Webster and his kittens… *video*
Life for Webster, my adult foster, has been scary.
Surrendered by his original owners, he sat in a cage for nearly a year… then in quick succession, he was adopted, returned to the shelter, adopted again, and returned… again.
Then he sat in the cage for another six months.
When I took him to foster, he was just a solid ball of sadness.
use the arrows on the photo to see all of his glory.
He was so kind and sweet.
No aggression at all.
But SO curled into himself.
Terrified of literally every.single.thing.
He was not cleaning himself— even his fur was sad.
He let me give him a bath.
IN THE BATHTUB.
I mean, he wasn’t THRILLED about it.
But he accepted it.
I think he figured– whatever.
Life can’t get any worse.
When Webster came, he hid at all times.
So I took his hiding spots away.
He kept finding new ones… HOW did you get IN there?
So I emptied the third floor of ALL HIDING.
Shut the door.
And just SAT.
And he was like— FINALLY SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS.
He became my buddy.
TURNS OUT HE LOVES BEING LOVED.
It’s all he wants— to be someone’s true companion.
But also, now he refuses to come downstairs.
Unknown humans come and go.
Things bang down there.
It’s unnecessary.
The shelter had been told Webster hates other animals.
So my other fosters were not allowed up there.
But kittens don’t care about the rules.
So one day they found him.
Webster was terrified.
THE GAPING MAW OF KITTENS.
Nothing scarier.
But the kittens did not get the memo about how Webster is an old cranky lion *STAY OFF MY LAWN* so they just charged right up to him.
hullooo!
we love you!
do love us?
would you like our butt in your face?
we are going to eat your tail because it is a prehistoric monster that we are stalking!
WHAT IS THIS THING SUNLIGHT MOVING ON THE FLOOR?
your butt smells delicious!
LET US CHECK AGAIN.
I was not at all worried that Webster would swat them.
I WAS worried they might give him a heart attack.
He was OMYGODWHATNOW.
But the kittens INSISTED ON LOVING HIM.
This cat was a SOLID LUMP for MONTHS.
But Elvis the Prequel just does NOT understand NOT LOVE.
She MUST GIVE YOU LOVE.
To get to SEE Webster have THIS MUCH JOY.
I realized: how LONELY he was.
So.
Last week, in my post, about doing EXTRA DEEP KITCHEN COUNTERTOPS <– I AM STOKED… I mentioned that the kittens were away getting fixed, and Webster was inconsolable… WHERE ARE MY KITTENS?
Truly.
He behaved completely different than I have ever seen him.
ALERT.
He positioned himself in a CONSPICUOUS spot and STARED at me.
HE LEFT THE THIRD FLOOR to wander the house howling.
Returning to stare.
Then.
It was time.
But somehow he did not realize I had brought the kittens up… so he was just staring at me WOEFULLY BALEFULLY… until he heard something familiar… BUT YOU CAN SEE HE WAS UNSURE.
WHAT IS HAPPENING.
Like, it took him a minute to realize all his dreams had come true.
The life of animals.
At the mercy of humans.
Is hard.
It is the thing that rips my heart out.
We despair for the abandoned cats.
The unwanted dogs.
The sadness.
The solitude.
We lick our lips for bacon.
Living beings.
We pay ardent lip-service to the ideal of motherhood.
We take the breastmilk of mothers.
Made for their babies.
We debate— should females have autonomy?
We exploit the female reproductive system.
For ice cream.
We should all be feminists.
Cheese tho.
July 17, 2018 @ 7:20 am
You are truly an amazing and kind person!
July 17, 2018 @ 11:55 am
Ohmygosh…. I love, love, love that you foster bunches of kitties, but…. please, please, please keep those three! They all need each other. What a wonderful family they have, and the best humans to keep their little family together. You’ve had bunches before… you could still foster one or two at a time. Right? Right? I can’t bear the idea of them being separated, and you are clearly the Webster Whisperer. Yep, I’m begging someone I don’t actually know on the internet to keep her kitties, which I have no right to do. But, pleeeeeze?
July 17, 2018 @ 1:20 pm
Victoria, that cat is special….I know you are into this fostering, but maybe he could stay with you and help foster other kittens? This broke my heart!!! This cat needs humans AND other cats!!! He could be the kitten nanny!!??
July 17, 2018 @ 1:42 pm
Webster’s story needs to be published as a children’s book. It’s already 95% written.
July 17, 2018 @ 6:23 pm
Victoria, I have sent your blog to a few select friends whom I thought. would. appreciate. YOU. in the past.
Today I am sending this out to EVERYONE on my email list because THIS post needs to go VIRAL.
Let’s do this.
ALL of us!
Send THIS post to everyone we know and … all those businesses that promote their STUFF
Let’s do this for Victoria and for the PLANET of cats and dogs and animals and lonely people.
VIRAL girls. Lets’ GET THIS VIRAL!
July 17, 2018 @ 6:34 pm
Such a happy story! I’m pleased that Webster has found his purpose with you and the kittens, and if you absolutely cannot keep them together, you must at least insist that Webster does not go without at least one companion to love and care for. He has, as you said, been through so much already that I know you will have compassion for this guy! Why can’t the third floor become a cattery? You don’t need that much space for the two of you!
July 17, 2018 @ 9:14 pm
You realize that you must now keep them. All of them. Because to deny Webster his kids would be too unkind. I don’t think he could bear the heartbreak. Please say you’ll keep them.
July 18, 2018 @ 8:49 am
VEB, I along with most here hope that you’ll keep these cats. But… of course you and you alone must make the decision to put them up for adoption. If you do decide to let them go on to other homes is it possible that you make a request that they not be separated ? I am local and am considering taking them on myself if you give them up. But….I fear my own older gal might not take such a liking to no longer being #1.
July 20, 2018 @ 9:00 am
Thank you Victoria for giving Webster a new life! To all who didn’t see his true beauty, shame on them. He is so happy! He needs you to be his human, I don’t think he could handle another transfer, he has found his happy place and has emerged into his handsome, happy self.
July 21, 2018 @ 6:35 pm
THANK YOU FOR GIVING HIM KITTIES. He obviously really needed kitties.
Our dog is so scared of the kittens we foster. Petrified. He’s 50 pounds, but runs away whining.
Honestly these animals.
July 22, 2018 @ 8:30 pm
Please, please, please keep Webster. He has been treated so badly and has only found love with you. He has been through so, so much and deserves to have love and stability. Please give him that.
July 31, 2018 @ 10:20 am
Love this. Love Webster and his kittens! And all that you do for the animals. Thank you.
August 8, 2018 @ 12:06 am
Please please keep them!