The Cat Lovers Club

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If you happen to be one of my Facebook friends, you will already know that I not only love cats, but I have had my share of cats as well. Cats have been a part of my life... More

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Bill Kochman

September 12, 2021 5:44 pm

THE THIEF MOTHER: ANOTHER TALE FROM BILL'S CATS: PART 1 Howdy again folks! Well, here is a story which you are just not going to believe. Yesterday evening -- it is now early Monday morning, Sept. 13... View MoreTHE THIEF MOTHER: ANOTHER TALE FROM BILL'S CATS: PART 1 Howdy again folks! Well, here is a story which you are just not going to believe. Yesterday evening -- it is now early Monday morning, Sept. 13th, here -- when I gave the cats and kittens their daily serving of chicken breast, I counted heads as I usually do. One of the black queens was missing. Obsidian was clearly present, along with another black female. The problem is that Mischief and Charcoal now look so alike in size and body structure — they are both thin and delicate-looking — the only way I can tell the difference between them is by carefully examining their faces, listening to their voices — Obsidian, Mischief and Charcoal all have different voices — or by checking for the white marking on Charcoal’s throat. Well, it turned out that Mischief was present, so Charcoal was missing. This was unusual, because whenever I bring out the canned chicken breast and open the cans with the electric can opener, everyone comes running to the kitchen. They either hear the sound of the can opener, or else they smell the chicken in the air. But not Charcoal this time. She was nowhere in sight. So I figured she was either in a deep sleep somewhere in the house or outside, or else she was probably busy nursing her litter of three. My first thought was to look under the large aquarium cabinet in the living room, because that is where she usually nurses her newborns. However, she wasn’t there. At this point, I wasn’t too concerned, because both Obsidian and Mischief will readily nurse her litter for her if she is gone for a while. But then I received a shock which really surprised me, because I never would have expected this to happen. It is a bit dark under the aquarium cabinet. So when I look under there without my flashlight and see different clumps of sleeping kittens, I just assume that they are all there. However, later in the evening after Mischief’s five kittens had come out to play, I checked under the aquarium cabinet again. Charcoal’s kittens were not there! WHAT???!!! Thinking Charcoal may have simply moved them to another part of the house, I searched the whole house — as small as it is — and neither Charcoal or her three week-old kittens were anywhere to be found! That is when it hit me! Charcoal had jumped ship, and she had apparently taken her kittens with her! I just couldn’t imagine that she would leave my safe, quiet home, where she is loved and given attention, and where she eats like a queen! Even less could I believe that she would choose to take her three newborns out into the unsafe, hostile world where there are predators, like Guam’s infamous brown tree snake which will devour very young kittens. It occurred to me that she must have made her move while I was taking an afternoon nap. It has been so hot here lately, that it just saps the energy right out of me, so that I don't feel like doing much of anything. The entire incident amazes me, because it must have taken Charcoal some time and effort to move her three kittens, one at a time, down two flights of stairs, and then to some place new outside of my house. Exactly where that might be, I honestly have no idea. Yesterday night when I made this discovery, I went outside with my flashlight — with Obsidian and the Gang of Four following me around — to see if I could find Charcoal and her kittens. I searched all around our building, as well as the edges of the two properties on either side of us. In fact, I took along a small container of chicken breast in case I had to entice her. Even though I called out her name, Charcoal didn’t make an appearance. I am hoping that hunger and thirst will bring her back. Then, maybe I will be able to follow her back to wherever she took her kittens. So as of late last night, that is where things stood. I just don’t understand why Charcoal would be motivated to move her kittens. Why would she think my house is unsafe, where she has two other mothers to help her with her litter? It doesn’t make any sense. Yet that is what happened. If you think that is the end of this crazy story, guess again! I called this story "The Thief Mother" for a very good reason. You see, a short while ago, I did another head count of all of the remaining kittens. There should be 13 of them. That is when I discovered that Obsidian's 28-day-old black kitten is missing! Only her three gray kittens remain in the house. So, it seems that when Charcoal carried off her one-week-old kittens, one by one, down two flights of stairs, and then to location X, she must have also taken Obsidian's black kitten as well; probably because it was sleeping with her kittens. So that is my story. What do you think? Please share your thoughts below. Thanks!

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Bill Kochman