Goldie and Her Kittens

One night in the basement of my apartment, a faint meowing caught my attention. I was down there, to feed Bourbon, our community stray dog who was missing then. The soft, yet intermittent meows, intrigued me, as I traced the source. Fortuitously, I spotted a juvenile orange white cat, sitting next to a jettisoned baby car seat against a pillar. Seeing me approaching, it hissed feebly. Undeterred, I crouched down to pet her when my eyes fell on the baby car seat that was holding her litter. The puny feral, famished and scared, moved closer to the baby seat as she guarded her kittens. Respecting her boundaries, I stepped back, and rushed home to get some food.

On my way up to the eleventh floor, I experienced an emotional deluge. I shuddered thinking of my furry friend, a newly nursing mother, tending to her new-born babies all by herself out in the crazy human world. I was worried, anxious, scared and rattled by her plight. Gripped with panic and fear, thinking about the safety and security of her litter, I took a deep breath in and out. As the elevator opened, I walked out resolutely letting go the unforeseen future and taking up reins of the present.

I decided to feed the nursing feline every day until she was around. As a pet parent of a lab, and two cats, I had wet and dry cat food handy. So, I rushed down with some bowls, food, and water for my new friend on the block. As soon as I poured the wet cat food in the bowl, she licked it speedily. I refilled the bowl, and added dry kibbles to it. She devoured every bit, and looked at me for more. This time as I watched her eating, I managed to have a peek into the seat, and was pleasantly surprised to see five newborns huddled together. Thrilled to embrace the new orange tabby on the block and her family, I named her “Goldie” instantly.

Being satiated, Goldie then leaped into the seat, and sat close to her kittens. As I turned to go, Bourbon was standing and watching from a distance. Interestingly, Bourbon showed no signs of territorial aggression, and appeared to have approved of Goldie’s proximity. She seemed to have fathomed Goldie’s vulnerability, and as a gesture of good will, receded. After finishing her food, she sat across the pillar, watching closely on the cat and her family. Leaving Goldie and her newborns in the custody of Bourbon, I bade them goodnight.

Early next morning, when I went to feed Goldie, she was nowhere to be seen. Dismayed, I rushed to check on the litter. To my horror, one of the kittens was down on the floor while another on the verge of slipping down the edge of the seat. I quickly picked the little life, and placed it in safely with all its siblings. Just then Goldie came running towards me as she saw me adjusting the seat. She quickly sniffed all her babies and jumped in the seat. In spite of offering her food, she did not leave her place, expressing clearly her apprehensions and wariness. Being a mother myself, I comprehended her concern, and resolved to keep my distance from her litter.

I began feeding Goldie several times a day realizing well that she is a nursing mother. She too was always there when I called her out for food. I petted her, but never pried upon her kittens. Suddenly, one day Goldie and her litter went missing. Disheartened looking around everywhere, I left food in the bowl near the baby seat. On returning later to check upon her, I found the bowl empty. I was relieved to know that she was around, and began keeping food there. For days, she came and ate after I left the bowls filled with food and water. Then, one day she approached while I was filling her bowl. Happy to see her again, I petted, and followed her as she went behind a car and jumped into a cardboard carton. I had a peek, and was glad to see Goldie licking her tiny babies cuddled together. I was overwhelmed to see a cat mother’s courage, brilliance and insight to choose this safe haven to keep her babies protected and sheltered.

Just when Goldie settled in her new abode, nature had different plans to disrupt her tranquility. It rained heavily the previous night, and the city was flooded. I woke up horrified and rushed down to look for Goldie and her kittens. The basement was inundated, and to my horror, the carton was soaked and ripped. I could not find Goldie or her kittens anywhere. Desperately, I ferreted around turning each torn side of the cardboard. Fortuitously, I found three babies drenched and gasping for breath. I looked for the other two of Goldie’s litter, but could not find them. So, I hurriedly picked up, and brought all the three, home. I dried and wrapped them in a soft towel, and put them in the cat carrier out in the sun that fortunately had risen after a while.

Reckoning that Goldie may be looking for her kittens, I rushed down to track her. Since the basement was still deluged, I went to look on the ground floor. To my utter astonishment, Goldie was already waiting outside my block. The moment she saw me walking out, she ran meowing towards me. I could clearly comprehend her worry and anxiety as she conveyed through her persistent meowing, telling me about her kittens trapped down in the basement and seeking help. I assured her about her babies as I instantly called up my husband to bring down the cat carrier. Goldie did understand what I said as she quietened and waited patiently. As soon as I opened the carrier door, she stepped into it, and sniffed. In a trice, she then picked all her kittens, one by one, in her mouth, and ran inside a hideout behind the power generator setup. Curious, I followed her and was ecstatic to find all her five kittens together. I was stupefied and awestruck at Goldie’s intelligence, discernment and grit to have had already relocated two of her kittens in her new hideaway. Goldie relentlessly, and meticulously fought her battle against nature’s fury, and safeguarded her litter.

Weeks passed by as I continued to pet and feed Goldie in her new spot. Longing to see the kittens, I once flashed the torchlight in the tunnel, and was thrilled to see five pairs of shining balls looking back at me. However, my joy did not last long as Goldie and her litter went missing again. Goldie had once again moved out, and I was oblivious as usual of her whereabouts. Food again became my decoy to ascertain Goldie’s proximity. I kept refilling the bowls with food and water as days passed by without seeing Goldie. One morning, I was taken by surprise when Goldie walked out from under the couch kept in the lobby of my block. I realized that she had shifted with all her fives inside the lobby of my block. I quickly got a rug that I slipped under the sofa for her and the babies to keep them all warm. I now fed Goldie discreetly in the lobby, as she reared and nurtured her kittens under the couch.

The worst befell on Goldie the day her kittens began wobbling around. Commotion ensued as a group of children mobbed the kittens. Goldie struggled shielding them when I barged in, and disbanded the group. Immediately, I then took Goldie and her litter of four, home. Someone had robbed of one of Goldie’s kittens.

Goldie and her kittens were now at my home in a spacious balcony that I cordoned off from my pets. I took Goldie to the vet and got her vaccinated. Her kittens, three tomcats and one female, whom I now called Huey, Luey, Duey and Looney were also cleaned up. Initially flustered with captivity, Goldie gradually grew accustomed to her new home. She nursed her babies as she relaxed and basked in the sun. Her kittens lay next to her suckling as she licked each one of them lovingly. As weeks passed, she began weaning the kittens. The kittens began running, jumping and playing around. Much against my will, I resolved to get Goldie and her kittens adopted into loving homes. So, I circulated Goldie and her kittens’ pictures in social groups. Before long, I received a message from a young man about his lost cat who looked like Goldie. He came over, and as he called out “Mia”, Goldie came running out. Goldie and I shared an unspoken bond of profound love, trust and everlasting companionship. However, he picked her up and she clung to him while I stood speechless. Tears rolled down my eyes and his as he walked out of the house carrying Goldie and her kittens to their home.

Cover illustration: AI-generated artwork inspired by Goldie’s story.