Life and death in Rosedale

Just when I thought I had everything under control....

It started well enough.  I went to Rosedale yesterday morning, returned Roxy and trapped the other female Gibsey, in short order.  Off to the vet she went to be spayed.  They thought she had had kittens but not too recently as her milk was pretty dried up.  

Gayle trapped another kitten last night.  Gayle is a perfect example of how it should work.  When she found a feral cat and kittens she reached out for help, but knew how TNR worked and was willing to participate.  Gayle has been great, doing her own trapping and transport, I just get them fixed and recover and look, her problem is now managed, all in short order.

Firefly, Gayle's latest trapping success

This morning, though, I got the call you never want.  Wendy in Rosedale's neighbour found two little kittens last night, crying, in a shed.  She took them in but didn't know what to do.  Wendy called me and we tried to figure it out.  Not having seen the kittens, I didn't know how old.  If they are too young to eat on their own, they have to be bottle fed and their survival rate is very low, but it's not so simple as just putting mom (if she is the mom) and kittens back together.  If it's outside, can you catch the kittens in a few weeks before they become too feral, and would she even have milk to nurse them.  All the while, I'm trying to get my cats fed and get out the door for work while calling anyone I can think of for help.

I don't want to be inadvertently responsible for kittens dying, that can happen if they are really young and not eating.  God bless Connie, she has come to the rescue and is going over to take the kittens home until next week when Lesley will take over.  It seems that they might be older than originally thought.  I really hope they are closer to four weeks and can survive without their mother.  Time will tell.