This blog hiatus briefly interrupted for reasons that will become clear as you read.
Wednesday evening, I was going around the house gathering up trash (Thursdays are garbage day here – mark your calendars with that fascinating bit of info!) and Fred came rushing into the house.
“There’s a kitten!” he said.
“What? Where?!”
“In the culvert under the road!”
I dropped the bag of trash I was holding and went out the door. He was behind me a moment later with two flashlights in hand. As we approached the ditch at the side of our property I could hear the very loud meows of a scared kitten. Fred went to the mouth of the culvert, leaned down, and looked in.
“Can you see him?” I asked.
“No, the culvert kind of bends. I’m going to go to the other side of the road.”
As he headed across the road, I fought my way down to the mouth of the culvert.
(That thing is so overgrown. SOMEONE ought to do something about that, don’t you think? I took MY turn three years ago, I think it’s Fred’s turn!)
I got onto my knees and looked in, and as I did, Fred leaned down at the other end of the culvert and we both shone our flashlights into the culvert to see one scared looking little kitten. Every time a car went over the culvert, the poor thing howled louder. And then he’d occasionally howl just to let us know he was scared.
He had one loud voice, that kitten.
I called, but the kitten just sat there and howled.
Fred tossed pebbles at the kitten in an attempt to scare him into running out my end of the culvert. The kitten just sat there and howled.
I was starting to worry that he’d been hit by a car and dragged himself into the culvert and was laying there, paralyzed.
“Would water work?” Fred suggested. I told him I thought it couldn’t hurt, so he went to the house, and I stayed and talked and called to the kitten. I wanted and was willing to crawl in to get him if need be, but I had a mental image of getting to the kitten, grabbing him, and then getting stuck. The fire department would have to come out and tie something to my feet to drag me out.
Ten bucks says I would have made the news if that had happened.
He came back with a bucket of water, and dumped it into the culvert. The kitten gave me a look like “Really? My life’s not hard enough, now you’re going to drown me?”, howled even louder, and then finally ran toward me.
So, meet Lieu.
(“Lieu” is short for “Lieutenant” – we couldn’t think of a better “Rescue Me” name, although Fred suggested “Probie.”)
I’m guesstimating him to be around the age of the Rescuees, and since he tested negative yesterday morning at the vet (THANK GOD), he’s joining the Rescuee litter. I introduced him to the rest of the litter, and there’s been some hissing and smacking, but overall it’s going well.
He’s a perfectly healthy kitten. He had a couple of fleas on him, but otherwise he’s fine. He wasn’t starving, not skin and bones.
What I’m saying is that there is NO WAY this kitten wandered off from a feral litter. He’s scared and a little skittish, but he’s not feral. Fred talked to some neighbors, and learned that the corner across the street from our house is a place where cats and dogs are often dropped off. There’s a big field across the street, and I’m sure idiots believe the animal they’re abandoning will run free and happy and live long lives. Instead of, you know, wandering out in the road to be hit or out into the field to starve to death or be attacked and killed by predators.
I won’t go off into a rant, though (too late!), I’ll just tell you that Lieu and the rest of the Rescuees are off to be spayed and neutered next Thursday!
Mocking the Fresh Step cat. “Do I look vapid enough?”
Now if you’ll pardon me, I’m back on hiatus ’til Monday. I have kittens to snuggle, y’know!
Previously
2009: Hello from RI!
2008: (PLEASE NOTE: I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL AND IF YOU TAKE ANY KIND OF MEDICAL ADVICE FROM ME WITHOUT CONSULTING, AT THE VERY LEAST, DOCTOR GOOGLE, IT IS NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY. THOUGH IF YOU’D LIKE TO SUE ME FOR A CHICKEN, FEEL FREE.)
2007: I was cross and felt at loose ends yesterday.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
2004: WAS IT REALLY FUCKING NECESSARY TO CLOSE THE POST OFFICE ALL DAY TODAY?
2003: Fancypants goes missing.
2002: Look! It’s PMSing South Park Robyn!
2001: Poor people are so funny, aren’t they?
2000: No entry.
He’s very cute!!!
Oh Robyn! He’s beautiful!!! I was so happy to see you wrote an entry today-I’ve had a week from hell and that little bit of sunshine you bring to my day was a welcome reprive!
what a pretty boy – look at those feet!
So gald you were able to save him. He looks like he will be a big cat with those big feet and ears!
He is one hansome boy. I especially like the stripes on his legs. He seems to be an unusual color-dark for buff but pale for orange. I’m glad Fred heard him!
He’s one handsome and lucky little boy!
Oh yeah, and something tells me that a couple people we know are going to be keeping a closer eye on that field across the street!
Awwwwww! Adorable!
I get totally despondent whenever I think about the fact that so many HUMANS are so completely INHUMANE. But kitten-rescuing fools like you and Fred do a lot to restore my faith in the potential goodness of our species. That Lieu (love the name) is one lucky kitty!!!
G*df*ckingdammit, my husband never finds kittens!!! Now I am REALLY pissed at him. It’s not bad enough we are going out to dinner for his birthday Sunday so I have to miss the season premiere of True Blood WITH NAKED ERIC NORTHMAN, but he, my husband, not naked Eric Northman, never finds kittens.
I bet Eric Northman finds kittens.
BAH.
I always liked the name Lieutenant and thought if I ever had a German Shepard (Sheperd?) POLICE DOG, I would name him/her that. Also I think your Lieu there has huge feet, or is that just the camera angle? Oh, I see other commenters noticed too!
My husband and I have been talking about the possibility of taking our 2 dogs to the Sonic a few towns over in his convertible for a treat. Being a smart ass he’s suggesting tonight (Sunday) at 9pm so I’ll miss the True Blood premiere. It’s very humid with thunderstorms predicted so not a good plan anyway. Then he tells me he loves the dogs more than I do. He’s not a True Blood or horror fan in general. The things I didn’t consider at 20 when I chose him!
What a very lucky kitty he was to wind up in the best place he could have!
Sounds like that corner could use a sign with the address(es) of the nearest shelter(s).
He’s going to be a big boy!! Look at his ears and feet!!!! On a side note, is it illegal to dump animals in your state or county? It is animal cruelty, after all.
On Saturday night I went to a fundraiser for a rescue organization in our area. They had a book on each table showing some of the cats that are presently being fostered. Some of the stories would break your heart – like the three kittens that were rexcued from a bunch of kids that were using them as baseballs.
Robyn, I just don’t get it! How can people be so cruel to purposely hurt or abandon an inocent animal??? I just don’t get it.