Trooper

So here are a few pictures of Trooper the new kitten, and here is the story about how she came about.....

(TOP: top picture is Trooper sleeping inbetween Lilly's back legs, all the other pictures are of when her eyes where just starting to be opened all the way)

So Lilly (her Mom) went into labour at about 6pm on Saturday night. We locked her up in the bathroom for her to labour and have her kittens. I pretty much stayed in the bathroom with her all evening. Lilly wanted me to rub her belly whenever she would have contractions. I ended up falling asleep on the floor of the bathroom while I waited for a kitten to come. Finally at 1215 I woke up to Lilly's change in cry and saw that she had a kitten half way out - feet first!! So I had to get her to lay down and pop the head out with my finger. (I know it is gross, but what else would I do) The kitten was not breathing, so I did a bit of CPR. Little compressions on its chest and a few breaths in its face and alas we had gasping for breath. (Lilly was eating the placenta and birthing a second kitten and didnt even look at this kitten until I got it to make a squeek). So the first kitten turns out to be our Trooper. The second kitten born at home had a hole in her tummy and her intestines where ballooned outside her belly so I just had to let that baby die. (OH how it broke my heart. And yes, I did have lots of tears) So since Lilly was cleaning her 1st baby and still having contractions I decided to head to bed and felt she would do okay on her own.....

730 I woke up to check on Lilly and she hadnt had anymore kittens, was still having strong contractions, but bleeding bright red.....so I phoned the vet in Maple Creek.

8am, Sara & I were on the road with Lilly & Trooper to Maple Creek for Lilly to have an emergency c-section. So while Lilly was in having surgery, Trooper was tucked inside my sweater, sitting in the truck with the heater on watching the rains come down.

12Noon we find out the other 2 kittens that were still inside Lilly are dead. One had a birth defect and would have died anyway and the other kitten was dead upon finding her. The placenta's had come unattached during the night.

1230 we are heading home with Lilly all dopey in the carrier and Trooper tucked inside Sara's sweater.

When we get home, Lilly is wandering all over the house meowing looking for her kittens. It takes a while to calm her down and let Trooper drink. I think once the drugs started to wear off she really settled in to being a mommy and is doing a great job.

Even Copper and Trooper are getting along well. I will post some pictures of them together once I get them off my camera, so stay tuned for more pictures of the baby. She is 4 weeks old already.