However, we heard from Aswat at Angels Pet Shop that one of the cat-ladies found the three kittens dumped below my block. They went missing for days after. All of us were stricken with worry, wondering if they had been thrown away by the rubbish collectors. They are too young to be able to fend for themselves against threats like dumping and bullying.
We thought we lost them. We saw Mommy cat still lingering around our block. We feed her sometimes. And bathe her.
Then one night, Sayang our guard cat went to the front door and seemed to be aware of someone outside our house. I opened the door and lo and behold! Mommy cat AND her three kittens were at our doorstep, hungry.
We fed them. And contacted Aswat to see if he could get people to adopt the kittens. I would take them in but we already have two cats, and obviously Mommy cat's human family also cannot keep them, else why would they have dumped the kittens downstairs.
Angels Pet Shop was full on kittens, so we had to take care of the kittens while he tried to link us up with people who would like to adopt any of them.
In the end, one of the kittens was adopted by a customer of Angels. We called that kitten Neko, as she was a tricolour kitten similar to a Japanese bobtail cat! Well, she has a new home now, and need never have to brave the rain and the rubbish again.
So now, two left, plus Mommy cat, three.
During our latest neighbourhood round-up for cats to be neutered, we decided to bring Mommy cat in too. While Mommy was away at the vet, we took care of the other two kittens, Nosey and Snowy.
Unfortunately the vet found that Mommy cat was still lactating and unsuitable for sterilisation at this point. Looks like it's the next round for her.
Reunited, we left the family of three to play and eat at our doorstep. Nosey and Snowy, over the two days that Mommy was away, created a huge mess at home, and my rhinitis flared up at the sudden influx of so much more fur.
But Andy and I keep worrying about them. They don't seem to have enough to eat (kittens and nursing cats need to eat a lot more than normal adult cats). They are dirty from playing outside, and have fleas. Also, one of my neighbour's children bullied the kittens by pouring soya bean milk on them (and also along the shared corridor and on other neighbours' property, much to my horror). Of course I made that recalcitrant family clean up the mess, and scolded the kids good and proper. But then we started to feel they were safer inside the house.
Today, we let them out again, keeping an eye on them, feeding and watering them throughout the day. But when night came, so did a storm. They got wet, and cold. We brought them in again, and they are now resting and playing in our kitchen. Slinky is in the living room guarding her territory, and Sayang is asleep in our room next to me.
Andy and I feel so torn over Mommy, Nosey and Snowy. While we want to take care of them to make sure they are safe, well fed and warm, we also wonder how it would be possible for us to take on five cats in one small three-room flat. But we love the cats. Mommy cat looks like Hello Kitty! She is white with and elegant long neck, and a pink nose. She also very vocal, and likes to be near people. Snowy looks just like her, also vocal, and very playful, often running around and exploring, chasing Nosey and having wrestling matches with each other. Nosey is cute! She has a black button nose, while the rest of her body is black, orange and with white ankle socks. She is the most docile, the least to kick up a fuss during shower time, and her only vice is that she loves to climb our iron gate (though as yet does not know how to come down after...).
Hopefully, we can find Snowy and Nosey a good home. Let us know if you are interested.
Snowy, asleep, with Mommy moving away from her after helping to wash her. Nosey, curled up on our kitchen floor, her black button nose just makes you want to PRESS it!
