How To Save A Life

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Hello from sunny Manila!

Today's article is all about how to save a life -- this little guy's!

Ever come across an abandoned kitten and completely space on what to do? Good, that makes both of us. Coming home early one day from home, the first thing I heard was the sharp crying of a little kitten. I went full stealth mode and sniffed her out until I finally found her curled up alongside her sibling near the pipes by the side of our home. My chest felt heavy because I knew that only one of them had survived. I ran into the house, where my mother was already waiting for me with a funny expression on her face. "You found it, huh?" was all she said, as she shook her head and let out a long sigh. My siblings and I had a history of bringing home animals from as early as age 7. Whizzing past my mom, I went to the laundry bin to look for warm towels to pick up the kitten with. I put the dead sibling in one where I could bury it with later, and took the crying one inside the house. I had no idea what to do -- YouTube videos and Google can only teach you so much, but I managed to have her cleaned and I was able to remove the umbilical chord as gently as I could. To this day I still don't know if I made the right decision. I was never sure if they were really abandoned. Maybe I should have waited it out longer, but at the state of how I found those kittens I knew I did the right thing.

We named her Pringles!

The one thing you should know about raising abandoned kittens is that heat is their best friend. You keep them warm, you keep them alive. My sisters and I were able to make her a make-shift bed with newspapers, towels, a stuffed toy (to simulate companionship), and heating pads. The next thing you should know is that their mother's milk is the difference between life and death. It's so full of nutrients that change every few weeks to better cater to the growth of their young. Without that milk, I knew my Pringles' chances were slim. What sucked the most was that after exhausting every pet shop within the Makati and Paranque areas, not one of them had kitten formula! So....

Thanks to my friends on the world wide web, I was able to concoct the second best solution: a formula made from egg yolk, yogurt, condensed milk, and the occasional goat's milk. Pringles was finally eating! And although at times she seemed so frail and weak, a part of me knew that she was a fighter. Eventually, we knew that what was best for her was being reunited with her mother. True enough, a full-grown Pringles was prowling around our home late one evening. Quietly, I placed the box out where she could see it. A few minutes later, Pringles was gone.

I'll always look fondly on the time spent with that little furball. I miss her terribly, but I'm very thankful for the learning experience she gave me. Wherever you are now little guy, I love you!