It was a cold afternoon in December as I drove to a sub-division off of Thomas Drive to rescue 5 little kittens that had been left out in the cold and rain for days.  A lady had called Paws and Claws to come pick them up because the momma cat had not returned and the kittens were literally on their death bed. 

As soon as I saw them, I knew to take them straight to the vet’s office.  I cried all the way to Parkway Animal Hospital.  The kittens were so cold and stiff.  I was worried that none of them would make it through the night.  After only seconds, the vet knew that one should be euthanized.  It was the kind thing to do.  The other four were taken to the back and given fluids immediately.  As I waited, I prayed to God for a miracle.

Just then I was handed the box of four kittens and sent home with a can of KMR (milk replacer for kittens) and a tiny baby bottle.  I was advised to feed these 5-day old kittens every 1 1/2 to 2 hours.   The drive home was almost unbearable.  I wanted to stop along the way and hold the kittens and warm them up so desperately. 

Once home, I found a blanket and heating pad and continued to pray for the lives of the kittens.  I knew the first night would be the toughest.  I had never done this before.  I didn’t even know until I read some information on the package that I was supposed to cut a slit in the nipple.  I just assumed it came with a hole.  It turns out that I didn’t need it anyway.  The kittens were not sucking from the bottle.  I found a syringe and used it to inject milk into their little mouths. 

Several days later, two of the kittens began sucking milk from the nipple during feedings.  The other two appeared somewhat weak and I watched their health deteriorate during the night.  Monday morning came and I was back at Parkway.  As I feared, another kitten had to be euthanized.  And later, during the wee hours of the next morning, another little kitten lost its life.  I experienced all sorts of emotions.  I cried and cried.  What could I have done differently?

As broken hearted as I was, I still had to take care of the remaining two kittens.  I fed them, I wiped them and I held them for what seemed like hours.  I watched them while they were sleeping to make sure that they were still breathing.  I was exhausted.  I wasn’t getting much sleep and I was still emotionally drained from the loss.  I said another prayer asking God for strength.

Each and every day afterwards, the kittens became more and more active, sleeping less and playing more between feedings.  Their little personalities developed and we soon gave them names.  The female we named Oreo and the male we named Bojangles.  I knew what was coming next.  My boys asked, “Mommy can we keep them?”  How could I say no?  For weeks I had struggled to keep them alive.  I spent countless hours with them and more hours praying for them.  It would be difficult to imagine life without them at this point.

Christmas came and went and I thanked God for another year and for the blessings I had been given.  Along with the new year came many changes.  The kittens had their teeth and were now eating soft food on their own, were learning how to use a litter box and sleeping through the night.   They have grown healthy and every day become more and more a part of our family.