CatDonna's Cats

Okay, first things first. This is not an April Fool's joke, I'm afraid. I wish it were.

Something rather bad and unexpected has happened here at CatDonna's Cats.

Right now I'm typing this in a state of shock and exhaustion.

I was torn between covering this up and pretending everything is okay,
or confessing my mistake and dealing with the inevitable backlash.

I've decided to confess, and let others learn from my mistake.

I didn't know Pip was pregnant.

She gave birth some time between 2 to 3 pm yesterday, 31st March. In the laundry basket.

There were few signs, and I misinterpreted the only symptom she indicated.

She had swollen nipples for a couple weeks but I ignored them because she occasionally suckles herself for fun. I thought she was just overdoing it.

There were no other signs. She hardly gained weight and her behaviour didn't change. If you don't believe me, look at THESE RECENT POSTS. The pics were taken when Pip was supposedly heavily pregnant.

But does she look/act pregnant to you?

No, I guessed not.

It was only the DAY BEFORE she gave birth that I noticed her abdomen was a little thicker than usual, and that was when the alarm bells started to ring. I was going to make arrangements to have her checked and, if my worst fears were realised, have the foetuses aborted.

I was too late.

**********

Where did I go wrong?

Easy. I am, no, I used to be a believer in the old school of thought: castrate males only when their testicles are fully developed [6 months and above]; spay females only when they have reached a certain weight/age [2.5 kg, 8 months and above]. This was to ensure that they would be robust and developed sufficiently to withstand the trauma of surgery.

Pip first went on heat at 6 or 7 months [she's ten months now], but she was too light/young to be spayed [she weighed only 1.5 kg then, and even now she's less than 2.5 kg]. So we decided to just separate her from the rest when she went on heat, until she was ready for the operation.

Big mistake.

I am now a convert to the early sterilisation school of thought [7 weeks onwards].

I have learnt this lesson the hard way.

I am, physically and mentally, very tired.

I may take some time to post again, because I need to take care of a non-thriving newborn. But I will update soon, when I can. With pics, of course.

I understand that due to my oversight, I have sabotaged some other cats' chances of adoption and/or fostering. My mistake may cause them dearly.

I have disappointed myself and everything I believe in, as well as the good folks who work so hard at TNRM and addressing the cat overpopulation problem.

Part of me wants the non-thriving newborn to die. One less to worry about. But I can't just leave it alone with a clear conscience. So I continue to try. Tube-feeding, straight into the stomach. What fun.

To all of you reading this: I am very sorry.

If you will excuse me, I need to run over to the supplier's to get a carton of canned food for the mother. I also need to check on Pip [thank God she's a good mother] and feed the non-thriver. And then I need to go kick myself. Very hard. Again.

See you all soon.