What started as a late night grocery run became something much more. It was about 10 PM when my family and I went into Meijer's grocery store for milk. As we often get separated, we each carry a walkie talkie to keep in touch. I was bored and ready to leave when my father called me on the walkie talkie to tell me to come to the front of the store. He said a lady had a two-week old kitten!

Of course, I had to see it. When I got up there there was indeed a lady with the tiniest kitten (who was, by the way, yowling loudly). I asked to pet it, and to my surprise, the lady looked up and gasped. "I know you!!!" she said. "Remember me? I'm Lisa, I foster some Shamrock cats. I've seen you at adoption day a couple of times. Sure, hold him!" Soon I was sitting and trying to console the mewing kitten while she related the story to me.

A friend of hers had a son who was familiar with her work with cats. When he got a call from his frantic girlfriend who had found an extremely young kitten earlier that night, he called Lisa to find out what to do. The girl's mother and brother had spent almost an hour searching for a mother cat or other kittens to no avail, and her father threatened to throw the kitten back over the fence if he stayed with her for much longer. He and the girl met up with Lisa at Meijer's (with kitten in tow) to purchase a bottle and formula. The baby was far too young to be away from mother, and required feeding EVERY 3-4 hours. Three small new scabs behind each ear and above his tail indicated that a hawk may have picked him up but he wriggled free.

When I arrived, Lisa was force feeding the kitten formula. Needless to say, he was protesting loudly. "I really don't know how to take care of a kitten this young. Please tell me you do?" Lisa asked. Although I had never done it before, I knew what was needed to keep the kitten alive. He was at a fragile stage, being so young but without mother to take care of him. First off, I began by asking for a towel to keep him warm. They ran off to buy one, and as soon as he was wrapped up, the mewing gave way to purring and kneading. Next order of business: the formula. He rejected the bottle, so I suggested putting it in a plastic bag, warming it with your hands, then cutting a small hole in the corner of the bag. This way it is much easier to suckle for a baby.

The most pressing matter was finding him a home. Every place we called said they would put him down almost immediately. I truly believed that this kitten would make it, seeing as his lungs were in perfect condition. His eyes were slightly open, but his ears were still folded. He could crawl on his own and was quite good at making noise. I couldn't bear to see them put down a sick cat, let alone one who seemed to have a very good chance at life. The only Shamrock person who knew how to care for such young kittens couldn't take him until tomorrow. After failure upon failure to place him, my parents agreed to let us take him for the night. I got up every 3 or so hours to feed him and to make him go to the bathroom (kittens that young can't go on their own, you have to force them).

The next day, he was doing so well in our care we decided to become his full-time fosters. After just a few weeks with the newly Christened Meijer (a joint decision between Lisa, her friend, his girlfriend, and myself, referring to the store where we got him), we fell in love. There was no putting him up for adoption now. To this day, Meijer lives with us. He is now almost 11 weeks old and can eat, use his litter box, and walk on his own. He is growing fast and loves to play, bite, and eat everything in sight (even popcorn, dogfood, plums... anything!). Watching him leap around the room is like watching a bolt of greased lightning combined with a leaping frog. He is also a most wonderful snuggle buddy! Our other animals (Triskit the dog, Carter the cat, and Dusty the Chinchilla) aren't quite sure what to make of him, though Dusty seems to want to be friends!

This is one rare case of survival and will to live in a tiny kitten, that gave him a second chance in life. He will always be a treasured part of his family. Without the help and love from people like the girl who found him, her resourceful boyfriend, and the caring foster Lisa, this little guy might not be around today. As it is, this was a perfect sucess story with a happy ending!

~Jessica Vautard, Site Administrator

Posted 7-23-04