Two months ago my e-mail brought a plea for help with advice on saving a litter of kittens. My correspondents, a delightful, caring young couple, Kevin and Thia, had found six newly-born kittens that had been dumped at the side of a road. They were valiantly trying to save the kittens by feeding them KMR milk replacer with an eye dropper and a small animal bottle.

My heart broke, as it always does when I receive such a message. I feel so helpless at these times, because my experience in raising kittens is decades old, and back in those days we always had the mother cat in attendance. I responded as best I could, told them to get the kittens to a vet in the morning and in the meantime to massage their little bellies and rear ends with a warm damp washrag. The mother cat would accomplish the same results with her rough tongue, stimulating their digestive systems and cleaning, at the same time.

We kept in touch over the weeks, and I wept with them when the kittens died, one-by-one. Kevin and Thia made heroic efforts to save them, took numerous trips to the vet, and hovered over the babies day and night, but the kittens were simply too young when abandoned. For a short time, they enlisted a "borrowed" mother cat, who had finished nursing, but still had milk. However the milk supply soon dried up and the couple went back to hand feeding. Only a miracle could have saved the kittens, but miracles were in short supply. Little Private Ryan was the final survivor, one of six tiny victims of the cruel person who thoughtlessly abandoned them.

Young Ryan continued to suffer from loose stools, but he seems to be much better as of this writing. Kevin mailed me these delightful photos, with the update that Ryan is going in for his first kitten shots, and has settled into his home and been "approved" by the two resident cats.

The little "stool" that Private Ryan is sitting on is part of a wonderful Catwalk that Kevin has built in their home. It's 14 feet long, seven feet high, and has a carpeted pole on one end and a step system on the other.

Isn't he precious? Forgive a doting "Godmother", but I have fallen in love with this little guy, who reminds me so much of my Shannon at that age.

Kevin and Thia certainly don't need this message, but those of you who think that having "just one" litter of kittens would be fun, should first visit a few of these sites and take their message to heart:

From Animal Friends Online:What's Your Excuse?
From Pawprints & Purrs: Stop Abuse - Don't Litter! Spay and Neuter
From Teri Campbell: The Longest Walk
Foothill Felines: More Reasons to Spay and Neuter
From Diabella: NYCA (New Yorkers for Companion Animals)

Then, if you still want to raise and keep a bunch of kittens, go to your nearest shelter and bring home a few. You'll be doing yourself and the animal kingdom a big favor!