracite Thank you for understanding. This has been really heartbreaking for us and if there were a clear path to rescuing them, believe us, we've promised each other we'd be on it.
For further context, these aren't even our cats. These are the local ferals. We only ever expected to be feeding them. We have ZERO cat ownership experience. Our neighbor used to take them in when they needed it, but she suddenly moved away. We've already done a backbreaking amount for their siblings, including taking in two OTHER kittens just last months.
We're making plans to get them all fixed as fast as we can, but we're up to EIGHT cats not including these poor babies. We are stretched to our absolute limit already. If this were Cat Crisis #1 for us, I'd be real damn tempted to pick up a bottle and start feeding them myself, but we're already at capacity in every conceivable way. ;__;
re: sad kitten doom
@zebratron2084 @Doephin @anthracite
I hear you. We're up to five ourselves out here in Tucson, and I've got a little black kitten in my spare bathroom here (about six weeks). Already worrying I don't have the time and energy to give her the love she needs, even as a foster.
And re: bottle-fed, my partner has done that with one. It's a lot of work, but good god the love that he has for us is unbelievable. >.< I can totally understand if that's not within your capabilities, even if I end up crying myself to sleep with you tonight. >.<
re: sad kitten doom
@zetasyanthis @Doephin @anthracite Yeah. We're gonna be pretty fucked up by this for a while. It's absolutely not fair. There should be someone out there for these little guys. We're just out of ideas that wouldn't involve turning our lives upside-down completely and, from what we've heard from friends with wildlife rehab experience, wouldn't probably still end in heartbreak.
Ultimately, the decision not to bottle-feed hinged on the fact we have two very healthy and happy bumblers in the next room who are really gonna need a lot of love and attention in the near future. I can't bring myself to risk failing them *too* by taking on more than we can possibly shoulder.
The worst part is that yeah, there is always something more that can be done. We are too shellshocked and financially depleted for heroic measures right now. So... yeah. Crying ourselves to sleep. *hug*
re: sad kitten doom
@zetasyanthis @Doephin @anthracite If it's any further reassurance, we are DEFINITELY getting everybody fixed as soon as is financially and logistically feasible. We are not gonna let this happen on our watch again.
re: sad kitten doom
@zetasyanthis @Doephin @anthracite And just to make sure we'd done everything we can, Anthracite called three 24-hour vets just now. They all referred us to shelters, none of which will be open until it's too late. :( She's still trying.
re: sad kitten doom
@zebratron2084 @Doephin @anthracite
*hugs very, very tight* >.<