Bonnie Bader - Rosies Story (the Dodo)

ON AN APRIL EVENING IN 2015, THI Bui (say: Tee Boo-ee) received an urgent call from a friend. A tiny kitten had been found alone on a dark street in San Jose, California. Twenty-two-year-old Thi had been rescuing kittens for a long time, so she sprang into action.

Within minutes, Thi arrived at the scene, where she discovered the kitten curled up on the street outside her friends house. The kitten had mostly black-and-brown fur, but her paws, legs, and chest were white. She was very tiny indeed.

Thi tucked her strands of long black hair behind her ears and bent down to get a closer look. She looks sick, she said. Poor thing.

She looked around for the kittens mother, but there wasnt another cat in sight. This friend said she hadnt seen another cat for at least a day. Thi knew that without a mother to take care of her, the orphaned kitten would need help to survive.

Thi gently picked up the trembling kitten. I have to get you home, little one.

As soon as I saw her, I knew youd be able to help her, This friend said gratefully.

Thanks for calling, Thi replied, cradling the long-haired tabby kitten in her arms.

Carefully, Thi laid the kitten on the front seat of her car. She covered her with a blanket to keep her nice and snug. Then Thi began her drive home.

As she pulled up to a stop sign, she glanced at the kitten and smiled.

The kitten yawned, curling her tiny pink tongue.

Although Thi had rescued a lot of kittens in her life, there was something very special about this one. She could just feel it.

The little kitten slowly opened her green eyes. She didnt know where she was. She was shivering, but she was starting to feel warmer now that she was nestled in a cozy blanket. Her stomach grumbled, but there was no mom to feed her.

Whats happening? she thought.

The kitten tilted her head and saw someone seated beside her, her hands on a steering wheel. They were inside a car But where are we headed? she wondered.

Bump!

The kittens body jerked, and the persons hand shot out to keep her from flying forward. The kitten sniffed. The hand smelled sweet and comforting. Maybe this human had food for her. Her stomach gurgled again. She opened her mouth, mewling, but no food appeared.

She was starting to feel hungrier and weaker by the second

Thi rushed the kitten inside her single-story house, which was where she and her two sisters, Thoa (say: Twa) and Tram, took care of abandoned animals. The Bui sisters had tons of experience with newborn kittens, so Thi knew just what to do. She started by placing the tiny kitten on a heated blanket.

From the looks of her, the kitten was about two-and-a-half to three weeks old. A kitten that age needed their mothers milk. But since there was no mother cat around, Thi needed to prepare a bottle of kitten formula, which was as close as she was going to get to real cat milk.

Dont worry, Thi assured the kitten. Ive got something yummy for you.

Thi took the formula out from the closet. Feeding a kitten cows milk or soy milk can be very dangerous. Luckily, kitten formula has just the right kind of vitamins and minerals that newborn kittens need to help them grow. And this little one needed the kitten formula right away!

Quickly, Thi fit a special bottle with a rubber tip. These rubber tips make a kitten think they are drinking milk from their mother. If the kittens mouth is very tiny, a dropper can be used to deliver the milk instead. Whatever the method, Thi knew it was important to make sure the formula drips out one drop at a time. After all, this was a teeny-tiny kitten with a teeny-tiny mouth and a teeny-tiny tummy!

Once the powdered formula and warm water were added to the bottle, Thi shook it to make sure there were no lumps. Clumps of powder can block the hole and keep the kitten from getting the milk. Thi tested the formula on the inside of her wrist to make sure it wasnt too hot, picked the kitten up, and placed her belly down on her lap. This is the safest position to bottle-feed a kitten. This is also the position a kitten would most likely take milk from their mother.

Thi guided the kitten toward the bottle. Slowly, the formula dripped into her hungry mouth.

There you go. Easy now, Thi said.

Just then, Lilo, one of This huskies, padded into the living room to see what was going on. Lilo had just been spayed and was wearing a cone so that she couldnt bite or lick the itchy stitches.

Hi, Lilo, Thi said. Came to see what all the excitement is about, huh?

Lilo kissed Thi, then glanced at the kitten and trotted back to her bed.

Tram, the youngest Bui sister, passed Lilo in the doorway as she stepped into the living room.

I see we have another patient, Tram said, kneeling next to Thi and the kitten.

Thi nodded. My friend called me about this rescue, and I think I got there just in time. This kitten is so frail.

She must be starving, Tram added. Speaking of starving, Ill go feed the others. And with that, she headed into the kitchen to prepare bottles for their other little rescue kittens.

This kitten felt something warm and soft touch her mouth, and was that milk?

With all the energy she could find, the kitten suckled on the bottle. The warm milk tasted so good after being hungry for so long. As she drank, her tired eyes began to close.

After a few more small sips, she fell fast asleep in her rescuers lap.

Thi had breathed a sigh of relief when the kitten started taking the bottle. But when the kitten stopped drinking, she grew worried. She knew the kitten needed more than a few sips

So cute! said Thoa as she walked into the living room. She pulled out her phone to snap a photo of the little kitten.

Thi nodded. Cute, but weak. I tried feeding her, but she didnt take much.

Thoa sighed. She must be exhausted. Who knows what shes been through?

We have to do everything we can to try to save her, Thi said. She needs more milk.

Agreed. Tram entered the living room to join in. First things first: feeding schedule. Tram grabbed a pen and piece of paper. The sisters were used to creating strict round-the-clock schedules for the newbornor neonatalkittens they rescued.

According to the schedule, the sisters would rotate the feedings every two to three hours, and try to give the tiny kitten ten to fourteen milliliters of formula each time. The sisters knew they wouldnt get much sleep, but they were used to that. It was what they needed to do to keep the kitten alive.

Thoa and Tram retreated back to their rooms to sleep before it was their turn. Meanwhile, Thi held the bottle, waiting for the kitten to wake up and take a sip. Her eyes settled on a photograph of her with her two sisters back in middle school.

Since then, Thi had been taking care of street catsalso known as feral cats. She couldnt bear to see cats without homes, but her mother wouldnt let her bring them inside. So instead she put fresh food and water out for them. But one day, Thi found two neonatal kittens. She knew she couldnt simply leave food outside for them. These little kittens needed extra special care or they wouldnt survive. So, against her mothers wishes, Thi brought them inside the house.