La Vie Secrèt de Tubzey

I dropped them off at Richmond Animal Care and Control. I had them since they were about 5 days old. On October 5, 2022, I accepted being Cactus and Pear’s foster mom. These neonatal pastel calicos needed someone to care for them, so they wouldn’t have to grow up in a clanging old shelter. Little did I know I was in for a memory of a lifetime.

Currently listening to: Jeremy Zucker – You were good to me

I got them when their eyes were about to open. I decided that their birthdays were October 1, 2022 for simplicities’ sake. I chose their names since they didn’t have names. They were just “sister kitten and sister kitten with a lipstick mark on back”. I literally turned in my foster application in exchange for these kittens in a carrier. It was the weirdest feeling. All of the sudden I had neonatal kittens in my hands.

The first week was a whole learning process for me. It had been a few years since I cared for neonates. I was monitoring their weight, mL formula intake and environment temperature. I had so much anxiety that they’d be cold or get sick or not eat enough, etc. Speaking of cold, I caught a cold that same week.

They required 2 hour feedings, but I only could afford to do every 4 hours during my work days. They were so patient with my schedule. I made sure they ate well whenever I was home and on schedule. At one point Pear started fading. She was vomiting the formula up after 4 feedings, was lethargic and not crying for food. Her body wasn’t regulating temperature well either. I panicked. I ran to Kroger before they closed and got karo syrup. I syringe fed her a simple karo syrup (corn syrup) water mixture. That thankfully pepped her up the next day. She was crying for food and acting more herself. The amount of crying I did while this happened to her was insane.

As they grew, they were ready to eat wet kitten food. It was horrendous. Not because of any bad reason, but the amount of baths I had to give them after feedings was constant. They’d dunk their entire body like a swimming pool into their gruel like wet kitten food mixture with formula. Because of this habit of theirs, I had to make sure to wake up an hour early to allow them to eat and have their baths. Was I always tired? Yes.

Meanwhile being their mommy, I got covid mid-October. I was miserable. I cried so much because I felt terrible. My symptoms were fever, nausea, dizziness (vertigo exactly), diarrhea and I couldn’t keep any food or water down and body aches and chest pains. I also lost my sense of smell. It was horrendous. I kept up with the babies’ schedule while running to the bathroom to vomit intermittently. I would feed them and feel the world spinning around me while I sweated non-stop. The fever stayed for a week and half. I am grateful I am fully recovered, but it seemed like it was never ending. I had to be out of work for 2 weeks.

They became independent enough that I could free range them in my apartment. They were wire, string and slipper hunters. I had to rearrange my living space to ensure they wouldn’t electrocute themselves by accidentally chewing through a cord. They behaved so well. They used their litter box naturally.

Today was so hard on my heart. My heart hurt so bad. I felt bad I couldn’t tell them that I was handing them over to their future forever home. I couldn’t tell them to behave and be brave and good as they go to their future home. I hugged them close ad sobbed out loud at the shelter. A random lady who was getting her foster kitten vaccinated hugged me tightly and felt my pain. She was kind to console me then. I left sobbing. It took everything inside of me to drive there and bring them in.

Never underestimate a mother’s heart. I thought I wouldn’t fall in love with them. So many times while I was sick and caring for them, I thought of returning them and quitting being their foster mom. I am so happy I persevered for them. They rewarded me with so much love and grew up well.

I won’t be fostering for a while especially when I move out of my musty apartment. However, hopefully in the future, I will be met with more babies to care for. I understood my heart for loving such weak and fragile beings, my fighting spirit to not give up no matter what condition or pressure I was under or they were going through, and that no matter what life brings me, it’ll always surprise me someway or another.

Loving them was trusting the process and understanding they’d be placed in a wonderful home.

I always love you my babies, Cactus and Pear.