A Vision All Her Own

For a while now, we have known that Katie has a special gift with animals.

It's like she instinctively knows what to do and how to train animals.  At 8 years old, Katie has a healthy respect for animals but doesn't fear them.  So since her gift and vision for the future is to work with animals, we are doing all we can to pursue, encourage, and build up her skills to follow that dream. 

Cleaning up after and caring for animals isn't really my idea of fun. But since Katie's enjoyment is contagious, I find myself having a good time alongside her.   

We arrange our school schedule to take Tuesdays off so she can volunteer during the day at the animal shelter.  Clinic day happens once a month.  It's during the day and it's basically the biggest event in her life. She has many jobs on clinic day. Her favorite job is monitoring and crating animals in recovery room while they are under anesthesia.  Because the animals can react to anesthesia, it's important for her to check their breathing.  She helps prepare lunch for everyone including volunteers, docs, and nurses.  Also, the adoption center undergoes quite a transformation to accommodate the monthly clinic so she sticks around to help put humpty dumpty back together again.    

At our most recent clinic day at the adoption center, a lady brought in a newborn kitten found in a parking lot.  Since a newborn kitten has a schedule of eating every 2-3 hours on bottle and has to be stimulated to use the bathroom, this lady was not able to provide this kind of care.  Apparently, she could see the word "SUCKER" written on our foreheads because as soon as we laid eyes on him, we decided to take him on.  

It was too early to tell the sex so a friend of mine called him Herm. (Her/Him) My husband called him Gato.  I called him Kitty.  Katie called him Boo.  

 Here's Gato Boo Herm Kitty  

It's amazing to watch my little 8 year old become responsible.  When she told me she would care for him, that's exactly what she meant.  Bottle feeding, stimulating, medicating, and all! There are days that she has to be cheered on, but for an 8 year old, I can't complain. 

When the word was out that we were fostering a newborn, we were asked to foster another newborn kitty.  We accepted.  What's another one, right? 

Initially, I had an agreement with Katie that I would take night shift feedings for our first foster and she would take days.  When we agreed to take on the other foster, she offered to help with night shift feedings.  She was true to her word.  She was up with me every 3-4 hours feeding the kittens at night.  

This was at 8am after a long night of feeding 

I couldn't feel more blessed to have a mature, hard working, and loyal young 8 year old by my side to live life with.  She didn't become this way without some elbow grease and sacrifice on our end as parents.  She became this way because she has been provided with a lifestyle of learning and experiencing at a schedule that works for her goals in life.  She never has to ask if she is needed in our family because we couldn't do it without her.  

So how are the foster kitties now?  

The black kitty went to a new home that was a purrrfect match.  Gato Boo Herm Kitty turned out to be a male and we all decided on the name Pete, Pete is now a part of the family.  

Katie has trained Pete to use a litter box and he just started eating solid foods today. He's a chunky little guy.   

Here's Pete and a day old ducky in my farmer's daughters lap! 

"It's been a fun challenge (yet for the black kitty a noisy challenge!) raising Pete.  He's a sweetie.  He's cute.  He's like a sit in your lap cat. Also, very weird at times.  He fights for the bottle a lot.  I'm glad he's starting to eat solid foods because-man-that was hard! Though I didn't like the stimulating part." ~Katie