Susie Kockerscheidt
Amanda Samson, 8, (from left), Rebecca, 8, and Elyse Buckle, 12, play with cats rescued in their back yard.
Georgina
August 20, 2008 08:11 PM
John Slykhuis
Three wild kittens are lucky to be alive thanks to a Georgina woman.
Rachelle Buckle was headed to her barn on Old Shiloh Road to put the horses out when her mare called out to her.
“As I opened the door, I saw her pacing her stall with wide eyes and flared nostrils. I went in to calm her and to see if she was injured,” she said. “I couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. I managed to get her out to her paddock without injury to either of us.”
When she returned for the second horse, she heard an unfamiliar sound.
“I started searching the barn and, much to my surprise, found an exhausted mother cat I knew to be wild, with three newborn kittens. Mama cat didn’t have the strength to do anything, but quietly watch me as she lay feeding her babies,” Ms Buckle said.
After a few days, the mother cat become more protective and aggressive when Ms Buckle came near and she finally moved the kittens.
“I figured I’d seen the last of them until a few weeks later when they all appeared in the same stall, once again,” she said.
The kittens were now quite plump and content.
They were trying to balance on their tiny legs while manoeuvring the obstacles in the stall.
“I was pleased to see they looked so healthy, but was sad to think of the difficult life they were facing living in the wild,” she said. “We have so many coyotes, wild cats and other animals that pose a deadly risk to these kittens, so I decided I should tame them and find them homes.”
Ms Buckle was making progress with the kittens, while mama cat was out hunting, of course, then, just as they were becoming affectionate, mama cat decided she’d had enough and moved them again, she said.
About one month later she found the same three kittens, however, they now looked hungry, frightened and injured.
“My heart went out to them and I kept an eye out for mama, but she hasn’t been around.
“Something terrible must have happened to her. I started to feed the kittens and cautiously made an effort to tame them once again.”
Within a few days, they were allowing Ms Buckle to pat them and they started to purr when she came around.
“A day later, I was able to pick them up, carry them around and snuggle them all the while they were happy for the attention,” she said. “It was now time to deal with the injuries that each had,” Ms Buckle said.
She took them to the vet for treatment and vaccinations.
“They are now approximately 10 weeks of age and after all of the attention and veterinary care they are ready for good homes.
“They will all be safe with children, of that I am sure, and the last thing I want to see is them staring back at me through a crate or cage at a shelter,” she said.
Anyone interested in adopting one of the kittens can call her at 905-722-3187.