Small Miracles

On this day in 2009, one of those small miracles of life on Planet Earth happened in the bedroom, much to the relief of Gypsy Girlie who was at the point of bursting. She was in great discomfort for more than a week before giving birth; she moaned frequently and it was heartbreaking to hear, knowing there was no way to ameliorate her pain.




She had come to the farm late one cold afternoon in February, so scrawny it wasn't clear she would survive. What she knew, and no one else did, was she was pregnant. For weeks she downed kibbles like there was no tomorrow, gaining weight until her figure was normal - but still she chowed down. She grew larger and larger until everyone realized she was soon to be a mother. On April 14th, over about five hours, she gave birth to five kittens, three females and two males, four orange and one dark smoke. They were christened Buster, Fred, Beatrice, Annie and Tadpole. Poor Girlie was thoroughly exhausted.

Not all at Stratheden Farm celebrated; MommaKat and her sons, Chet and Grover, were clearly traumatized by the additions. The three of them were still recovering from the shock of moving from a desert to a lush farmland just a few months earlier and this was almost too much.

Beatrice

As the kittens grew, the plan was to find homes for most, if not all. But then there was a problem - Mr Fuzzy was getting terribly attached to them. One family with a little sandy-haired daughter came to see if she might like one. The answer was definite - she only interacted with Tadpole and she already had a new name picked out. It was clear this was a stable, loving family, so Tadpole went to her new home with them.

Fred Tweedle

Buster

Unfortunately, MommaKat and her boys were not kind to Gypsy Girlie and after about six more months, she went to find a new home, just as she had come here. Two of her children, Annie and Fred, inherited her restless. Annie would leave for as long as three months and then come back, apparently no worse for the wear. Fred would wander off for up to a week, especially if I was away for more than a couple of days. Its unlikely someone was feeding them since none of Gypsy Girlie's offspring could digest fish based foods (i.e., normal cat food) without bad side effects. Eventually, Annie left and never returned. Fred's wandering was mitigated by someone/something breaking his pelvis four summers ago; he's been a homebody ever since, much to my relief.


The veterinarian first saw the kitties at two months, when their first physical and first inoculations were due. Buster, Fred and Bea were past three standard deviations on the weight chart. Dr. McGrath wanted to know what they were being fed! Annie and Tadpole were much more typical in size. Buster weighs about 19 pounds, Fred about 17. Being a female, Bea will not disclose her weight but she is a big gal. None of the three have any fat; they're big boned and muscular felines, predators of the first degree.

For the last three years, Bea has slept with me every night. Fred usually spends a portion of the night sleeping on the bed - it may be that my loud snoring disturbs his sleep. Buster usually indulges in cat naps on the bed during the day, along with Bea, both trying to lure me into a brief nap; sometimes they succeed. Along with JackTar, they are better companions than most canines. I am so thankful for their love and companionship.

Happy Birthday, Bea, Fred and Buster!

Buster

Bea on her pillow

Fred on his throne