The survivors

I saved a cat and two kittens from my grandparents' property today. Two other kittens weren't so lucky.

Parker and "his" cat

It started with a sweet outside-but-not-feral pregnant cat who has recently adopted my nephew as her person. She follows him around, rubs against him, and talks to him.

Mom reported the cat was scratching at the door and meowing this morning -- unusual behavior for her. When I arrived, she ran up to my car and started chatting. I knew she had to be going into labor, and I planned to pay attention to where she made her nest so we could watch over them.


My attention was diverted as I tried to help Mom with Grandma and my nephew. When I stepped outside a couple of hours later, I was horrified to find two dead kittens in the parking space next to the deck. I found a survivor rooting around in the weeds. I scooped that one up in a towel and placed it in a bucket to keep it safe. I found a shovel and dug a grave for the other two.

The ride home from Posey County

We found the mother cat nursing a fourth kitten in a hard to reach spot under the deck's steps. That's about the time a Tom cat emerged from under another side of the deck, and when I realized that he was responsible for killing the two kittens.

I decided the only way the two other kittens would survive was to take them and the momma cat home with me. Since I couldn't crawl under the deck to reach the cat and kitten, I removed the plank from the step that was sheltering them, gently picked up the baby and momma, and reunited them with the injured kitten in a cardboard box.

The trip home was surprisingly uneventful. For a cat that had never been inside a day in its life, the nursing mother handled the car ride exceptionally well.

I was worried about the injured kitten because he didn't seem to be moving his back legs. I had a vet take a look, and he said the kitten's feet were responsive and he should be OK.

So, for now all three are in a kennel in our basement bathroom.