So now we know the reason I was mauled the other night.
If I would've had a functioning hand, rather than the useless claw hanging at my side, at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, I would've been boarding a dive boat. Instead, I was awoken from peaceful dozing by the cry of a kitten. I sat up and there was a kitten on the floor by the side of my bed, placenta still attached. Fluffy and Mamacat were up on a storage container I keep there for them to sit on, looking at the newborn kitten like it was a mouse. Scary!
So I went into action and got a former tortoise enclosure that was to act as her nesting box. I tried to give it to her a week ago, but she kept peeing in it. This time, she used it right.
I had lined it with blankets covered with a towel and set her inside with the baby. She licked, licked, licked. I had read they typically had births a half-hour apart, so I was chillin' when the second one started to come out. This is when I ran for my car to get the camera.
I wasn't as prepared as I wanted to be, but I had read up a little so knew enough to help/not get freaked out when, for example, Baby #4's feet came out and then WENT BACK IN. Mama also didn't chew off any of the placentas like she was supposed to, so I cut the umbilical cords for her. She left Baby #3 in the amniotic sac long enough for me to get worried and open it myself. But once they were all out, she was the picture of a good mama - licking, nursing, cuddling.
So now the poor girl is sick and has four babies to take care of, but she's doing quite well. If one cries, she scoots over to show more of her belly.
Anyway, here they are! I'm sure they will have the best documented kittenhoods in the history of photography, so keep a watch on my Flickr kitten set!
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