Kitten in the Road

So. The past me who wished when I was younger and secretly hoped to find a poor sad pretty kitten on the side of the road, just needing some love has finally gotten her wish. When she's already ankle deep in animals at one horse and two cats.

12 year old me is squeeing. 

I was driving home from the barn, it was late and dark. I saw something funny up ahead on the road, and as I got closer it looked like a kitten. Eating road kill. On the yellow line of a rural two lane highway. Where people regularly go over 60. And some aim to hit whatever they can in the road.

Playing with an angry bird.  

Cue getting out of the car. Kitty spooks a little then mews and comes over. I snatch her and bring her back to the car.

"Great, now what do I do with her?" She's so little, can't be more than 2 or 3 months old and is skin and bones. She's snuggling into my lap like it's a luxury she can't believe. She might be someone's barn cat because she's super friendly, but she's dirty and thin. And hungry enough to go out on the road and scavenge. She's obviously not being fed at home, and if I put her back out she'll just end up in the road looking for something to eat. So I brought her home with me.

I called Husband on the way home. I led with, "Don't be mad. I found a kitten." He was all, "Well what are we going to do with it?" I said,  "I'll take it to the vet and then I'll call some animal shelters and see if they have room for her, or if they don't, we could foster her until someone wants to adopt her." Husband says, "Well don't lead with us being willing to foster her. I want her gone as soon as possible."

We agree that the main bathroom is a good place for her until she goes to the vet and gets all cleaned up. He starts setting it up as I finish driving home. I texted him a picture of her while we were sitting at a red light. He meets me at the car with a cat carrier and a big goofy grin on his face and is all "Hiiii kitty!" What a big softie.

He's picked up some of the older cat toys and a blanket, and emptied the bathroom of anything soft or toxic. She gets the blanket in the sink as a bed, and one of the old bathroom rugs on the floor. He's also pulled out the travel litter box with walnut litter (our cats use crystals) and has set that out for her. She has some stainless steel food bowls, and lots of water and a couple scoops of Nickels' high calorie food.

We have some fun snuggling and playing with her, and about that time we realize she has both tapeworms and fleas. Poor cat. She hangs out in the sink and takes a nap while I get a shower (she's in the only bathroom with a shower), and we snuggle some more after and then it's bedtime.

Husband asks if we should name her, I said no, it'll make her staying more permanent. He decides to call her Sophie.

Getting ready for some z's. 

I get up in the morning and attempt to snag my toothbrush and makeup out of the bathroom so I can take it to the powder room to get ready for work. Sophie does not want me to leave, or to stay in the bathroom by herself any longer.

My mom agrees to take Sophie to the vet because she needed to go asap since we have other cats and the sooner she can leave her solitary confinement, the better.

I make an appointment for her on my bus ride in to work. Mom calls mid appointment to let me know what's going on:

• Sophie is actually about 5 months old and is starving. Which is why she's so thin and little.
• She does not have a microchip. 
• She does have fleas and tapeworms, but the vet will give her something that will kill them all in 24 hours, but he said to keep her in solitary for the weekend, just in case. 
• She is leukemia/FIV negative! 
• She got all the appropriate kitten shots and a rabies shot.
• The vet is sending her home with cans of bland, easy to digest food because she hasn't eaten or used the litter box since I've had her. 
• Other than weighing less than 5lbs and having fleas and tapeworms, she's in good condition and good health.

I got a post together on Facebook to try and find her a home, and I haven't called any rescues, however I'll be going out tonight to fetch her some kitten food. We're still planning on giving her away, but if we end up keeping her, I'm blaming my husband because he named her :-)

Everyone, meet Sophie!