# No kitten should have to go through this....



## bm0513 (Sep 17, 2008)

Hey all,

I'm a serial lurker (I'm fairly shy and really don't "put myself out there" that well) but I had to share this with people whom I know would understand.

Thursday night (7/7) two friends of mine called me frantic. They had been trying to catch a kitten that was hanging around their apartment complex for two weeks and had finally managed to. I had loaned them one of my carriers if they succeeded and gave them some advice on catching her (their complex wouldn't let them put out a trap). They needed to know where they could go with her... at that point it was nearly 10pm and there was no place open to take her. They couldn't keep her in their apartment until the next day because one is severely allergic.

So, being the cat sucker that I am (One cat dumped on me, two successful fosters, one failed foster, one foster that had to be put down, and one foster that's still with me because no one wants him in the past two years) I told them I would keep her in my bathroom.

Beautiful torbie (tortoiseshell tabby) who was dirty and scared to death of EVERYTHING. I said I'd make some calls and see what I could do about finding a place to take her. My contact for a local rescue estimates her to be 6 months old.

The rescue I've fostered for won't take her because she's so shy. The local Humane Society will put her down. All she needs is TLC and a human to make her see that everything will be alright.

In less than 48hrs I had her eating, drinking, and using the litterbox normally as well as having bathed her, trimmed her nails, cleaned her ears, and checked her over for fleas/scrapes/punctures/etc. She was also purring, rubbing against me, begging for attention and wanting nothing more than to be loved on. Still shy, don't get me wrong, she hisses at fast movements and the normal sounds of an apartment scare her. But she's come a long way towards being a wonderful lap kitty.

At one in the morning this morning that beautiful scared KITTEN went into labor. No one had any idea she was pregnant-- not even the rescue worker I had evaluate her (who's been in the business for years). Confused, scared, and in pain she gave birth to four partially developed stillborn kittens.

No KITTEN should ever have to go through that...(nevermind that the majority of cats should never have to... a kitten, not even full grown herself...).
She's not feral, which makes me question her past...how I would love to know where she came from. I get so angry thinking that someone couldn't "get rid of" a litter and so dumped her on the street.

Little mommy (who I've been calling Bella Rose-- name just stuck in my head) seems to be doing just fine. She's eating, drinking, and eliminating just fine and is hungry for affection every time I go in to see her.

I don't really know what this post is meant for, other than....well I really can't talk about it to a lot of the people I know because they just don't get it... I suppose I just wanted to share her story with people who would "get it".

If you got through all that, I congratulate you! 
Thanks for reading,
Elizabeth and Bella Rose


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

That poor little girl!!

Thank goodness she was with you when this happened. This was awful, but hopefully, it's also the turning point in her sad little life. 

I'm sure you'll find her a wonderful new home.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Wow, how horrible for both of you. She was so very lucky to have you come into her life just when she needed you the most.


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## Claiken (Dec 18, 2007)

Oh wow, im glad you had her then. The shelter staff (even if no euth) would have been gone home for the night and she would have been all alone until the morning.

How did she react to the babies not being alive, or did she?? (just wondering). Its a good thing she warmed up to you first, i couldnt imagine having to give birth in a new place where your scared to begin with, then that starts to happen...



I have a funny feeling shes not temporary to your home


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)




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## praline (Jun 3, 2011)

how sad =( what a heart breaking thing to have happen to her and you.
I am so sad. Birth ~ either mixed homeless pet or 2,000 dollar purebred ... birth should be a joyous time for the cat. 

I would definitely let her recover for a week or 2 before you have anyone evaluate her. There is a huge chance she was just acting on instinct knowing her labor was coming. I know dogs will act really strange a day or 2 before... either not wanting to be messed with or attention hogs. Heck a few hours before i went into labor with one of my kids I was moping the ceiling lololol

Give her a few weeks to recover and then she can be a totally different cat. 

I am sure nobody knocked a kitten up on purpose. Its the neglect that angers me! One thing that happens a lot: Kitten goes into her first heat (usually around 5-6 months) starts whining and rubbing at the door wanting out. The owner either gets tired and lets her out to shut her up or she escapes. There is nothing more crafty and dangerous then teenage hormones <sigh>


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## Abbie (Jan 13, 2011)

Oh that's so sad. Poor Bella Rose. You are right- no cat, especially a kitten, should ever have to go through that.

I hope your hold on to her and she progresses in leaps and bounds.


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## Greenport ferals (Oct 30, 2010)

She went through some terrible things, but it will all get better from here. 
Thank you for taking such good care of her.


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## bm0513 (Sep 17, 2008)

Claiken said:


> Oh wow, im glad you had her then. The shelter staff (even if no euth) would have been gone home for the night and she would have been all alone until the morning.
> 
> How did she react to the babies not being alive, or did she?? (just wondering). Its a good thing she warmed up to you first, i couldnt imagine having to give birth in a new place where your scared to begin with, then that starts to happen...
> 
> ...



Oh how I wish she wasn't temporary to me.... I would love to keep her, but circumstances are working against me...

I have three cats with me at the moment (besides her). Nefertiti is my cat; she was dumped on me in the summer of 2008 and has truly become my heart cat. I don't know what I would do without her. 
Mona is also now my cat. She was a foster for the local rescue. I fostered her for a year and a half before deciding she wasn't going anywhere. She fits into my household, and would have been juggled around foster situations or just left at their adoption center. 
Aiden is my nine year old, extremely loving foster that no one will adopt :sad
I have a friend that wants him, but she can't take him for another year (her roommate is very allergic, beyond the scope of meds or shots). 
I'm also moving back in with my mom in two weeks. Mom has a dog and cat of her own, and is already stretched at the limit of her patience. I can't bring a fourth cat home with me, I just can't. I'm already the "animal weirdo" of my family and have "too many pets" as far as they're concerned. 

The facility I foster for has told me that if I find someone that will foster and socialize her for a little while, they will take her into their program in a few months. Now I just have to find someone to take care of her for a little while.

The whole situation is entirely frustrating. Aiden is not meshing with my girls, and he really needs to be in a place where he can be the center of attention, so I wish my friend could go ahead and take him, but there's no way. If I would just hear about a freaking job....(I just graduated college, and finding a job in my field has been horrid...) if I was going somewhere instead of home to my mom's she could just come with me...

The friends that found her think that they know someone who could foster her, so hopefully she at least finds a foster...


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## bm0513 (Sep 17, 2008)

I left the kittens in with her for a bit once she finished giving birth, and she did sniff them, but that was it. 

I hope that her life only goes up from here, that even if she never comes back to me she finds someone to love her.


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## KittieLover (May 2, 2011)

That would be absoluetely horrible for that kitten to go through.
Are you still looking after Bella Rose?


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## msmith8834 (Jul 2, 2011)

I volunteer with a no-kill cat rescue, and we are up to our elbows this year in "teenage moms" and their babies. Honestly, we have four or five girls who can't be more than six months old. But luckily for them, their babies are healthy, and everyone will be spayed/neutered before we adopt them out. 

Lucky for Bella Rose that she found the right "sucker" in you. It sounds as if she's in very good hands now.


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## Rocky_Raccoon (Jun 7, 2011)

Wow Bm, your story is absolutely heart wrenching, amazing, brave, and incredible. I am so so happy that Bella Rose had you and I'm so happy that she ended in your warm arms instead of the arms of a cold stranger. Thank you for saving her life, thank you for being so incredible, and thank you for having such a big heart! Thank you for sharing your story  Much love to you and Bella Rose!


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## bm0513 (Sep 17, 2008)

Rocky_Raccoon said:


> Wow Bm, your story is absolutely heart wrenching, amazing, brave, and incredible. I am so so happy that Bella Rose had you and I'm so happy that she ended in your warm arms instead of the arms of a cold stranger. Thank you for saving her life, thank you for being so incredible, and thank you for having such a big heart! Thank you for sharing your story  Much love to you and Bella Rose!


Thanks so much everybody for all the kind words! 

I agree, RR, I thank whatever force brought her to me that she was able to go through this difficult time with me rather than out on the street. My friends that found her came over when I discovered she was in labor and stayed with me until 4AM when she stopped delivering and settled down. Then we buried the kittens in a spot that is special to all of us.

Some people I know would argue that I have too big of a heart, that I take too much on myself (especially with animals; not including Bella Rose there are three cats in the house, a bearded dragon, two snakes, a fish, and four mice. All but the bearded dragon have come into my home in the past three years. I've also had three other cats in my home (two of which were adopted out and one that had to be euthanized), three other mice (who have all since passed), two pigeons (who have passed), and a turtle (who has also passed). Most of the people in my life think that it's just too much, too many animals, but I am who I am and having these wonderful beings surrounding me makes me happy and is as much a part of who I am as the air I breathe.)

Bella Rose is still here and is still doing well, at this point we are still looking for a foster situation for her. We may have a few leads, but nothing is concrete right now.
She's now almost gotten to the point of being annoyingly affectionate (and I mean that the best way possible!). Anytime I go in her room, she is meowing and purring and rubbing all over me wanting affection. She's just absolutely adorable!

Thanks again everyone, it's nice to have people that understand.
Love to everyone from Elizabeth and Bella Rose


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