In the Beginning...Part II

She was all skin and bones, but she was a great mother

                Tigerlilly entered our home for the first time, and within minutes delivered the first of four healthy kittens.  They came in a variety of colors—orange, calico, smoky gray, and an orange/white mix.  Tigerlilly was a fantastic mom.  She let the kittens play with her tail as she rested, kept them fed and clean, and gently disciplined them.  Now that she had a proper diet, her leathery skin softened and her bristly fur grew thick and silky.

                There was one kicker to this situation.  Poor Radar, with no malice or threat toward the kittens, was under constant attack from their protective mama.  As he wandered into their space, completely unaware of the danger because of his limited sight and hearing, Tigerlilly would lash out at him.  She was always moving the kittens to new locations so the poor old dog couldn’t keep track of where it was safe to walk.

                What to do?   We started with a chicken wire enclosure in the front hall.  It didn’t do much for the décor but at least Radar wasn’t able to walk through.  It was also the perfect spot for the piano students to view the little fellas (we were already looking for future homes).  Before long the kittens' eyes had opened and they were literally climbing the walls.  The next move was to the upstairs bathroom.  We filled it with scratching posts and climbing things and kept them contained there at night.  During the day we let them run loose in our world.  (to be continued)