And NOW for PART 2 !!!

Remember I said I wanted to get off the KITTY CAT ROLLER COASTER ? Well, little did I know that we were approaching the part where they warn you to keep your hands & feet inside the ride because it is about to get CRAZY !!!
First, let me say that we picked up Walter & he was doing really well. He goes back tomorrow for a recheck & hopefully his dental work. Fingers crossed.
ANYWAY .... yesterday I had a MINOR meltdown about doing dishes ... it seems like I spend half my time doing just that. So I announced that I was washing the dishes and then NOT making supper - I refused to dirty another dish that day. So Charlie went to get a pizza. Alone in the house , I went into my craft room to work on some card kits for the store. It was really quiet ... peaceful ... then I heard MEWING. I listened really carefully and I DID hear it ! So I went outside thinking there must have been a fifth kitten ... I could hear it outside too but it sounded like it came from under the house. I ran in for the carrier in case I could catch it. But no sign of it. Then the mewing stopped. I waited outside until Charlie got back, but no further noise.
After the 'dish-less supper' I went back to my craft room to work ... after a bit... more mewing. I called Charlie in but he said it was a bird. Now, I just said, "hmm. okay. " but never for a minute did I not believe it was a cat. I knew what I heard.
A little while later ...more mewing ... and it was definitely mewing. Charlie heard it and agreed. But where was this kitten ?? We searched the wood shed, the loft over the wood shed, the furnace room. We then took the gyproc off the wall in the furnace room and explored the wall cavity. Nothing. I kept returning to the craft room and could sometimes hear it, sometimes not.
Then Charlie went up in the attic. Nothing. The mewing got louder and then LOUDER. By now I am in tears because I know there is a kitten somewhere and it is probably needing help. It had been 5 days since the mothers were taken away.
Charlie decides to crawl under the house. We have no basement, just a crawl space that narrows to about 8" at the back . The noise was coming from the back but under a room that is separated form the crawl space by a rock wall. But maybe the sound was playing tricks on us.
I layed on the floor listening ... the mewing was getting more frantic and there seemed to be 2 little voices. I kept talking to them and telling them we would find them. They kept mewing back. It was heartbreaking. Then I hear Charlie's voice below the floor saying "I see you". THANK GOD !!
I ran to get the carrier and went to the trap door. After a lot of difficulty... crawling on his belly with a flashlight in hand ... Charlie hands up 2 black kittens !!! But there was another... and it was behind the rock wall & not moving much.
I ran back in and could hear a faint mewing so we knew the other little one was alive. The kittens had crawled through a little spot where a rock was missing. The other 2 were strong enough to come out on their own. But not this little guy. Our only option ... and we didn't care ... was cut a hole in the floor. We first had to move a 7 foot shelf LOADED with stuff ... a few bottles on top smashed after they hit the door jamb as we frantically pushed it out of the room. Then totes & totes of supplies. (Remember this was in my craft room ... no empty space or bare floor there !!)Then paper racks got pushed aside, carpet was cut, desks were moved, carpet flipped up. Then a 2'x2' hole was cut in the floor ... then through another plank floor, ... and then OMG a third plank floor. Finally, crowbar in hand, Charlie pried up the last boards. WE shone the flashlight down and there was the kitten, He hung down in and grabbed it ... then another. Oh my ... the last 2 were finally safe except they were very weak and couldn't really walk. They just shook and cried.
Once again we sprang into formula mode , mixing it up, filling the pipettes, making milky cat food, gathering blankets & heating pads ... oh, it was all too familiar !!
Anyway, after an hour or so we had everyone fed and warmer. They were all looking well but were even tinier than the first batch. We slept on the couch and chair, sometimes with the kittens snuggled up to our bellies to stay warm. Did I say slept ? Sorry. Not true. It was 4am before we got them full enough to sleep. Then it started again at 6:30 so we had a brief 2 hour CAT NAP. That was it. But thankfully they were okay . They wouldn't have lasted much longer - it had been 5 days with no mommy.
This morning they were picked up and will probably be at CAPS or a CAPS foster home by afternoon .
I have the greatest respect for the CAPS foster homes ... that is hard work , feeding those little babies every few hours. HATS OFF !!!
Well, hopefully that will be the last installment of the KiTTy cAt RoLLeR CoAsTEr ...

Baby Bat Face

Two Eyes

Baby Bear Cub

One Eye ... becoming 1.5 Eye