CAITLIN

-Patience is a Virtue- 

Ice covered the streets and fresh snow fell softly from the sky. The local weatherman predicted several more inches were on the way. It was bitterly cold outside and as I ran to my car in the driveway I could feel the chill hit my skin through the many layers of thick clothing.

To those sitting indoors by the warmth of a burning fire, the view outdoors was nothing short of exquisite. As I flipped the keys to start the car engine, I sighed as I looked around at the winter wonderland surrounding me. As usual, I didn’t know what this particular rescue mission would bring. I had been told there were a mother and her six kittens living outdoors in a nearby neighborhood. And I had been told that the couple who had been feeding the young family of felines were days away from facing the effects of foreclosure. As always, time was of the essence.  

Slipping and sliding my car through the empty side streets didn’t make me nervous. What made me tense was the worry of a mother and her young kittens fending for themselves, dodging traffic, covered from head to toe in icicles and soon to be wondering where they might find their next meal. I wondered if the kittens were still nursing from the mother or if they were old enough that they had been weaned and could soon be pregnant with their own litters of kittens. We’ve seen kittens become mothers as young as four-months of age, so it wasn’t out of the question. One cat can quickly become twenty, which can swiftly become sixty and so forth. The cycle never ends unless we practice spay and neuter on all homeless, rescued and feral cats.

Upon my arrival, the mister lead me to the detached garage that sat in the back of the lot. “They usually hang out here…” he pointed as the snow fell crisply on his bare hands.

I nodded, looking around for signs of life. Nothing.

“Have you held them? Can you pet them?” I questioned.

“Um, hum. Yes mam.” He paused, wiping the snowflakes that thickly covered his eyebrows.

“So they’re friendly?” Still I saw no signs of life other than a few red birds that flocked to the nearby feeders.

“Yep. I have only held the mother, but they like me. I feed them dry food every morning, I sit it out on the ground right here…” he pointed to the empty cooking pan that seemed to quickly be filling with snow. “And their water bowl is here…” Again the man pointed. The water was frozen solid. “I come out again about four o’clock to put out some wet food for them. Most of the time they come around.” He stated proudly.

“There’s one!” I pointed, excitedly.

The man motioned for me to follow as he walked towards the open garage door. “They hide under this old chair to keep warm.”

I bent down to lift up the base of the chair. Six various colored young cats that looked to be just a few months old came flying out in all directions. Instinct told me to try and reach for them, but it was useless. “Do you have a special touch with them?” I raised my eyebrows as I peered up at the man.

“Um, hum. I can probably catch one or two kittens and I know I can get the mother when she comes around…”

“How much time do you have before you’re leaving?”

“Five days.” The man answered swiftly.

From there we set a plan. This was not going to be a one-day rescue. Like all group rescues, this one would take time and patience. I was thankful to have the couple on board with the rescue mission. They were willing to try and catch the ones they could and from there we would set a humane trap to catch the remaining kittens. Because the temperatures were so bitterly cold and the snow and ice continued to fall each day, I came to set the trap every morning and again every afternoon. And each time the trap was set, we caught another one, and then another one. On the fifth and final day, we caught the last one. A petite calico girl who shook fiercely in the rear of her crate.  
 

It was immediately clear to us that the mother feline wanted nothing further to do with her litter of kittens. We placed the mother in a foster home while the kittens remained under our close watch and care. While the mother had been friendly, outgoing and ready to trust, her kittens had not yet learned these traits. They were frightened and uncertain of their new indoor surroundings. Though scared, five of the six kittens allowed us to pet them and within a few short days they were purring, eating up a storm and loving their new warm life.

The sixth kitten was terrified of everything. A simple deep breath would send her into a frenzy and instill an instant need to hide. She trembled and avoided all eye contact. She refused to play with her siblings and she would only come out to eat/drink in the night when all was silent and still. We could hold the petite calico girl, but she did not prefer it. Of the entire litter, she was the only kitten who showed both physical and emotional wounds from her past. When the near silent furnace kicked on, Caitlin would scale the wall and hoist herself up into the rafters of the ceiling and there she would disappear into the darkness.

Unsure of where to begin the rehabilitation process with young Caitlin, we simply sat and played with the other kittens in the room, ignoring her presence. If she was going to come around, it would have to be on her own terms and in her own time. Rushing anything was out of the question.

As we continued to work with the five other kittens, they played, sat in our laps, purred, jumped, ate tasty wet food…they became happy, healthy kittens. Months passed and still Caitlin would throw herself up into the rafters of the ceiling. I have to admit, I began to wonder if Caitlin would be work-able at all. I began to question our rehabilitation methods. But in the end, I continued to believe in our process and I believed that in time Caitlin would gain the confidence she needed to present herself to us. Although I worried about her and I wanted to simply tell her that we’re here to help her, not hurt her, I knew we were doing all that we could do. Little Caitlin had to decide the rest for herself. I couldn’t help but recall the saying “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink…” 

After months had passed, Caitlin began peaking her head out and watching us play with the other rescue cats. More time passed and as I dared to steal a sideways glance of Caitlin peering in on us, I could see that her eyes were lighting up. Her eyes seemed to show that she wanted to join our play group, she just didn’t yet know how. 

Time continued to roll on and Caitlin’s brothers and sisters began being adopting into loving, committed homes to call their very own. We transported Caitlin to our upstairs office where she could be with another group of young, energetic felines. It seems that nearly every second outside of work is spent working on the rescue, therefore the office room is where Caitlin would most be around people while still continuing to be able to socialize with other cats.  

Weeks went by and again, we began to think that Caitlin may just always be a shy and timid feline. Maybe we had met our match…. 

One afternoon as I was returning e-mails and updating our systems, Caitlin jumped onto the desk beside me. I glanced briefly to the side. I thought she would dart off within seconds, but to my surprise, she moved in closer.

“Meow!”

Continuing to type I ignored her, unsure of what was happening.

“Meow! Meow!”

I turned my head, certain she would run. “Caitlin?” 
“Meow!” Again she moved towards me. “Meow!” She began nudging my arm.

“Are you okay?”

And then I heard it, she was purring. I knew at that moment Caitlin had decided it was time. And from that moment on, Caitlin never looked back. She began playing with the other cats, she meowed for pets time after time, she sat in my lap, she laid next to me. It was a true breakthrough. And in our minds it was a victory in the story of her life. After months of time had passed, Caitlin had learned from watching our behavior around the other felines and from watching us set out the food bowls and place fresh water in the dishes…Caitlin had learned that we were here to help her, not hurt her. She learned that not all people are bad and that life can be good. 

On Caitlin’s adoption day I shared her story with the wonderful couple who brought her into their home. I warned them that Caitlin would be shy at first and that it would take some time for her to warm up to them.

I had no idea that Caitlin had one last gift to share before our journey was complete. I brought her to her new home on adoption day where she ran and hid behind the couch. I had to admit I wasn’t surprised. I knew she would adjust to her new home, but it would take a few days to transition. As I was saying my good-bye’s to Caitlin’s new parents, the mister reached down behind the couch and picked her up. Caitlin easily rested her head on his shoulder, wrapped her arms around his neck and purred, all the while starring back at me as I paused with my hand on the doorknob. I was certain that Caitlin had found her dream home and that Caitlin had completed her rehabilitation process. 

Patience is a virtue and in Caitlin’s rescue and rehabilitation case, patience made all of the difference to her life and brought her to a wonderful adopted home to call her very own, “fur-ever”!