Wee One
Model #00010
2000-Current
Current price $445.00 (vet bills included)
Not willing to be left out
of all the exciting picture taking">
Wee One Model #00010 2000-Current Current price $445.00 (vet
bills included) Not willing to be left out
of all the exciting picture taking, the Wee One helped herself to an empty box. Wee's Story Caution! This may bring
tears to your eyes! It was mid summer 2000 when
my husband and I decided to make a quick trip to the pet store. We parked and as
we got out of the truck we could hear a cat howling. Not a normal meow mind you,
a full fledged YOWL! A quick
check of the parking lot revealed a skinny adult cat in a beat up wire crate, sweltering
in the back of a pickup truck. This truck had a camper shell on it and the back
lid had been left up for ventilation. Only there wasn't any breeze. This poor cat
was panting and meowing with every breath. "Now! Now!" she
said which I was pretty sure translated from cat talk to HOT! HOT! The
temperature had broken triple digits every day for the past three weeks and this
day was no exception. We quickly went into the store to find the
"owner" of the cat. After telling the clerk the situation the owner
was found and sent outside with some very unhappy words ringing in his ears. We
did our shopping quickly and left to check on the cat. As we stepped outside it
was pretty obvious the cat had other ideas about where the coolest place was and
that didn't include baking in the back of a pickup! The "owner" had
brought a bowl of water to the cat and, when he opened the cage, the inevitable
happened. The cat squirmed out and sought what little shade there was underneath
the truck. The "owner" was futilely trying to coax the cat to him with
the water when we showed up. I took matters into my own hands and caught the
cat. When I picked her up two things became quite clear to me. First and foremost
she was HOT! Really, Really, HOT! And second, skinny as she was, the tale tale
bulge marked her as pregnant. I was livid! I went to the "owner" and
took the water from him. I then doused the poor cat. Rubbing her red hot ears
with the cool water and trying to soak her fur. Surprisingly she didn't protest
this treatment. She had to be cooled down and NOW! I then told the
"owner" to take her inside where it was cool. He didn't want to but
the store clerk showed up and took the cat from him. She told him that the cat was
going in the store and that was that! Feeling that the cat was
finally going to be OK we left. A few days later I checked back and
discovered, to my delight, that the store had adopted her. In fact she was right
at home. I checked in on her often after that as her pregnancy progressed. I was
concerned the kittens might have been affected by the broiling they had received
so early in their lives. The store employees were looking forward to the birth
and made special places for her to choose from to have her kittens in. Right
about then it was time to attend my first ever Breyerfest and I must admit that
I completely forgot about the mother and her future offspring as the excitement
of Breyerfest took hold. Upon our return from
Breyerfest we visited the store to see if the kittens had come yet. We were
so happy to see the five little bundles that had been born just the day before!
Their little faces still crinkled up and eyes tightly closed. What darlings!
Four black and white ones and one calico who was the runt of the litter. The proud mother purred and meowed as
we all admired her new babies and praised her on a job well done. A week passed and
I visited them often. Always going strait for the endearing little calico. I
have always wanted a calico (preferably a long haired one) and began planning
how I was going to convince my husband that we really needed another cat. I knew
it was a long shot but worth a try. About two weeks after the birth I visited
the store during my lunch break. I was devastated to find that the kittens had
all taken a turn for the very worst! It seems that over the weekend a new
employee had taken in some rather sickly older kittens. They were placed in a
cage next to the mother with her newborns. It didn't take long before mother and
litter
got sick and the
mother lost her milk. Now, terribly ill and malnourished, the kittens were all in
horrible shape but the tiny calico was by far the worst. Her eyes were matted closed by
infection and every tiny bone was visible on her slender little body. I
picked her up she mewed feebly trying to look at me through crusty weeping eyes
as her little head wobbled with the effort. My heart ached with her pain! There
was no question what I was going to do. I bundled her up and left the store.
There was just one problem. I was still at work. Tears streaming down my face I
headed back to work one kitten richer than when I had left. Thankfully, my workplace is
filled with tenderhearted souls. They took one look at my pitiful bundle and
tear streaked face and
promptly sent me off to see the vet. I think they really just wanted me to leave
before I had them in tears as well! I rushed to the vets office driving
one-handed as the other cradled the mewling kitten. The vet was astonished to
see her and even more surprised that she still clung to life. Quick
administration of antibiotics and fluid undoubtedly saved her life. I returned
to the pet store the next day to see if I could help the other kittens but
received the sad news that two hadn't made it through the night. The remaining
two were taken away by another good soul and I can only hope that, they too,
received the love and care given to the Wee One. For the next two weeks Wee One
went everywhere with me. She had to have medication every two hours and I fed
her every time she stirred. Every morning she got packed up and rode with me to
work where she quickly owned every heart (and every chair!)
Her health improved quickly except for one eye which cleared up but continued to
be milky. Most of us were resigned to her being blind in that eye, but I wasn't
giving up! One more trip to the vet showed that, thankfully, she did have
vision in the eye. A change of eye medication was all that was needed. Today, the Wee One is a
healthy, loving, beautiful cat with two sparkling bright eyes! She still goes to
work with me occasionally and hasn't forgotten the tender souls who helped care
for her in her days of need. And, in case your wondering, my loving husband
never once questioned her addition to the family. Thanks for reading her
story. BACK
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