Seek and Destroy

Mommycat, Seek and Destroy

So here's the story about Seek and Destroy!

About three and half months ago, at the end of April, I was just relaxing by the pool at Coral Beach 2, where I was living at the time. Reading a book, thinking about nothing, another day in paradise. Then the guys from reception came running to me and it took a while before I understood what the hell was going on. "Cat having babies! Cat having babies!" was the message.

There had been this female cat hanging around, I didn't know where it came from but it just came and decided to stay. A friendly cat, whose previous two babies were already quite big (they are now called Adam Lambert and Jack. Adam is still with me, but Jack got a new home from Eden Cottages and is everyone's favourite cat there). Sure, I had noticed the female was pretty heavily pregnant again but I didn't realize the day was this close. And that the cat decides to crawl to the Coral Beach 2 reception, to the linen closet and have the babies there! What a wise cat she is!

The miracle of birth

So there I ran, to the reception, following the local boys and yes indeed, miracle of birth going on, right there! One kitten was already born, another one half way through. I had never seen this before, so didn't know what to do. I figured the Mommycat knows her business, for sure, she's done this before. So I just hang around, helped to keep the kitten out of the way while Mommycat was changing positions, almost sitting on the kitten already born, but still hanging from mommy by these... well, things. Seemes kittens come in packets of two, and after that comes the afterbirth, which mommycats eat. Lots of things coming out, I can tell you, not just the kittens! So, 2 kittens were born, after which Mommycat was calm for a while, cleaning up the firstborns. I thought maybe this was it, just two babies. But pretty soon Mommycat became restless again, and gave birth to another two.

Naturally, the cat family was not able to stay at the reception closet, and - naturally - I couldn't just chase them out and say, well done, Mommycat, and good luck. An empty Bintang box was found, I packed Mommycat and the 4 newborn kittens to the box and what else was I supposed to do: I took them to my bungalow. At least they will be safe, I can take care that Mommycat gets food while she takes care that the kittens are fed.

The fab four. Unfortunately not all of them made it.

The problem was I was supposed to leave the island in a couple of days. My visa was running out, I had plans to go to Malaysia for a couple of weeks and so on. I didn't know what to do. Surely I cannot throw the cat family out, and even if I found a good place for them, knowing myself, I would not enjoy myself at all if I left, I would worry about the kittens all the time. So the decision was easy: I can manage without Malaysia, but the cat family needs me. Luckily I had a friend visiting at this time, and she promised to take care of the cat family while I quickly fly to Singapore and back, for visa reasons.

I was gone for three days. While I was gone, one kitten had died. When I got back, the next day another kitten died. It just stopped eating and moving, and finally took his last breath on my hand. I cried, of course I did. We buried it behind my bungalow. I know sometimes kittens just do not make it, and nature makes it's selection. Still, it's the saddest thing to see, a tiny little life ending and there is nothing you can do.

Outside for the first time, what is this sunshine, what is going oooooon?

So now there was two. They were strong ones, even though the other one was the last to be born and the tiniest of them all, a little girl, she seemed to have the strength of a lion! She opened her eyes before the other one, was the first to start walking, as well as climbing out of the basket where they were living, was the first one to go taste what kind of food mommy is eating and the first one to go outside. The other one is a boy and always waiting for his sister to check out new and scary things first, before following to a new adventure. When he was about 3 weeks old, his belly button got infected. It got swollen to the size of a golf ball and disgusting yellow pus started leaking out. I was cleaning it all the time, but it just did not get better. Luckily we had the vet coming over for other cats, and while the vet was here he cleaned the kitten's belly button properly and gave mommycat a shot of long lasting antibiotics, so that the kittens got antibiotics through breastfeeding.

Little by little the kittens started to look around. First inside my bungalow, then step by step to the terrace, and finally out to the world.

Climbing trees

They got names: Seek and Destroy. Seek is the girl and Destroy is the boy. Destroy lets Seek to find things first and then follows if it looks interesting enough. And they did make a mess: total destruction everywhere, I needed to keep all my things behind closed doors and in bags, otherwise everything got dropped, clawed, chewed or just thrown around. Well, what else are kittens supposed to do? They sleep, they eat, they go to the toilet and then they play. And by playing I mean making a mess!

We have now moved to a new house, about 3 weeks ago, and Seek and Destroy enjoy the new neighbourhood a lot. They have grown up so much, I cannot believe just a while ago they were so tiny and helpless!

They are now about 3,5 months old and spend all their days outside, climbing trees and just running around. Mommycat is still breastfeeding a bit and is such a great mom in every way. It has been so touching to follow Seek and Destroy since birth, see how they grow up, how they start looking around and what kind of personalities they develop. And Mommycat is there, all the way through, following their every step and making sure no danger comes to her babies and calling to Seek and Destroy with a demanding meoooow if the babies try to run too far.

Needless to say, I am gonna keep Seek and Destroy, as well as their Mommycat. So I haven't even been looking homes for them. How could I give them up, as they were basically born in my hands and I have seen them grow from tiny little mousesized aliens to big and brave cats?

They are big cats already and mostly healthy, and I wish they stay that way. Seek has got a bit of skin problems, but it's getting much better now. And as I told before, Seek (of course it was Seek!) also got in trouble with a fly paper and things like that, but that is the price to pay for being a bit too curious.

Check the following collection of pictures!

First two babies were just born and they are already hungry!

Another one coming!

Mommycat did a great job, but oh was she tired afterwards!

Babies eating

Another feeding time

Then there was three

And then only two. Seek and Destroy!

Seek was the first to decide living is this stupid laundry basket totally sucks.

Cute overload!

Wonders of the outside world

Taking a nap is also a kitten's job

Kitty ying and yang

The whole family in a tree. Notice Mommycat's relaxed style...

My name is Seek!

Seek is already a big girl

Mommycat is not to keen on breastfeeding anymore, but every now and then she still lets Seeks and Destroy feed a bit

Seek, Mommycat and Seek's big brother Adam Lambert. Adam is from Mommycat's previous litter of kittens. Seek and Destroy are Mommycat's last babies, she will have no more, I got her sterilized in June.