Last Thursday, I left you with the following information. We were on a rescue mission far away from home because on Saturday night, September 8, Older Daughter saw a black and white kitten in a very remote area. We went as a family to the location on that Sunday and there (in the distance) was the tuxie kitty and two more kittens. Luck was with us that night and we came home with the tuxie, but the other two disappeared into the dense foliage beside the road before we could even see what they looked like. I spent the entire week making trips to the area, searching for the remaining two kittens, setting the trap, driving back home, and returning at night with hopes of a capture. It was on that Monday, and ONLY on that day, that Younger Daughter and I got an up-close glimpse of one of the remaining two - a calico who bailed into the weeds.
The tuxie moved into my bathroom and received the name Truly. We basically did not SEE Truly at all from Monday through Thursday while she hid under the bathroom cabinet except to eat and use the litter box. My heart broke when she came tearing out from under that cabinet upon seeing Jo-Jo - our little calico. Clearly Truly thought this was her sibling. I desperately wanted to re-unite Truly with the calico she had been surviving with. But day in and day out, trip after trip - NOTHING.
I posted on Thursday morning and went about my day. I knew I couldn’t continue to make an hour-and-a-half round-trip journey twice a day for much longer. Oh how I longed to be successful in trapping the remaining two kittens. But traveling to this remote area was taking huge chunks of every day and way too much money in gasoline. And there hadn’t been even one sighting since that Monday. It is hard to adequately describe what it’s like to trap. There is hope, and longing, and a desperate desire to take an animal out of a life of struggle and bare survival. There is a knot in your stomach and a pounding heartbeat as you near the place where you’ve left the trap. You remind yourself as you approach that it will be worth all of the time, effort, and money if you can just take a baby out of these conditions. I won’t lie - when the trap is empty, the letdown is heavy.
On Thursday afternoon, after searching and scanning and hoping, I left the trap set and drove home. Once again, I would hope that this would be the day. Thursday night was nice because both of my daughters came to our house for supper. I got some chores finished after our meal, and just after dusk the four of us set out. When we arrived in the area where I’d left the trap, we tried hard to peek into the weeds to see if the trap door was still standing open. But it was dark outside, so the girls jumped out to check. I heard squeals and then - We got her! We got the calico!
Relief and joy flooded over me. This felt amazing. Not only did we have another one of the three kittens we had seen that first night, but it was the calico - the one I had hoped to give to Truly. The disappointment is great when the trap is empty. The joy is mountain-high when the trap contains a little one who needs us - a little being who no longer has to struggle just to survive.
I introduced our calico into the bathroom when we got home. Her colors are beautiful, and they reminded me of the colors of Autumn so our new girl had her name. My daughters and I crouched quietly in the floor as Autumn crept out of the trap. As she headed for the safety of the space underneath the cabinet, Truly came pouring out to meet her. Autumn was only interested in getting to a safe place of hiding, but Truly was in love. My daughters had to leave, so I walked them outside. When I slipped back into the bathroom a little later, I heard purring coming from underneath the cabinet. Truly, no doubt, had HER calico.
Two down with one more to go. I spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday continuing to travel twice a day, search, set the trap and check the trap. Nothing. (Well, actually not nothing. We caught a possum on Saturday night and quickly released her.) The joy from Thursday night would have to hold me for a while. Discovering NO sign of the third kitten was disappointing. That disappointment continues even today, but a different species of joy hit on Saturday night. And that is tomorrow’s story.
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Sallie needs a home.
Isis is currently on hold.
Shiloh needs a home.
Truly needs a home.
Autumn needs a home.
Frosting has been adopted.
Hershey Bear has been adopted.
Maverick has been adopted.
Spritz has been adopted.
Cashmere has been adopted.
Jo-Jo has been adopted.
Mickey has been adopted.
Sunshine and Juice have been adopted.
Mitts has been adopted.
Halo has been adopted.
Circe has been adopted.
Glitter has been adopted.
Tulip has been adopted.
Golden HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Percy HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Trex HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Monkey HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Charms HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Luna HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Bagheera HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Elfin HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Jasper and Soapy have been adopted.
Dearest and Max have been adopted.
Gabriel HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Leo HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Handsome HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Possum HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Alice HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Tuxie HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Ash HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Sparkles HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Moonie HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Prince Charming HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
Oh it fills my heart with joy to know you rescued the little calico and those 2 sibs have been re-united. I so hope you can get the 3rd kitten too. Keeping everything crossed. x
Posted by: Jan (Milo and Alfie's mom) | 09/18/2012 at 08:02 AM
YEAH!!! We are so glad Truly has "her" calico now. We know it is heartbreaking to know the third kitten is still out there, but sometimes you have to temper that against knowing you caught most of them. It never settles easily, but I am so glad these girls are now safe with you.
Posted by: Random Felines | 09/18/2012 at 08:13 AM
Fingers crossed for the third kitten!!! I am so happy that Truly has her sister with her again :)
Posted by: Cat's Cats | 09/18/2012 at 08:19 AM
Autumn is beautiful. So happy that you have her. I feel sure you will get the other one because your heart won't rest thinking of the poor baby alone in that field. Good luck and God bless on your mission. Truly is blessed with the calico. HAPPY ENDING ALMOST. TWO DOWN AND ONE TO GO... THE SUSPENSE IS JUST TOO MUCH AND CAN'T WAIT TILL TOMORROW TO HEAR THE REST OF THIS STORY...
TEARS OF JOY FOR THE Calico -- Ginny &The Fur Family
Posted by: ginny & the fur family | 09/18/2012 at 10:23 AM
Yay for Autumn!! Yay for Truly! How wonderful that they are reunited! We can only hope and pray now that the third kitten does not take long to take the bait!
We seriously need to move some kitties out of the cathouse and into forever homes so that these two (three hopefully) have a spot to move into when they're ready. And hopefully they wont have to wait there long but get THEIR forever homes quickly too! Please, help find the cat house cats their forever!
Don't forget to donate (gas aint cheap, neither will the girls fixing operations!) think about your brick, share, post and tweet and please don't forget the FUN FUN FUNdraiser going on at my blog for Winnie's Wish!
Posted by: Andrea and the Celestial Kitties | 09/18/2012 at 01:20 PM
this post just made me cry.. I'm so glad they were reunited..
Posted by: Connie | 09/18/2012 at 01:23 PM
Good Noos. Truly has at least one buddy for comfort.
Posted by: Lee County Clowder | 09/18/2012 at 02:23 PM
Can someone hand me some Kleenex, please? Gotta stop reading this blog at work - I look like a blubbering idiot. :P I'm SO happy for this news. You have no idea.
Posted by: Lana G. | 09/18/2012 at 02:43 PM
Oh, that is such good news about the calico! Paws and fingers crossed that you find the third little one SOON.
Hugs!
Posted by: meowmeowmans | 09/18/2012 at 03:51 PM
We are so happy both for Truly and for Autumn!
Posted by: The Poupountte | 09/18/2012 at 04:02 PM
OK, I am weepy with joy that Truly now has HER calico sib, Autumn. I am praying for the third kitten out there. Bless you for caring so much!
Posted by: Webbthistle | 09/18/2012 at 04:15 PM
It's so wonderful that Truly now has Autumn.
Posted by: Sweet Purrfections | 09/18/2012 at 09:45 PM
Autumn is my little Golden's middle name. I call her my Golden Girl. I loved that telivision series when I was in high school...still do now. :)
Much Love,
Mindy :)
PS: Hopefully Autumn and Truly will help each other calm down and become happy lap cats.
Posted by: Mindy Slimmer | 09/18/2012 at 11:02 PM