This episode is a side story, and it isn’t about chickens. It’s the story of Carrie, a stray cat, told in pictures and captions.
How it began
To go back a little: at an apartment building, the number of stray cats had been growing and had become a problem. The person who asked us for help is allergic to cats, so we agreed to help with the rescue. First the rescued kittens arrived. They were Carrie’s babies, but Carrie herself got away at the time. One of them, Ice Cream, is now doing well in a new home.
Then Carrie arrived. We were asked to have her spayed and released. But when we talked to the vet, we learned she would give birth within a week.
A new litter
She was a stray we had only just met, yet she didn’t seem to mind us. Calmly, she gave birth to adorable kittens. Not one of them is a calico. Curious, isn’t it?
Rescuing stray cats comes with a mountain of problems. We spay and neuter so that fewer unhappy lives are born. But is that truly happiness for the cats? We will probably never find the answer. Still, we could not end lives that had already begun. The kittens born here, we will raise responsibly.
Giving birth was hard on her body. Mothers really are strong. The kittens drank their milk well. Great job, Carrie.
Growing up
Day one, two weeks, sixteen days, four weeks… At one month they were starting to look like real cats, and weaning went smoothly. Afterward Carrie was spayed, and we weighed the kittens and treated them for fleas and worms.
Meet Carrie’s family
At a month and a half, the kittens got their names: Dabits, Chibits, Hinomaru, Syrup and Chibikuro. Carrie now spends her days on the farm, doing just as she pleases. And Chibits, the smallest of the litter, has since been neutered too.
I hope every animal who came here through a chance connection lives a happy life.
Thank you for watching this little side story. See you in the next episode!