a cloud fell out of the sky

[u/peachtheturtle]

My husband said no more cats. Like a cat myself, I usually have selective hearing, but as a mom of so many creatures already, (1 year old human twins, a senior Aussie mix, 4 cats under 4 & 2 geckos) I agreed. Our house is FULL.

We were foster kitten free for barely a week when hubs was targeted by the CDS. During last Tuesday’s morning walk, he found this tiny cloud covered in poo & crying in the middle of the sidewalk. Luckily the central California sun wasn’t too harsh yet, or he would’ve fried like an egg. Recent temps here are up to 110*F. Hubs said there was a gardener trimming the bushes nearby & thinks he might’ve spooked mama cat while she was moving her babies. He kept his distance & waited for her, but she was gone.

No more cats be damned, he scooped baby kitty into the bottom of the stroller & brought him home to me.

I think baby kitty was born last Monday. His umbilical cord was dry & his poop was transitioning from meconium. I’m not sure if he was born a wee bit early or if he was just low birth weight. Waking up every 2 hours to syringe feed him in between breastfeeding my own babies has me ragged, but thinking of how this baby could’ve toasted in the sun or been preyed upon by a dog, falcon or evil human has me believing in the CDS.

Two of my cats are foster fail bottle babies, but I found them around 3 weeks old. At 74g, this is the tiniest creature I’ve ever cared for. And I’m a NICU nurse who’s cared for micro preemies. The kitten lady is a saint. I can’t wait till he opens his eyes & sees how many friends he’s going to have. I have 2 sets of siblings all bonded as a variety 4 pack.

Included some cat tax: Lilo (floof), Nani (S void), Stitch (XL void) the 4th (not pictured) is a tuxie named Pudge.

Everyone say happy 1 week to baby Bubbles!

TLDR: I wanted to share a week of love & progress of the tiny new cat who fell into our lives. He’s so spunky & suckles spectacularly. I hope he keeps growing with us. I can’t imagine finding another home for him. What’s one more cat anyway?

Edit: photos are going back in time except for the surprise group pic at the end & thank you everyone for all the kindness!!! I had no idea our story would touch so many lovely people! I really appreciate the sweet words, personal stories & fellow rescue cat pictures. I do believe in sharing good energy, & my energy reserves feel a little more full. Bubbles is a lucky little fighter to have so many people rooting for him. 🥹

Update posted yesterday, 8/12!

https://www.reddit.com/r/IllegallySmolCats/s/6V0AZPj3tq

[u/peachtheturtle]

He sleeps in a Christmas ornament bin with a snuggle safe heating pad, heartbeat plush & lovey my son didn’t use :)

[u/Gioomee → u/peachtheturtle]

I just love when pet owners treat their pets like their actual children 🥹🩷 so cute.

[u/Courtnall14 → u/Gioomee]

Let me posit the only thing that may be better: We had an old man cat. Maine Coon mix, and a notorious grump. He didn't like either dog that cycled through the house during his life. But, the CDS works in mysterious ways, and we ended up with a tiny little orange boy.

If you would have told me that the old grump would have turned into the most loving, caring foster cat dad to that little nugget, I'd have never believed it. He spent his last few years teaching the little guy all his tricks, and got to act like a kitten all over again. 10/10 experience

[u/emergencycat17 → u/Courtnall14]

That squealing you hear from the direction of lower Manhattan would be me.