Kitten Diaries II

Veloce author Lindsay Porter is not only a car enthusiast, but also a huge animal lover! In this latest instalment of the kitten diaries, we find out what Lindsay and his wife, Shan, decided to name their new arrival ...

"We were starting to worry about our new arrival – despite our efforts, she wasn’t going to the toilet. A trip to the vet (and a thermometer up her bum!) soon put our minds at ease – apparently, kittens can go a couple of weeks without pooing. In celebration that all was well, we named the kitten Alice.

And then, a couple of days later, the inevitable happened … we were about ready to hang out the
bunting as Alice did her first poo! After much wiping of her bottom with a warm, damp cloth by my wife, Shan, she went into the cat litter, strained comically for a while, then shrugged her shoulders and walked off – at which point, out it came! She looked at it with considerable disgust before deciding it had nothing whatsoever to do with her.

Playing games with a kitten after the 4am feed is a real test of stamina. If I was still working full-time, I don’t know how I’d do it! But the daily improvements in Alice were amazing. She’d clamber smoothly over small obstacles that had been a major impediment to her only the day before. The rapid change in her we put down to her making up ground, since she was so small when we found her.

Back at Sapey Common, the place Alice was rescued from, the mom cat and other kittens made their
return. Our friend, Fi, spotted them within a metre of her when she went to put food down for them. We planned to continue feeding them regularly, and then add some worming powder to the food to help keep the family healthy.
One of the kittens had a ‘gungy’ eye – not unlike Alice when we found her – but at least they were
returning, both physically, and in their confidence with us! If, as it seems, the mom was at some point a domestic cat, we were certain it would help enormously in making friends with her. Fi told us that the mom look excited when the food was being put down, suggesting she’s had some previous contact with humans.
We moved a few items from the abandoned shed in which they were being fed to make it less dangerous for them, but didn't want to alter too much for fear of scaring mom off again … time would tell if our efforts made a difference …"

Next time: From strength to strength