I have been going over this blog post in my mind for a week. It's a story that I think should be told. But I can't quite figure out how to tell it. Rather than continuing to think about it, it may be best to make a ham-fisted attempt. I think this is something that we have all experienced in some form.
About one month ago, we found a stray kitten. There are several cats that we feed. We "own" them, as much as cats can be owned. We feed them, mostly. We expected the mother cat to eventually come pick up her kitten to take it back to its hideout. But she never came. The kitten was tiny, perhaps a week old or so. We decided to take her in until she was old enough to live outside with the other cats.
Mrs. Mata took her to a veterinarian to have her checked out and for some advice on raising such a small kitten. Usually, the mother cat will have her kittens and keep them hidden somewhere. It's only after a few weeks when they start exploring that we find out that she has had kittens. But as none of the cats claimed this kitten, we took on the responsibility.
Like most babies, kittens are quite a responsibility. They need to be fed regularly and helped with elimination. We were surprised to discover that when mother cats lick their kittens at their back ends, they are stimulating them to release their sphincters. I'm glad human babies aren't like that.
The kitten was very vocal with incessant meowing. They started calling her meowy, which eventually became Maui.
Our family worked out a routine to look after Maui during the work week, on weekends, and overnight. At first, Maui could barely walk without falling over. She would take a few steps and then tumble over on her side. She progressively was able to walk longer without tumbling. And eventually, she was able to walk quickly to follow us around the house.
A bit over one week ago, Maui started refusing her bottle. But it was a mixed message. She was hungry. She would suckle briefly, but then she would fight it, refusing any more. And she slowly started refusing to eat entirely. At the same time she started to show signs of labored breathing. She had moments of activity and moments when she would would just sit in one place, staring.
I worried that Maui might not survive, so I took her outside to be with the other cats and warm up a bit. They sniffed her and licked her all over. I don't know if Maui appreciated the company of other cats. She definitely wasn't scared of them.
This was a challenging time for Mrs. Mata. She was worried about Maui. She would stay up late to feed Maui, and wake up early to feed again before going to work. I tease Mrs. Mata a little when her "momminess" comes out. You may have seen when a mother is laser-focused to making sure her child is alright. It mostly kicks in when she suddenly hears a baby crying somewhere.
We took Maui back to the veterinarian. He checked her out and gave her some antibiotics out of caution. Without mucus around her eyes or nose, he doubted she had an infection or pneumonia. She also got some vitamins and an anti-inflammatory to help her breathe.
Maui rallied for a bit. She was able to stand and walk a bit. But it clearly exhausted her. As the night progressed, she got worse and her breathing got more labored. By half past midnight, she suddenly jerked. I called Mrs. Mata, who was sitting nearby, unable to sleep. We both watched Maui make her last attempts to breathe.
Even now, I can't help feeling a little choked up about it. Mrs. Mata shared some tears and comforted each other after Maui's passing.
Here is the part where I am struggling to find the words. It occurred to me that something amazing happened. When I think about it, the fact that we saw one of God's creatures in need of care. We took on that responsibility. We weren't looking for another cat. We have plenty. And most of them are born and raised outdoors by their mothers. They don't all survive. On average, about two cats survive to adulthood in each litter. But, we don't witness most of it. They start off as four or five kittens and slowly start disappearing until only one or two remain into adult cats.
Yet, losing this kitten, Maui, was such an emotional experience. It made me realize how we, most of us, are capable of giving love without expecting anything in return. We do this largely with our own children. But apparently, we are also capable of doing it with animals. And it makes me appreciate people who adopt children all the more.
But this also brought up some thoughts about how we are stewards of God's creation as a whole. We often express this love for creation when we improve our environments through simple things like gardening. Maui, in her short life, reminded me that we have so much that we are willing to give of ourselves. While we are sad to lose her, we also feel gratitude towards Maui for giving us an opportunity to share our love. It's also a reminder that most of the joy in life is sharing our lives with others.