Three weeks ago, the day before the first nightly freeze hit Southern New Jersey, Mama Coco and her five babies made their presence known at my best friend’s family home. Surprisingly tame for their age, bringing them into a safe environment was easier than expected. Knowing how quickly cats can multiply and become ill, my cat-loving friends jumped into action to save these tiny creatures and attempt to gain Mama Coco’s trust.

The journey did not start off easy and will continue to be tough because of the condition they were in when found. It seems that we made it to them just in time - three quickly developed eye infections and all started showing symptoms of a severe upper respiratory infection. Mama Coco is a young feral cat who simply could not produce enough milk to support five healthy kittens. She is likely just out of kittenhood herself. We therefore made the difficult decision to separate the family after three days and took two of the half-pound meatballs to the emergency vet for analysis.

After multiple rounds of antibiotics, hot compresses on the eyes, and some intense tender love and care, all five kittens began to show improvement! To say this was a challenge is an understatement. Critically ill neonates are very touch-and-go. We spent many nights syringe feeding slurry, eye dropping milk into their tiny mouths, and keeping them warm to improve their health. Once they were stable, the two worst kittens went to the vet for a check-up and it became evident that one has limited sight in her left eye and one has almost no sight in his left eye. We will continue to try to save these eyeballs, whatever it takes! Right now we are applying hot compresses three to four times daily as needed and using prescription eye drops every two hours. What a schedule!

Today, all five kittens are playful and happy and well on their way to recovery. Let me introduce their names and personalities:

-French Fry is a dusty orange boy who is gentle and sweet. He was the chunkiest boy upon arrival and remains the chunkiest now. An exploratory guy, he is sure to provide love to anyone who says hello to him.

-Cheeseburger is a bright orange boy who is more on the silly side! He has a look of constant concern, but his curiosity is strong. He’s a bit smaller than French Fry, but that doesn’t mean he can’t keep up with the crew.

-Apple Fritter is the tiniest little gray tabby in the bunch. She has bright, shining eyes and chirps happily around as she jumps. A spirited little ray of sunshine!

-Donut is another gray tabby, but he is a little bit bigger than his sisters. He is a tender hearted boy who we like to refer to as a goober of the bunch. He has very limited vision in his left eye right now, but we are hopeful his cautiously playful nature will bloom in time.

-Brownie Batter (‘Bat’) is a spooky little lady—black with a tiny white tuft on her chest. Her primary mode of transportation is hopping, and she loves to steal hearts with her loud purr and fluffy, crooked tail. She also has limited vision in her left eye, but it does not slow her down one bit!

Finally, Mama Coco is decompressing and will be spayed soon. She is being cared for excellently, but wants nothing to do with her captors. She is the perfect candidate for “TNR” (trap, neuter/spay, release) and will be able to spend the rest of her days in a safe and warm garage, coming and going as she pleases. Coco will live her life free of the responsibilities of future litters, taken care of from a comfortable distance.

The purpose of this GoFundMe is simple: rescuing and taking care of kittens is so fulfilling, but unfortunately costs an exuberant amount of money. It takes a village to foster, and we are graciously asking for your help in getting these babies properly vetted and ready to be adopted. To date, the cost of caring for this family of cats has been upward of $1000 and is expected to increase once they are large enough to be fixed. Any and all funds we gather will go directly to their care, quality of life improvement, and to assisting animal rescues.

OUR GOALS:

-Ensure all five kittens are completely clear of infection

-Treat Donut’s and Bat’s eyes as successfully as possible

-Spay/neuter all five kittens and have them fully vetted for a healthy start

-Find safe and loving homes for all babies

-Spay Momma Coco and have her vaccinated for outdoor life

-Return Coco to where she was found

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our story, spread the word, and love cats with us.