Good-bye Carrot

We have adopted not one, not two, but three kittens. Our first kitten, now a full grown cat, Sunday . . .

. . . Sunday loves hanging out by the window

The 2nd kitten was pick up by Tapioca from Savemore after grocery shopping.
 

meet Froot Loops . . .

We named her Froot Loops (like the cereal). When I saw the condition of the kitten (it was so tiny and looked malnourished ) I got so upset with Tapioca. The kitten still needs milk from her mother. I was afraid she might not make it but Tapioca was very persistent in keeping her.

He asked for help from a neighbor who's a vet and they lent us some milk replacement and syringe to feed her.

. . . puppylove milk replacement 

According to the vet this milk formula works for both puppies and kittens.

Froot Loops liked the milk and we never had a hard time feeding her. After a few days, we're surprise to see her progress. Everyday she kept getting stronger and became very active.

 Froot Loops likes to sleep on Tapioca's shoulder . . .

Close sila. Akala nya siguro si Tapioca ang nanay nya. LOL!

She makes gaya on every routine that Sunday does. In less than 2 weeks she stop feeding from the syringe and make agaw the dry food from Sunday's bowl. Good thing Sunday didn't mind. But it took sometime for them to become friends. There were times when we felt like Sunday's jealous of the attention we're giving Froot Loops.

Then one Sunday afternoon we found another kitten loitering outside our house. I thought it was Froot Loops as they have the same color. When we got a closer look it was even smaller and younger than Froot Loops. It looked like a few days old kitten. Eyes still closed, it still had its umbilical cord, and it's feet were so small it can't walk. Instead it crawls. Oh the poor thing. This time I was the one who wanted to take take care of the baby cat. Tapioca said its mother might come back for it so we let it stay outside for 2 more days. On the 3rd day I told Tapioca it's time to bring it home or else it would die. We still have the remaining milk because Froot Loops has learned to eat solid food already.

 . . . the poor kitten was even smaller than Froot Loops

This was our first time taking care of such kitten. We're very careful and of course worried. Our lack of experience led us to google and made some research on how to take care of very young kittens. We were hesitant of naming it because there's still a big chance for this creature to die. Everyday we check his progress. One day his umbilical cord disappeared. Another day his eyes finally opened. When his eyes opened we decided to give it a name. We called him Carrot, just like his color which was orange. He was adorable. Froot loops never had a hard time being friends with him. She even shared her box without complain. Froot Loops also likes to sleep with Carrot. Everyday ganito ang setup nila . . .

mga kaawa-awang nilalang

The big sister taking care of Carrot. Nakakatuwa silang tingnan. But Sunday is another story. Good thing though Sunday don't hiss on Carrot like he did with Froot Loops before. Prolly he's already aware that his foster parents like adapting kittens and that he can expect more to arrive hahaha! Actually Tapioca and I already discuss that 3 cats is our max already. Now now, carrot was becoming energetic, going out of his box and exploring the kitchen area by himself. If his progress continued, Froot Loops will have a playmate soon.

Carrot snuggling with my house slipper. So cute :-)

Instead of the syringe, we bought him a feeding bottle

Our dilemma started when we ran out of replacement milk. The neighbor also ran out of stock of Puppylove and we were compelled to get it from other pet store which they sold in big cans (read: expensive). The vet suggested to feed carrot the dry food soaked in water. Once soaked, the pellets will become soft like cerelac for cat. We tried this on Carrot but we can tell from the sound of his wails that he was not getting enough nourishment or satisfaction just like when we feed him with milk.
 

It took a couple of days before we were able to buy the milk replacement. When Carrot finally got his milk he was finally able to sleep well. But there were also noticeable change in his behavior. His cries were becoming weaker. We knew something's wrong but we failed to act on it. When we got home from work one morning we found him already stone-cold in his box. It was heart breaking. Tapioca buried him in the garden. I was crying nonstop and thinking I don't want another cat to die on us.

This was an unforgettable experience and we did learn a lesson or two. I guess hanggang dito na lang talaga si Carrot. This will serve as a lessor for us. Being a pet owner is a serious matter. Your responsibility does not end by providing shelter and food to eat. There's so much more.

Good-bye Carrot. You Will Be Missed.