A Tale of Two Kitties

I would like to clarify a thing or so.

1. We are not kit-nappers. Contrary to what cat numbers in our house would indicate, we do not delight in bringing home furry felines for no rhyme or reason. Our first instinct when we ­­see kittens (or puppies, for that matter) is to try and get them homes. With kittens, we try hard as young cats have to be protected from dogs as well. We have had some wonderful experiences, people who have taken care of their feline friends with as much love as possible.
2. My parents are as responsible for bringing home strays as we are. And though they may not initiate the act itself, the thought behind the act is mostly theirs.

It is important to mention these points as they often need to be reiterated in most of our four legged rescue stories.

In late July, 2013, Vaijanti was heavily pregnant. She was our first female ‘window cat.’

We automatically became a more efficient hotel for her. We generally follow a twice or thrice a day system, but with her pregnancy, we made sure that she got her food whenever she came. By the first week of August, she had littered. And even though we fed her well, we didn’t try to track down her kittens. As long as they were out of sight, they were probably safe. With dogs just outside, the risks were high.

One fine Monday morning, we saw them. Vaijanti and her kittens. Two of them, weaving affectionately in and out from between her  legs. That was the end of peace for those at home……namely Baba, Debjanee and myself. Every fifteen minutes one would have to go outside and see whether the kittens were okay or not. Repeated calls from those at work asking for updates on the kittens.

Finally, we convinced Ma to use her influence and ask the kids at her school if anyone was interested (Step 1). As I mentioned before, we have had some excellent experiences with kitten adopters, most of them being kids from Ma’s school. There were some potential homes so we decided to focus on bringing in the kittens and keeping them safe till they were adopted (Step 2).

Well, easy as it may seem, catching tiny kittens is a nightmare. Especially, when they don’t want to be caught! We had never had any problems about catching kittens before this. This time, we were in for a treat.

1. You cannot run as fast as kittens
2. You cannot go into tiny crevices like them
3. You have to be prepared for the consequences

Three points you have to keep in mind. Three points I wasn’t aware of. Three points that laid the ground rules for successive kitten catching events.

The entire neighbourhood knew when we caught the two kittens. Their shrieks and subsequently our shrieks (from the bites) made sure that everybody knew of the episode. Finally, they were in. We were all feeling rather wretched as the tiny kittens refused to interact with us and sat huddled in a corner feeling scared.

We told ourselves that it was a passing phase. All I know is that it took a long, long time to pass.

Chutka and Chutki were exceptionally shy kittens. The day we showed Vaiji that her kids were safe with us; she slept for a full 24 hrs at our window. Like a tired mother (who has to stay up nights and watch over her kids and be constantly alert) who is suddenly freed from her responsibilities, she relaxed. Often, she would visit them once a day… bringing little treats for them. Anything from a dry roti to a frog. It took her about a week to stop visiting them completely.

Chutka and Chutki during the “waiting period”

Chutka and Chutki had been given the smaller of the bedrooms for the time being. They were extremely petrified of us and one had to leave their food in the room and walk out for them to eat. I decided to become their roommate. Trying to draw them out was a mammoth task. They were such pathetic specimens that when they scrambled onto the bed to empty their bladder, I had no choice but to give them an encouraging look. Disciplining such soft creatures would have to wait.

Two weeks now, I was losing heart. They refused to interact with anyone. The only time they came to me, was when they thought that I was sleeping. Then I would get run over by them several times during their games and if I used a sheet at night, Chutka would sleep with me. It took Chutki a while to do the same.

It was at this time that we tried to introduce our own cats to them to see whether they were more comfortable with their own species. We struck gold with Mahi. Mahi aka Calvin is our male cat, the only offspring of Circuit, our senior most member. He is a great one for hounding his peers and making life miserable for them. So when he decided to take Chutka and Chutki under his wing, we were shocked. He was the perfect Uncle. He ran around, played with them and was most gentle in his normally rough games. Chutka and Chutki found a father figure in him and very soon they started curling up next to him and sleeping.

Uncle Mahi to the rescue: Mahi (the big tom cat) spending time with his wards

 

The day came. Chutki and Chutka were to be taken to their future home (Step 3). Since I had spent so much time with them, I must admit, I was feeling bad. I knew how sensitive they were and I felt bad about unsettling them yet again. But I rationalized that it was for the best. Debjanee, Baba and I drove down to the centre of the city, the posh localities of Park Street to drop off the kittens. Mary Anne (name changed) was waiting for us and the kittens. We felt reassured when we saw how excited she was. From a well to do family, the house had large palatial rooms. Surely, this would be their dream home!

Mary Anne took the kittens to her room. She said that she had kept dogs before but not cats. We therefore gave her some key tips and stressed on how sensitive the two kittens were. She seemed to be a gentle and sensitive kid herself and we felt that the felines had found their human counterpart.  One thing we made very clear, any trouble, issue, problem, call us immediately. Don’t hesitate. It doesn’t matter. Just call us.

When we bid the kittens goodbye, my heart gave a tug. Their forlorn look gave me a sinking feeling.

While most adoption stories begin with a sense of despair or resignation, anger is a sentiment which is rarely the cause necessitating adoption. One of the instances that sparked off such a sentiment was when Turbo’s owners brought him over for Spotty’s birthday and decided that they didn’t want to take him back. We were really annoyed.  Imagine the heartbreak an animal as faithful as a dog would suffer! We changed his name (it used to be Bruno). We never tried to take him back to his owners or speak to them over the phone to convince them to take him back. A family like that didn’t deserve a member like Turbo!

What followed in this case was along similar lines.

Just after 11:00pm, the very same day, I got a message. It was from Mary Anne. She said that her father was having an allergic reaction to the kittens’ fur.  I knew what that meant. She said she had a friend who was interested in the kittens and I stopped her short. No. They were to be kept right there till we went and took them back.

Since it was a week day, the kittens could not be collected until Mary Anne returned from school. All through the morning we felt uneasy. Were the kittens fine? Had they managed to escape? What were they doing? At least they had each other…

When we walked up the steps to the house I know I was making deals with God. Please let them be okay, and I will not lose my cool. As long as they are fine, I am ready to forget the incident. All thoughts running in the same direction.

When we entered their house, we were met with long stories about the father’s inability to tolerate fur. Debjanee and I exchanged several knowing looks. Mary Anne then led us to her room. We looked around to see where they were when she suddenly blurted out, ‘They pooped on my school uniform!’

‘Where was it?’ Debjanee asked.

‘On the floor,’ came the reply.

‘Where are the kittens?’

The bathroom door opened.

The kittens had been left in the cold intimidating bathroom since the previous night. It had not a hint of warmth with a cold draft coming in from the window. They were curled up, huddled together on the cistern. Had they been on the first floor, the kittens would have jumped down and escaped. As it happened, the sheer drop of five floors was way more intimidating than the huge bathroom.

When Chutka and Chutki saw us they came running. I made a promise to them. They were not going anywhere ever again. I believe I am stronger when it comes to getting animals adopted (most of the others get too attached), but this was one day where I could have cried when I saw them. I know I would have never forgiven myself if anything had happened to them by chance.

I know both Debjanee and I were very cutting when we went to collect the kittens. But I have very little recollection of the words that were exchanged that day. I attribute it to the relief of having brought back our darlings home.

When we reached home and set the kittens down, Chutki scratched the cane chair with happiness, a first for her. Need I say more?

Chutki and Chutka blossom after coming back and being shifted to the master bedroom with other cats

I feel sorry for people like Mary Anne who probably will never have pets and will miss out on the greatest joy in life. Also, when people like her have kids, and have to clean up their poop and change diapers at least some day (even if they keep ayahs) they will learn a very sound lesson in biology. Every animal excretes.

Note: Chutka and Chutki are two of our softest and sweetest cats. They don’t fight with anyone and they still have a soft corner for Mahi. And even though their mother is with us, they bond better with him!

Step 2 is our favourite step. We never seem to proceed beyond it.

Chutka and Chutki about a week back