So back in December we were considering getting a cat, as we hadn’t had one since before Gideon arrived. We decided, nah, not quite yet. Not a good time. A week later a cat shows up on our porch and wouldn’t leave. We named her Shama, as in “God provides”.
A couple of months later we notice she’s looking larger than usual and all of us except Brad thought, “Cool! Maybe we’ll get to experience the miracle of birth!” (Like we haven’t experienced that plenty around here.) On 3/13/08, Shama gave birth to six kittens. Pretty neat experience. She actually came to get me at five in the morning and Maelan, Robin, and I were able to sit with her over the next five hours to see all the kittens be born. A bit of feline midwifery.
We planned to get her spayed once she was done nursing the kittens. Little did we know that a cat could get pregnant when her kittens were only three weeks old. Little did we know that a grown cat could squeeze through a two-inch wide opening in the window, after clawing out the screen. But she did.
We kept two of her kittens, found homes for three more, and STILL have one to give away. (Hint! Hint!)
A couple of months later Shama is big, really big, huge big, and we all know this means a lot more than six kittens are coming. We are worried. We went out of town for a week and when we returned she was even larger than we thought possible. Oh no. So on 7/14/08, Shama gives birth to ELEVEN, yes, eleven kittens. Again she let us stay with her. But this time the kids were much less interested. Hmm.
One of the kittens - one of two runts - died a couple of days later, but the rest thrived and grew. Even the second runt, who is still tiny, is spirited and able to hold his ground among the throng. We named him Mouse.
So this is why we have had fourteen cats living in our house for the past month. Our 900 square foot, 1 Bdr/1 Ba, which we’ve lovingly converted into our 900 square foot 4 Bdr/1 Ba/Den abode. (Tabitha sleeps in the “den”.) Fifteen, if you count Tiger who showed up in between litters and also refuses to leave. He’s not allowed inside, though he would love for our hearts to soften on that matter.
And this is why Tiger, Marden, Legolas, and Teeku have all been recently spayed and neutered. Except Shama - she’s next, as soon as this current batch is weaned.
And this is why I am BEGGING and PLEADING everyone within range of this blog ... PLEASE tell your friends and neighbors. Free kittens! We have ten of them! Enough to spare. They are cute, some are gray, some are orange, some have white feet. Please come knock down our door and take them away to a good place! “I’m askin’ ya with my brain!”
And if anyone needs a sweet, friendly, 5 month old girl kitty - who is spayed! - she needs a home, too.
My apologies to Bob Barker for not taking his words to heart. Myself and my fifteen cats bid you a fond evening.
