But it’s been a very bumpy ride and I admit that it’s also been a little bittersweet. Boo really hasn’t been herself since giving birth (not surprising and perfectly normal according to our vet). She is very protective of the kittens (which is good and again natural), but I’m afraid that two of them didn’t survive her zeal to protect them.
It’s not unusual for mother cats to repeatedly try to move their litter into ever more secret places as a way of trying to keep them safe. We set up Boo and the kittens very comfortably and securely, but we still couldn’t prevent Boo from moving them – twice. She did this very early on when the kittens were still extremely fragile. Unfortunately, each time she moved them, she dropped one and in both cases they didn’t survive the fall.
After it happened the first time, we strengthened our secure area and kept a careful watch on Boo, but cats are cats and they have their ways. I admit that the second time it happened, I got very irritated with Boo. It didn’t help that she was also behaving badly in other ways including randomly attacking the dogs. At the same time I couldn’t help but empathize with her a bit, after all I know what’s like to be the hormonal, nursing mom and I've also been accused (more than once) of being the overprotective mom ;). My heart broke for her as I caught her returning again and again to the places where she thought she must have left them, sniffing and mewing and looking at me like – “where are they?” She is so innocent...and so were they.
Rationally I know that these things happen, that this is the way of things and the course of nature. Boo is returning to her old self and is taking it all in stride and enjoying her babies. And while I also am enjoying our three precious, merry little pranksters, I can’t help but feel...the absence. First there were five and now there are three.
Like every sparrow falling, like every grain of sand.” –Bob Dylan
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