Well, some of you that keep up with our family on Facebook will already know most of the story, but here is what has occupied our last week: On Monday the 15th from our back balcony, we began hearing the cries of a newborn kitten, but we could not see from where the cries were coming. We often watch all ages of cats from 3months up,
playing on the entanglement of patios and balconies that our building and several others come together to make. We are not sure how to get back there ourselves, but the animals find it safe and the babies use it as a jungle gym of entertainment. We delight in calling them and throwing down bits of food. This cry; however, was different. This was a cry for help. After almost 24 hours, we were finally able to see the kitten. It had worked its way onto a t
iled patio adjacent to the courtyard of the building next to us. Matt went down to see what he could do to help it.
He was able to stick a broom through the fence and sweep the kitten to us. We brought it upstairs to warm it and pray about what to do. In that time, the neighborhood children called us and told us that they had found two other babies. They were safely under a bush on the other side of a fence. Because of the kitten's age, we felt the best thing to do was to try to give it back to its mother. We put it in a bucket and lowered it down with a rope; dumping it out safely with its siblings. The next day we discovered that the mother had returned and moved the litter to a wood pile in the courtyard next to us. Two of the kittens were out playing. I allowed Grace to go down and love on them. You can see the picture below. The kitten we had saved was not with
the bunch. We figured that it had gotten too cold from its ordeal and had not made it. Then on Friday, while Grace was playing down stairs, the kids discovered that there was a muffled cry coming from the wood. I went down and sure enough I could see the kitten's eyes. I was able to move some things around and free the kitten. As far as I could tell nothing was broken. The weather had turned a bit chilly, especially for infants, so I tried to discourage the children (with my little language) to leave the kittens alone. We made a place where they could not roam and get too cold. I watched and prayed about what to do on Saturday as the neighborhood children continued to mess with and even try to feed the kittens. I encouraged them several times to leave them alone. I know the mother was doing her best.
I finally saw the mother, but she was afraid to come out with the children around teasing her. After our Sunday meeting, we discovered that the mother had chosen to move on with the stronger 2 kittens. The other was left alone. We felt like we had the choice of letting it die out in the open or trying to care for it ourselves. Well, as you can guess, we brought it upstairs. There are no shelters to take animals, and we were not able to find formula replacement or a small bottle. I spoke with a friend of mine who is a vet in England. She gave us basic instructions, but told us the likelihood was that the kitten was too ill to make it - thus why the mother chose to leave it. Our friends connected us with a vet, but the vet would not take the kitten. He wanted our money to treat it and give it back to us. We might would have considered it, but he wanted a large sum (thought he would make a buck from some foreigners) and he could not say what the chances were of the kitten pulling though. She had bursts of energy over the 4 days we had her, but we knew the whole time she was quite sick.
She did not breathe well and often stopped for long periods of time. We kept her in the decision room (
click here if you don't know what that is) with a portable heater, mattress pad and many blankets and towels. We stayed in there most of the time giving her company and a warm body to curl up to.
You can see the pictures of the kids doing their homeschool work with the kitten right along side them. On her last night, I put her in bed with me. I feed her small sips from a syringe and
tried to care for her all night, but she slipped away about 6:15am. I wrapped her in one of William's shirts. The kids asked if they could hold her and kiss her goodbye. It was a heart breaking scene as Grace sobbed, "my baby, my baby". We have talked alot about caring for the creatures of the earth. W
e feel like we did our part in giving this kitty a warm and loving home for the short time she had. AT
Well, some of you that keep up with our family on Facebook will already know most of the story, but here is what has occupied our last week: On Monday the 15th from our back balcony, we began hearing the cries of a newborn kitten, but we could not see from where the cries were coming. We often watch all ages of cats from 3months up, 
playing on the entanglement of patios and balconies that our building and several others come together to make. We are not sure how to get back there ourselves, but the animals find it safe and the babies use it as a jungle gym of entertainment. We delight in calling them and throwing down bits of food. This cry; however, was different. This was a cry for help. After almost 24 hours, we were finally able to see the kitten. It had worked its way onto a t
iled patio adjacent to the courtyard of the building next to us. Matt went down to see what he could do to help it. 
He was able to stick a broom through the fence and sweep the kitten to us. We brought it upstairs to warm it and pray about what to do. In that time, the neighborhood children called us and told us that they had found two other babies. They were safely under a bush on the other side of a fence. Because of the kitten's age, we felt the best thing to do was to try to give it back to its mother. We put it in a bucket and lowered it down with a rope; dumping it out safely with its siblings. The next day we discovered that the mother had returned and moved the litter to a wood pile in the courtyard next to us. Two of the kittens were out playing. I allowed Grace to go down and love on them. You can see the picture below. The kitten we had saved was not with 
the bunch. We figured that it had gotten too cold from its ordeal and had not made it. Then on Friday, while Grace was playing down stairs, the kids discovered that there was a muffled cry coming from the wood. I went down and sure enough I could see the kitten's eyes. I was able to move some things around and free the kitten. As far as I could tell nothing was broken. The weather had turned a bit chilly, especially for infants, so I tried to discourage the children (with my little language) to leave the kittens alone. We made a place where they could not roam and get too cold. I watched and prayed about what to do on Saturday as the neighborhood children continued to mess with and even try to feed the kittens. I encouraged them several times to leave them alone. I know the mother was doing her best. 
I finally saw the mother, but she was afraid to come out with the children around teasing her. After our Sunday meeting, we discovered that the mother had chosen to move on with the stronger 2 kittens. The other was left alone. We felt like we had the choice of letting it die out in the open or trying to care for it ourselves. Well, as you can guess, we brought it upstairs. There are no shelters to take animals, and we were not able to find formula replacement or a small bottle. I spoke with a friend of mine who is a vet in England. She gave us basic instructions, but told us the likelihood was that the kitten was too ill to make it - thus why the mother chose to leave it. Our friends connected us with a vet, but the vet would not take the kitten. He wanted our money to treat it and give it back to us. We might would have considered it, but he wanted a large sum (thought he would make a buck from some foreigners) and he could not say what the chances were of the kitten pulling though. She had bursts of energy over the 4 days we had her, but we knew the whole time she was quite sick. 
She did not breathe well and often stopped for long periods of time. We kept her in the decision room (click here if you don't know what that is) with a portable heater, mattress pad and many blankets and towels. We stayed in there most of the time giving her company and a warm body to curl up to. 
tried to care for her all night, but she slipped away about 6:15am. I wrapped her in one of William's shirts. The kids asked if they could hold her and kiss her goodbye. It was a heart breaking scene as Grace sobbed, "my baby, my baby". We have talked alot about caring for the creatures of the earth. W
e feel like we did our part in giving this kitty a warm and loving home for the short time she had. AT
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