New Mom

Before Kittens

Sleeping on my coffee table

My cat Mint, I really shouldn't say my cat because she does not belong to me.  She is not domesticated and Mint is extremely independent as she comes and goes as she pleases.  I feed her but so do several other people in the building.  She also kills birds, mice and bugs and eats them.  She is a feral cat and a fierce one at that. I feel blessed that she chose me to be her friend.  When I was medevac I thought I would never see her again (the dogs that I feed, I have not seen them since I have been back).  But as soon as I put my key in the door she ran right in and made herself a home like I never was gone!! Cats are great roommates, very low maintenance, they are independent and don't ask for much and they listen to you complain without offering advice!!  They know you will figure it out.  Unfortunately, while I was gone, Mint got pregnant (I still have NOT found a vet here but a PCV in Ganja is checking for a vet there - a 3 hour marsh drive from here). So the last couple of weeks she was clinging to me.  I finished camp on Friday and hadn't seen her (she usually goes out at night and comes in the morning), and I was worried, will she have the kittens outside? Around 8 pm I hear her meowing at the door, I let her in and within 20 minutes her water breaks (I think that is what happened) and she started contraction.  I could see her stomach moving and the pain in her eyes.  Oh no, I have been elected to be her midwife!!  These contractions went on for over 6 hours.  I made a "nook" in my spare bedroom in the cabinet with blankets and clean rags but she wanted me by her all the time.  If I got up to sit on the couch, she jump there with me, if I went into the kitchen, she was following me. I sat beside the 'nook' as long as I could before my back started to hurt, I got up and sat on the couch and must have fallen asleep because I woke up with a crying kitten.  I turned on the light and I saw that she had it on the carpet, then she proceeded to pick it up and put it on my lap.  She looked at me to say "what is this and what do I do with it"... Oh darn, I put on a plastic glove and picked them both up and put them in the "nook".  Sat with her for awhile and saw she was staying there.  This was 3:30 am, so I went and lay down on the couch and woke up about 6 am to check on her.  She had 3 more kittens, but one did not make it.  Mint had cleaned it and moved it aside away from the others.  I went and got a paper towel wrapped it up and took it away.  She looked exhausted so I brought her milk, bread and chicken.  I found dry cat food at Gross market so put that out so whenever she is hungry it was right there.  She has 2 multi black kittens, one girl, one boy and 2 multi grey kittens one boy and the other died.  She is a great mom and these little ones are getting big fast.  I am going on vacation next week so I had to do some scrambling finding someone to stay here (my site friend is in Spain and not coming back until 1 1/2 weeks after I leave.  I did find a PCV that will come and I have a community friend that I tutor English has agreed to check on them.  I know that Mint will be just fine without me.  Here are some pictures I took.

Proud Mama

They are soooo cute

They are about 5 days old here

Life Challenge:  Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go... Hermann Hesse