Worth Fighting For

Ferals do a lot of "fighting".  My ferals have been fighting constantly since they came to me.  

They fought:

* To get to the back of the cage and be the kitten the furthest from me at all times.

* To get away and avoid being picked up and handled.

* To be the first gobble down the food and retreat to a hiding place.
* To overcome their fear.

*  To be the one who gets the most of the baby food.

* To see who could get the most toys.

* To overcome their illness.

* To allow themselves to relax enough to start to trust me.

Every single feral kitten that comes into a shelter and successfully goes through the socialization process has to be a fighter.  Even though they are still just babies, they fight through illness, fear, malnutrition, a lack of trust, and so many other challenges that many of us humans would find overwhelming.

And as we approach the New Year, I am happy to say that Frankie and Hyde are still fighting. But now, instead of fighting to get away from me, they fight to push each other out of the way so that they can be the one to get the most petting from mom. 

I have so much respect for all of the feral kittens I have been lucky enough to foster.  They are the epitome of the fighting spirit that is in some many shelter animals and show me time and time again that some things are truly worth fighting for.

Happy New Year Frankie, Hyde, (and Twyla in your forever home),
Love,
Your Fighting "Coach"
Mom