I am back, friends. I have decided that I need to reclaim my blog from the clutches of the human who was growing to enjoy posting a little too much for my liking. She did a good job with most of it, although I'm sorry that it was all written from the peoples perspective. I keep telling her about that, but she just can't change her perspective enough to write from the point of view of us cats. Ah well, never mind.
To summarise for those of you who went glossy-eyed at the people description of what has happened over the last few days, I had kittens in my tummy, and then somebody stole them! I don't know how it happened or when they took them, but I know they did. Was it the vet? I don't know. I have been down there twice in two days, and each time they were very, very interested in my yummy tummy. I know, I know. It's understandable, but they were interested beyond the usual interest level peoples show. Last night they even stole some of my fur, right under my nose too! So I wouldn't be surprised if they slipped the kittens out when I was preoccupied with seeing where they put my fur. They put cold gel stuff on my tummy and then pushed a hard thing against it. The human says this is to get pictures to see if I have any kittens, but I was a bit confused, as I didn't see a bright light flash, and it wasn't a flashbox. They didn't find any kittens, but no wonder! They had already stolen them!
If it wasn't the vet peoples, maybe another mummycat crept in here at night when me and the human were asleep and stole the babycats out of my tummy without waking me. I know it's possible. We cats sneak really good, so maybe she could have succeeded at this.
Either way though, I have searched and searched for my babies all day long. Even though I didn't have a chance to see them outside of my tummy, I know that I should be caring for them. I get so upset when I can't find them. I'm so worried. What if they're hungry? What if they don't have a mummycat to keep them warm? And even if they do, it's not me! Nobody could take care of my babies as well as me.
My human says I'm "entering the grieving stage of the phantom". I don't know what a phantom is, but I know I'm not in it. I am grieving though, and terribly. I hadn't been eating much anyway, what with getting ready to have my babies, but now I just don't have any apetite. I'm too busy searching to think about food. The human even had to coax me to eat chicken. She's given me a lot of it so that at least I'm eating something, but all I can think about are my missing babies.
I have adopted the human too. I've already lost my family. I don't want to lose her too. I've stayed very close to her all day and have made her come into whatever room I'm searching in so that I can keep an eye on her. I can't let her out of my sight. I get so worried when she goes somewhere that I can't see that I cry and cry until she comes back. She knows I'm feeling miserable, so has been holding me a lot. She also gives me her hand to cuddle. It's warm like a kitten, and she moves it occasionally too, just like a babycat would. I feel a little more contented when I pull it close and snuggle it against my tummy, but when I try to feed it and it won't suckle, it all comes crashing down on me again, and I go back to looking.
Please, friends, help me find them. Please search with me and keep a look-out. Somebody stole them, and whoever it is needs to be found. I can't find them on my own. I need help.
Human note: If any of you have experience with a cat grieving for a phantom pregnancy and what to do about it, please, please get in touch. I don't like seeing her this upset, and although it'll pass, I'd like to help it go sooner if there's a way.
14 comments:
Oh, poor Tia. What a sad thing to happen to her. We hope she comes through this soon.
This is the first we've been able to come by since you added the photo of the beautiful Tia.
Oh goodness, Tia, how horrible for you and your human. We don't have any experience, as none of us were allowed to have kittens. We hope that it will pass soon, though it's still so very sad. We're glad you stopped by yesterday for Zoe's Gotcha Day party. Fuzzy was glad to have some quiet company - she hopes you were comfortable. We'll be checking back to see if you're feeling better.
Your friends, Fuzzy and Zoe
Tia sweetheart, we are all so sorry there were no kittens. We don't know much about phantom pregnancies, but we wondered if your human gave your a kitten-sized soft toy for you to tend, and cuddle with when your human is asleep or at work, would it help? Just for a little comfort.
Maybe your human could email Teri of Furrydance, she would probably have some good advice that would help you feel much better.
Whicky Wuudler
Please have your human get you spayed. :)
Poor Tia!! Might a toy kitten help? A soft toy that you rub with her scent that she can carry around might do the trick. I've seen this before and that helped the particular cat I was working with (although we used a large mousie toy), until she finally got spayed and realized that it wasn't a kitten. She also started playing with the other cats and fortunately adopted the newest rescue we got. Best of luck, tons of purrs, & prayers!!
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Kitty Horde & their Feeders
Oh, poor Tia! Maybe a soft toy kitten would help, as suggested. All mine are shelter rescues, and of course are spayed/neutered, so I have absolutely no experience with feline pregnancy--real or phantom. Poor sweetheart! Lots of kitty kisses and head rubs to her.
Poor Tia. We really don't have any ideas other than what have already been suggested.
ppuurrrrrss
Kind of hard to post using one paw, but I just had to come by, and lend support.
It is so good to finally see what you look like, yet so sad to hear what happened to you.
I can't add anymore than what has already been suggested, and also 2nd the motion about getting fixed when the time is right to do so.
I can't say sex is overrated, since I've never tried it, personally, but being spayed is for the best.
Hi there, and thanks to you all for dropping by.
Unfortunately, getting spayed is something that neither me or the human want. We sould like for me to have kittens. She is a breeder, you see. Still, if spaying was best for my health, she would do it.
The human has tried a toy, but to be honest with you, I know it's not a kitten. It doesn't move. It doesn't wriggle. It doesn't suckle either. I just want my babies back.
Tia darling, mommy and me are so sorry this is happening for you.
healing purrs and lots of love and kissies to you, sweet one.
Sending you purrs.
Sounds like you haf some good advice, I don't know anyfing about haffing kittens.
I find contacting Terri of Furrydance of Neala's Mommy would be a good idea.
Love & Purrs,
KC
Oh Tia we heard about this on the Cat Blogosphere and had to come by to give you gentle purrs.
We have a feral female that now lives in our garage, but she has had 4 litters in the last 3 years, the first two being across the street and she moved the kits to under our deck when they were ready for solid food. (we can't catch her for neutering, so mom does the best she can to keep momma cat safe and fed.) Our mom has captured all the kits from each litter and taken them to the shelter where they were adoptetd out quickly. This last batch, 4 of them, were 8 weeks old and eating solid food as well as still nursing. There is a limited time frame to capture feral kittens before they learn human fear from their momma. The other litters were all caught at about the same age, although the first one was more like 10 weeks.
I tell you all this because after capturing these last kittens, momma cat cried and cried so plaintively for her babies. She made sweet little calling sounds for them to come out of hiding and searched endlessly for them, crying and crying so pitifully the whole time. She was probably in discomfort as her nipples were large and distended, obviously needing to nurse them. Mom fears she took them too soon and her heart just broke over this sad momma cat. The crying lasted almost 2 weeks but she finally returned to normal.
We know how sad you must feel Tia and mom wishes she could cuddle you closely and stroke your beautiful fur, something she could never do with our feral momma cat.
Bless you and your sweet caring mom. We hope this is resolved soon.
Oh, this is so sad.
Would it be possible to foster or adopt a small kitten for her to Mother? Assuming she would accept it of course.
Human: Thanks so much for all of your suggestions. KC and Whicky, I have emailed Terri and she's gotten back to me this morning. As soon as I get home I'm going to read the lots and lots of articles she sent me. She's so, so helpful!
Tia: Shaggy and crew, your people sounds like a wonderful one. Many peoples just let the feral cats starve and never worry about the kittens. Our Hoover lady catches them too and helps them, and my human's cousin people has just saved one that had cat flu.
AFSS, the human did enquire if there were any kittens she could foster for a short while, but the only ones the local rescue had were too young. They still needed me to feed them. I would have done it, but the human says I have not really got much milk at all and she didn't want to risk it. She's silly really, because I know I have enough. She says also that the rescue hadn't tested them for bad diseases and she was worried about me being exposed to them. Even if I had another kitten, I would still know that my own are out there somewhere, maybe lost and hungry. I can't settle for thinking about them.
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