A Double Dose of Kittens
On Sunday, September 8, 2019, our intake coordinator, Nancy Tolleson, got a text message from a community member who we had previously worked with regarding neighborhood strays. She had received a call from a friend who found five kittens. The friend was mowing her lawn and moved a wooden pallet, surprising a momma cat and her newborn litter. She ran to the house to get a box to give the mom a safe place for the kittens, but when she came back, mom had already moved some of the kittens, leaving only two babies in the nest. They called PAWS for help.
Since it was getting dark and cold, the PAWS rescue team decided to take the pair of kittens inside rather than risk leaving them unprotected. However, PAWS volunteer, Nick Morano, went back one more time that night and, using a heat seeker, found a third kitten hidden in the grass near the nest, which was wedged between landscaping timbers and an exterior fence.  Now, we had three-day-old kittens and no mom. We named them Gala, Cortland, and Honey Crisp in recognition of apple season. These kittens were affectionately referred to as The Apples.
                        GalaGala 2Cortland
While we hoped to find the mother, it was imperative that the kittens be cared for. PAWS volunteers sprang into action. Foster, Barbara Goddeau, provided a place for them in her home. Since the kittens needed to be fed every two or three hours around the clock, a group of volunteers helped, rotating shifts to ensure the needs of the babies would be met.
Meanwhile, Nick and some others continued to look for mom, who was appropriately named Orchard because of her little apples.. He set up a feeding station hoping to lure her. She showed up, but managed to avoid giving up her hiding spot for the rest of the litter. Even with two cameras, she was elusive. Then a large, long-haired black and white cat showed up. We dubbed him "The Boyfriend."  Sadly, Orchard never came back with the other kittens.
However, Nick wasn’t about to give up and, after almost two months of feeding, setting traps, and watching patiently, he was able to catch "The Boyfriend" on November 18th and then mom, a week later. Nick renamed the handsome boy, Goliath. He is a shy, but friendly fellow who is now enjoying a healthy, pampered life with his new human family. 
Orchard’s three kittens continued to thrive and became cuter by the day. They were all adopted by the beginning of January.
But wait, there's more! It seems that Orchard and Goliath's love affair continued after the Apples were born and, by the time we finally caught her, Orchard was pregnant again!  On January 2nd, she gave birth to five more little apples: Fuji, Ruby Frost, Golden Delicious, Pinata, and Sugar Bee. This litter was dubbed Apples 2.
                                     Apple kittens 2
Barbara continues to provide a home for Orchard and her family. This time it was much easier on our volunteers as Orchard was able to take care of the kittens herself. They are all growing up quickly and will be ready for adoption later in the spring. Orchard has been vaccinated and spayed and is now looking for her forever family.
Thanks to the heroic efforts of a group of dedicated PAWS volunteers, ten cats are out of danger and have the chance to live long, happy lives in caring homes.