On the morning of July 27, 2006 I happened to stop by one of our construction sites. The foreman came to me immediately and asked if I liked cats. We walked over to a roll of insulation, he lifted it up, and there were 2 newborn baby kittens! I immediately picked them up and put them next to my skin.
The little black one still had a wet umbilical cord! The other was black and white. Next I went to the pet store and bought an eyedropper, bottles, and kitten milk replacement. They were so very tiny. I called my veterinarian who agreed to see them immediately. He felt they would not survive. I felt he didn't know me very well.
I kept them with me 24 hours a day - never out of my sight for the first 8 weeks. I set up a playpen in my office and one in my home. At home the playpen went from the living room to my bedroom at night. I never went anywhere without a bottle kept warm in a coffee thermos, a pad that could be warmed in a microwave and a roll of paper towel.
Several times we would pull over to the side of the road, sat in the middle of the mall or wherever we were so they could eat. I weighed them daily and they grew daily. Today my veterinarian says he believes they are the healthiest kittens he has seen. They are my incredible little angels. My little girl, Gloria (named after Gloria Gainor who sang "I will Survive") is now 3 pounds. My little boy, Phoenix (Phoenix's rise from the ashes and become beautiful) is now 3 pounds 4 ounces! I feel truly blessed to have had this experience and to be their mom.
They now stay home 1/2 days with big brother - my 3 year old male, Bill, who is not as thrilled but puts up with them, and a 6 year old 75 pound boxer who loves them to pieces and is a true protector. -That is another story!
(On the tragic side, their real mom was found a couple days later and had died trying to give birth to the rest of her litter-another reason to spay and neuter your pets!)
Kim DeFord - Helena, Montana
