A Call for Help
“Mom! I need your help!” These were the distressed words that I heard from my daughter, Ivana, over the phone. She was on her visit with her dad in Norwalk, California. I think the arrangement was that he picked up the children and then I had to go get them from him. It was a 2-hour drive from Fallbrook, California.
“What do you need help with?” I asked concerned.
“Mom, there were 2 little kittens and something happened to their mom. She didn’t come to feed them. 1 has already died. It is so sad. Mom could you please bring some food for me to feed the kitten that is still living?”
I told her that I surely would and I made sure to get a can of cat food to take with me. As I drove the long distance, I wondered why her father wouldn’t help the poor kitten. Maybe he was low on money, which was quite probable. I have a soft heart for suffering animals, and my daughter knew it. I hoped this kitten wouldn’t die before I arrived with the help it needed.
Can I Keep It?
When I arrived, she brought the kitten out and I opened the can of cat food for it. It was ravenous and went to work filling its belly. While the kitten was eating, my daughter got up the courage to plead, “Mom, can I keep it?” I thought quickly about this kitten’s options. If I said, “No,” it wouldn’t have much chance to survive and it was evident that her father wouldn’t care for it. I said, “Yes. You may keep it.” She was overjoyed!
Let’s hear the kitten’s story from Ivana’s own words.
Being the Mom
There I am being the mom and correcting my daughter’s English. Also, as a typical mom, the condition of bringing this kitten home meant that Ivana would be the mom to care for this cute little orphan. She gladly agreed. We rounded up her brother and headed for home. I was wondering how the “one cat family,” Pebbles, was going to react to this new family member.
Of course, Pebbles let the kitten know who was boss with lots of growls and hisses. Come on, Pebbles, you must have mothering instincts. We know by the way you pick up your octopus-shaped toy and carry it around and talk to it the way you would a kitten. I remember that her previous owner said that Pebbles was sad when she lost her kittens to good homes. Well, she just couldn’t be mean forever and this was one persistent kitten.
“Hey! I want some of that food!” Would Pebbles be willing to share?
Treating Our Sick Kitten
The kitten looks bigger here, so this may not have happened right away. Let’s go back to when the kitten first came home. It was in a sickly condition. We gave it a bath and then for a week or so, we had to treat it for its runny eyes and nose. Sometimes the eyes would be stuck together in the morning. I didn’t have a lot of money then for vet bills, but I had been a vet tech and also had some knowledge of natural remedies. I taught Ivana how to dilute some colloidal silver and dip a cotton ball in the solution and then wipe the eyes with it. We may also have added some to her food. When kittens get unhealthy from a lack of food, they can easily get an upper respiratory infection. Colloidal silver is great at killing bacteria and is anti-viral.
In the following picture, you can see the kitten by its sleeping new mom. You can kind of see how her eyes weren’t opening all the way.
Naming the Kitten
For the first few days, we thought this kitten was a male. Then I checked more carefully and found out that it was a female. I was telling my daughter that she needed to name the kitten. Initially, she had wanted to name it Sasha, I suggested, Natasha, after a friend that had a cat named, Ivana. She didn’t like the name. I finally said that if she didn’t name the kitten, that I would. I got this idea of Heshe since the kitten had been a “he” and then became a “she.” She agreed and that is how the kitten was named, Heshe.
Above, Ivana is holding Heshe and you can see a washcloth that she would soak with warm water and wipe Heshe’s crusted eyes with before the colloidal silver treatment. There just happens to be a tag there saying that Heshe is 100 % cotton and a size medium.
Heshe loved to play with toys as you will see in the picture below. There will also be two cute videos of her defending her toy. In the second one, she gets so bold as to even attack my camera.
Be Merciful
Just to wrap this all up, I want to remind everyone to remember that Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful…” Because we showed mercy to Heshe, we were blessed to be entertained by her playfulness. Pebbles also showed mercy and got to have a new friend. Cats are a great blessing to add to any home. They learn to play rough as kittens so they can be good mousers when they grow up. So, don’t be afraid to have a cat or two or….seven on your homestead. Thanks to all of you that read this far.