Budda

I am in shock right now. I just talked to my mom and she mentioned to me that one of her workers has a sister who would like one of the orphans. Okay... in three weeks we will think about it. No, she wants it now. Apparently she is home with a broken arm, or something, and would have time to bottle feed it, etc. I said no. I'm not willing to part with these kittens until I know they can survive on their own.

Then, she just nonchalantly mentions, well she had Circles but he got hit on the road. Who is Circles I ask. Oh... you know... Budda. I just about cried right then and there. In June we helped my sister move into her new place in Kirksville, MO. While we were there a three week old kitten came crawling across the street meowing.

I tried to take it back, but the mamma cat that I tried to give it too hissed at it and batted it away. So, I set it in the middle of their yard and it followed me back across the street. Finally a lady came out of the trailer and so I picked him up and took him to her. She stated that he had been under their deck for two days and that the mom had abandoned him. She had left him there in the hopes that she would be back, but now guessed she would have to take him in with her other 10 kittens and three mamma cats!!

At that point I offered to take him home with us and give him to Socks, since she only had three kittens and was a very good mom. I went to Wal-mart, bought him a baby bottle (the very same one we're using now) and bottle fed him for two days until Socks other older kitten was adopted and then she took him under her wing.

Budda thrived under Socks care and grew big and strong. He had a fighter personality which is what allowed him to survive those two days without his mom. One month ago, Socks weaned him and this same employee's sister said she would like to have him. I questioned whether he would be inside and was told that they thought so, but she had a farm and so he would be safe either way.

That was ONE month ago. I am just sick right now. There is no way in HELL I want this woman to take another one of my babies. She only had my last one for less than a month and now he is gone.

However, I'm very conflicted. I'm sure this woman didn't mean for anything to happen to Budda. We only had Ozzie for a little over a year when he was hit on the road so a lot of people could make the argument that we are irresponsible and shouldn't' have another cat. (Although after he died I did make the decision that we would never own another outside cat, but that is a different story all together.)

With Ozzie we took the stance that he came to us as a wild outside cat and so he just stayed that way. I supposed the same argument could be made about Budda, although it doesn't make it any easier. It is just so hard to pour your heart into saving these kittens only to give them away to uncertain futures. I suppose in the end it is probably not my decision to make. Ultimately these are my mother's kittens and she will get to make the final decision about where they will live.

Until then we have decided that they will at least stay together until they are old enough to eat on their own. From there, I guess it is up to her.