NOTES FROM A VOLUNTEER: Today I (Lisa) was at the Petsmart cat room doing Adoptions so I had to bring my foster kittens. Every time the kittens started crying, Cougar, one of the adoptable cats tried to get to them. So I let her. She went right in the carrier with them and started washing them and mothering them. I left the carrier door open and when a kitten started to get out, she pulled it back in with her. They all seemed so happy and comfy. If any of you don't know, bottle-feeding orphans is the easy part. The hard part is keeping them clean. If she'll do that for me, it'll be a big help. So I got permission to bring her home. A week after Cougar started caring for the kittens her milk returned and she is now nursing them.
Now for the really heart-warming part. Cougar is blind. Due to a birth defect she only had one eye with very limited vision. When we took her in to the kitty eye specialist it was determined that her "good eye" needed to be removed -- so Cougar is a sweet cat with no eyes. But this doesn't stop her from exploring by feel, cuddling on your lap, and playing with toys that make sounds.
It is truly surprising how well she gets around and what a pleasant personality she has after everything she has been through (she was rescued from a dog pound and was pregnant when her eyes were removed and spayed).
She has an independent persona but loves to hang out in the same room as people.
Cougar and both kittens have news homes, but will stay together until the kittens are 8 wks. old.
Eugene, OR
