Cat Leaves a Surprise for Us

It was just the beginning of the year when we got a huge surprise from a stray cat who started visiting us a few weeks ago. We think she was abandoned by her previous owner (they moved out). She's a noisy cat and does not shy away from hoomans. She's also friendly to other cats. She's managed to get in our door a couple of times. That's how we figured out that she's domesticated and not part of the feral colony.  

We aptly named the cat, Meredith. Her markings though are different from Grey since she has spots. Soon enough she allowed us to pet her. The other feral cats that have been visiting us for 2 years now, still don't want to be touched. They would just sniff our fingers and then turn away. Anyway, we soon noticed Meredith had a strange bulge. She was pregnant and would meow loudly whenever she visited to eat. 

On the third of January, Sweetie and I stepped out for some errands. When we got back we were surprised to see something red on the garage floor. It didn't have any hair and wasn't breathing anymore. We were not sure whether it was a bird, a mouse or a cat. Took a photo and sent it to a friend studying to be a vet. She said it was definitely a mammal. 

Check the shadow of her mouth.

I mentioned to her about Meredith, the stray cat that had a strange bulge. My friend said she likely experienced dystocia. CCTV footage showed it was indeed Meredith. She gave birth across the street and carried the baby to our garage when she got spooked when our neighbor went out. She left the baby on the floor and then disappeared for a few days. She probably stayed in the house where she usually disappears to after eating.

When Meredith came back she was obviously unwell. We noticed she wasn't eating her usual pellets, so Miggy gave her some wet food. She immediately perked up and moreso when she was given water with some sugar. I remember that's what we used to do for our dogs whenever they were unwell. We didn't bring her to a vet since we're not sure whether she has an owner. 

It's amazing how animals could bounce back so quickly. The next day, Meredith, gave us a gift. Near where she left her baby were two medium-sized rats. Ugh. They stank! She probably brought it in from another property. The boys immediately removed the "gift". Hopefully, she doesn't bring any more "gifts", haha. 

Meredith is well now. My friend mentioned that dystocia is also risky for the mother. I'm glad Meredith made it. Her noisy nature though seems to have scared Kaley away. I haven't seen Kaley for a few days now. Looks like she's friends with Brimsley since she hasn't been chased out. Will try to bring her to the vet soon so she can be spayed. 

#BeKind #StaySafe