by Holly Webb
“OK,” Dad said, putting his phone away. “I’ve told Mum we’ll stay.”
“What do you think could have happened to their mum?” Lily asked, a little while later. “I don’t think she’s coming back, Dad. Why would she leave them?”
Dad sighed. “I don’t know. Perhaps she just couldn’t look after them properly. The lady from the shelter did say that if a very young cat has kittens, they do sometimes abandon them. Because they just haven’t got the energy to feed themselves and make enough milk for the kittens, too. If she’s a stray and she’s having to hunt for her food, or steal it out of bins, she might not be able to cope.”
“That’s so sad.” Lily sighed, thinking of Pixie next door – so plump and well fed.
“Or it could be that she’s not a stray. Maybe she just came here to have her kittens, and now her family have found her and they’re keeping her in to stop her going off again.”
“But they must know the kittens need her!” Lily shook her head. “Nobody would be that mean!”
Dad nodded. “No, you’re probably right. I’m sure the owners would want to look after the kittens, too. Unless maybe they didn’t realize she was pregnant…?”
Dad looked over towards the gap in the fence and the alleyway that led down to the houses and frowned. “Lily, listen, love. I don’t want to upset you but there is another thing that could have happened. It’s quite a busy road out there. She could have been hit by a car.”
Lily swallowed and her voice wobbled when she answered. “I know. I was thinking that. We go down that road to school and cars do go really fast along there. Do you think she tried to cross it?”
“If she doesn’t come back we’ll probably never know.” Dad put his arms round her shoulders. “But it’s a possibility.”
“Poor cat,” Lily whispered. “And poor kittens.”
“Well, at least we found them, thanks to Hugo.”
“He’s a hero.” Lily rubbed his nose and Hugo turned to look back at her for a moment. Then his ears twitched and he stood up, gazing down the path. “Someone’s coming,” Lily murmured. “Oh, it’s Mum! And Carly! But I said I didn’t want to go back, Dad.”
“Hello!” Lily’s mum stood on tiptoe, trying to see the sofa and the kittens. “We thought we’d come and bring you some sandwiches. Are they over there?”
“Can I go and see?” Carly asked.
“Just quickly,” Dad suggested. “We’re watching for their mum, Carly. We don’t want to scare her off.”
As Mum and Carly hurried over to take a quick look, Hugo stood up, whining a little.
“It’s OK, boy.” Dad patted him reassuringly. “He really is keeping watch over those kittens, isn’t he?”
“They’re beautiful,” Mum whispered, as she and Carly came creeping back through the bracken. “But so tiny! Surely they’re going to need feeding soon?”
Dad nodded. “I reckon so. But the lady at the shelter told us not to do anything until this evening. Just watch and wait.”
“Lily, you’re sure you don’t want to come home with us? You’ve been out here for hours.”
Lily shook her head. “Not yet, Mum, please. I’m so worried about them – and their mum,” she added sadly. “Dad thinks she might have been run over.”
“Oh, Lily.” Mum hugged her.
“It’s so lucky that Hugo sniffed them out,” Lily murmured.
“I was going to say that we’d take him back,” Mum said thoughtfully. “But looking at him, I’m not sure he’d come. He’s had his eyes fixed on that sofa the whole time since we arrived. Maybe he thinks that because he found the kittens he’s got to look after them.” She was smiling but she sounded half-serious.
Lily nodded. “German Shepherds are often guard dogs, aren’t they? Hugo’s guarding the kittens.”
Lily leaned forward eagerly, certain she’d seen a flash of white close by the old sofa. Perhaps the kittens’ mum was a white cat – that would make sense. She started to say, “Dad…” but then she sighed. It wasn’t the cat, after all. Just an old plastic bag, flapping in the breeze.
She shivered a little. Even though it had been such a hot day, the woods were shady, especially now the sun was starting to go down. She peered over at the sofa, wondering if the kittens were feeling chilly, too. She and Dad had gone to check on them after Mum and Carly had left, and pulled the cushion back over them a little but she couldn’t help worrying.
Over in the clearing, the white kitten huddled closer to his sisters, hunting for some warmth. Usually they were all snuggled up together against their mother but without her body heat the kittens were so small that they couldn’t keep themselves warm. He was getting colder and colder, and it was getting hard to move. He squeaked for his mother again, calling to her to come back and feed them but she didn’t come. Exhausted and hungry, the tiny kitten tried to crawl further under the cushions.
Lily shifted position again. She was getting pins and needles from sitting still for so long, and she was hungry. The sandwiches Mum had brought seemed a long time ago. She checked her watch. “Dad, it’s six o’clock,” she murmured, stretching out her feet and wriggling a bit.
“I know. I’m going to phone the shelter. It’s been seven hours now.” He took out his phone and Lily leaned closer to try to listen in.
“Hi, I rang earlier about some kittens our dog had found in Amberdale Woods. No, no sign of their mum coming back, I’m afraid. Would you be able to come and get them?”
He paused for a minute or so, listening, and Lily saw an anxious expression appear on his face – little creases over the top of his nose. “Oh… No, don’t do that. Maybe we can help? Look, give me a minute. Let me talk to my wife and get back to you.” He listened for a little longer, saying, “Mm-hm, mm-hm,” and Lily squeezed even closer, desperate to know what was going on.
“Dad, what’s happened?” she burst out, as soon as he ended the call.
“The shelter’s really full. All of their foster carers have got kittens already. The manager was saying she’d ring round and see who could squeeze them in. Apparently this is kitten season.” He laughed a little nervously.
“So what’s going to happen to our kittens?” Lily asked. “Will they go to one of these foster people? Will they be all right?”
Dad was silent for a minute, running his hand down the back of Hugo’s neck. “Actually, Lily, I’m wondering if we could take them. Just until they can find someone to foster them properly.”
“What?” Lily squeaked. She was so surprised and excited she actually jumped up and down. “Do you mean it? We can take them home?”
“Hold on! Slow down a minute. I’m only talking about us looking after them until there’s space for them with a foster carer. Since it’s an emergency. And I said I’d have to talk to your mum about it. There’s no point getting excited just yet.”
“I know.” Lily’s voice was shaking. Those tiny kittens, hers to look after! If only Mum would say yes! She watched eagerly as Dad called home.
“Sarah, it’s me. Yes, I called them but there’s a problem – apparently they’re really full. The lady I spoke to earlier on didn’t realize but all their kitten fosterers have got litters of kittens. No, we’re not going to leave them, listen! What do you think about us looking after them for a bit? The shelter manager – she’s the one I just spoke to – said she’d send someone out to help us take them home. They’ll bring some kitten formula and some information sheets on how to care for them if we agree.”
He went quiet for a bit and Lily pressed closer. She could hear her mum’s voice squeaking in the background and she wished Dad had put the speaker on.
“Yes, I know, the shelter manager mentioned that. I can’t say I’m happy about getting up in the middle of the night but I feel responsible for them. They’re so little—”
“Dad, what’s the matter?” Lily interrupted. “What’s Mum saying? Why can’t we do it?”
“Because they’re so young they’ll need hand-rearing,
Lily. Mum isn’t sure we’ll be up to it – we’d have to get up in the middle of the night, probably.”
Lily grabbed his arm. “But I could help! Couldn’t I? It’s the summer holidays, I don’t mind. Dad, please! It’s like we were meant to find them – we came along just at the right time. We can’t give up on them now!”
Dad sighed. “Did you hear all that?” he said into the phone. “Yes, I know. Maybe she is old enough to help out. You know how much she loves cats!”
“OK.” Dad smiled at Lily. “Yes, I’ll call the shelter back and tell them.” He ended the call and laughed. “Wow. This was definitely not what I was expecting when we came out for a walk this morning.”
“We’ll put them in here,” Amy explained, showing Lily and Dad a cardboard travel box that she’d brought with her. She seemed really nice, Lily thought. She’d told them she remembered Hugo from the shelter and that he’d grown into such a handsome, well-behaved dog.
“I’ve put a hot-water bottle in for them, wrapped up in some towels. If they’ve been without their mum all day, they’ll be getting really cold. Kittens this young can’t control their own temperature, you see. They need their mum’s body heat to keep them warm. Even though it’s been so hot today, if we leave them here overnight without her, they’re at risk of hypothermia – that’s getting too cold to survive.”
“How old do you think they are?” Lily asked, leaning over to look at the kittens. They were still moving – squirming around and nuzzling at each other – but she was sure they weren’t as lively as they had been when they first saw them.
“Hard to say exactly. Maybe two to three weeks? Their eyes are open but they don’t look big enough to be walking yet. Soon though.”
“They don’t look as bright as they did this morning,” Dad said.
“I was thinking that, too.” Lily bit her lip. “Oh no, maybe we waited for too long for their mum to come back.”
Amy shook her head. “I don’t think so. I know it sounds hard but the best person to look after them is definitely their mum – she’s built for feeding them, cleaning them, keeping them warm. If we take them away from her, we’re giving the kittens second-best. Do you see what I mean? So if there’d been any chance that their mum was going to come back and care for them, it was better to let her.”
“Dad thinks she might have been run over,” Lily said, gazing down at the kittens.
Amy nodded. “It’s possible, I’m afraid. Or she may just not have been able to feed them. Either way, I think we have to assume she’s not coming back.”
She opened the travel box and gently reached in to pick up one of the tabby kittens. Hugo whined and Amy laughed. “You’re such a good boy, aren’t you? Are you taking over from their mum, Hugo?”
She put the kitten gently into the box and Hugo nosed at the cardboard flaps, clearly making sure that the kitten was all right. “We wouldn’t usually put foster kittens with a family who had a dog but this is a bit of an emergency. Now, I’ll come back to the house with you, if that’s OK, and help you set up a safe pen to keep them in.”
Amy picked up the other tabby kitten and Lily watched anxiously as the white kitten gave a feeble mew. The kitten looked so little, left all on his own. “Can I pick this one up?” Lily whispered. He was hardly moving.
“Sure.”
Lily picked up the tiny kitten – he wasn’t much bigger than her cupped hands – and carefully moved him over to the box. He squirmed around and gave another squeaky breath of a mew but then he cuddled up next to the two tabby kittens again, snuggling against the warmth of the hot-water bottle.
Lily looked up at Dad with shining eyes. “Let’s take them home.”
Amy came back to the house to help settle the kittens in. She brought in a big box of equipment from her car – special kitten formula milk and kitten bottles and a litter tray. She explained that the kittens would need feeding about every four hours. “It’s a lot of work,” she said, looking round at them all. “Are you really sure you can manage?”
Mum was reading the instruction sheets, looking rather anxious. “Oh my goodness, I hadn’t even thought about sterilizing,” she murmured. “But I suppose it’s just like feeding a baby. Have we still got the old sterilizer in the loft?”
Dad grinned. “Yes. Now aren’t you grateful that I never sorted all that stuff out to go to the charity shop? I’ll go and get it. We need to give them a feed as soon as possible, don’t we?”
“Yes, that would be great.” Amy looked pleased. “Having a sterilizer will definitely make things easier. Oh!” Amy turned round from the table. Hugo had nudged open the kitchen door and marched in, looking determined.
“Sorry, I’ll take him out again.” Mum shook her head. “No, Hugo. You need to stay away from the kittens. It’s going to be tricky keeping him out, he’s used to having his basket and his food bowls in here.”
“Wait a minute,” Dad murmured. “Look at him. He’s not at all bothered that they’re in his kitchen. Even though we’ve moved his basket away from the radiator and put the box there instead.”
Amy nodded. “I think you’re right. And I was going to say that I’d try and get hold of a special heating pad for you, to keep the kittens warm but I’m not sure you’re going to need it.”
The kittens were still in their cardboard box, curled up on the hot-water bottle but now Hugo lay down and curled himself around it, so that they had his warmth, too. The kittens were already pressing up against the side of the box next to him. Even though they were so tiny, their instincts were telling them to warm up.
“Hugo really loves them.” Lily smiled. She’d never have expected that Hugo would make a brilliant kitten nurse.
“Right,” Amy continued. “I’ll show you how to mix the milk powder and feed the kittens. And then – well, for another week or so, until they’re old enough to do it themselves, I’m afraid you’re going to have to help them wee and poo afterwards.”
“That’s disgusting!” Carly said, making a horrified face.
Amy laughed. “I know it sounds weird. But mother cats lick their kittens after they’ve fed them and that tells their bodies to wee or poo, you see. When you’re hand-rearing kittens, you have to do everything their mum does. But with cotton wool, dampened with warm boiled water,” she added hurriedly.
“Thank goodness for that,” Dad murmured.
The white kitten woke up and looked around the dark room. He still couldn’t see or smell his mother but at least he was properly warm. He remembered being fed, too, but now he was feeling hungry again. He staggered up on to his paws and mewed, calling for his mother. But instead of a fluffy tabby face, a large white nose came over the side of his box and nuzzled at him.
The kitten sniffed and then sneezed and looked up at the huge creature in confusion. This was most definitely not his mother. Whoever it was felt warm, though, and comforting. The kitten mewed again, asking the big dog for food, and felt his two tabby sisters stirring beside him. They started to call for milk, too.
“Hello, Hugo… Did they wake you up?” a deep voice said, laughing a little.
The kitten moved his head towards the sound and then let out a tiny squeak. Hugo had leaned down again, and picked him up – just the way his mother did – in his jaws. The kitten wriggled as he was lifted from the box but then he found himself between the dog’s great paws, cosily nestled against the thick fur of his chest. Forgetting to be hungry for a moment, the kitten snuggled closer and drifted back to sleep.
Upstairs, Lily lay half awake. She’d been dreaming about the kittens and now she couldn’t tell whether she was asleep or not. She could hear mewing – pitiful little squeaks – and low voices coming from downstairs. Of course! The night-time feed!
Mum and Dad had worked out that it would be best to feed the kittens at about eleven o’clock before they went to bed, then at three in the morning and then again when they all got up. Dad had said it would only be for a week or so, until the kittens were a bit older an
d could go for more than four hours without food.
Lily had begged to be allowed to help but Mum and Dad had said it was far too late for her and Carly, even though it was the holidays.
But if they were feeding the kittens, why could she hear mewing? The little squeaks sounded desperate. Lily sat up worriedly. She had to make sure they were OK – especially the fluffy white one. He had felt so tiny in her hands when she lifted him into the box, as though there was hardly anything of him under all that fur.
Lily got out of bed, pulled on her dressing gown and fumbled sleepily for her slippers. Then she crept down the stairs.
She tiptoed along the hallway and peered into the kitchen. Her mum and dad were sitting at the table in their pyjamas, each with a tabby kitten in their laps. The kittens were busily sucking from the bottles.
“Lily! You should be asleep!” Dad sighed.
“I could hear mewing, it woke me up. What’s wrong?”
“It’s a bit tricky feeding more than one at once – the white kitten was asleep, so we thought we’d leave him till last but now he’s woken up and he’s not happy about waiting,” Mum explained. “I expect he can smell the milk.”
Lily was just about to crouch down and peer into the box when Hugo gave a mournful “Arrrooo!” and she realized that he had the kitten between his paws.
“Oh, Hugo’s looking after him!”
“He lifted the kitten out of the box in his mouth,” Dad told her. “I was a bit worried. But then I think mother cats do the same thing.”
“Is all that mewing bothering you, Hugo?” Lily asked. Then she turned back to look at Mum and Dad. “Shall I feed him? Since I’m awake anyway? We’ve got another bottle and Hugo’s getting upset, you can tell. He doesn’t like Stanley crying like that.”
“Stanley?” Mum smiled at her. “Since when is he called Stanley?”