A HORRIBLE THING HAPPENED!

Yesterday Mom was at work all day long, which was horrible enough.  Then when she came home, it was already over an hour past our suppertime, so that was also horrible.  After that, she had to change clothes and look at her email.  But finally she got around to being ready to feed all us very hungry animals.

First, she went in the Kitten Room to get the kittens' dishes.  Then she washed the dishes and put new canned food in them and warmed it up in the microwave.  I got to lick Mom's finger after she stuck it in the cat food to see if it was warm enough.  Hank was there, so Mom let him lick her finger, too.

Elton at age 3 weeks.

After that, Mom piled up the three kitten dishes and went to the door of the Kitten Room.  When she opened the door, three or four kittens ran out.  Mom managed to shove all the kittens except one back into the room.  She shut the door and put down the dishes.  Then she came right back out to get the other kitten, who happened to be Elton.

But in the meantime, Hank grabbed up Elton in his mouth and bit down.  I saw this happen because I was right there in the kitchen.  Mom rescued Elton from Hank's mouth, but there was all this blood coming out of Elton's mouth.  Mom put Elton on a towel on the counter.  She thought maybe she could give him a little kitten CPR, but that didn't seem to help, because Elton died anyway.  When Mom was sure Elton was dead, she started crying a whole bunch.  She cried and cried and cried.  She said it was all her fault because she thought she could foster Hank when she already had a litter of kittens here.




We're not sure why Hank killed Elton.  Maybe he thought Elton was a raccoon.  Or maybe he thought Elton was a cute little play-toy.  Or he might have been hungry because supper was so late.  Hank has been fine with the big cats, but sometimes kittens look more like something that should be chased and eaten.  Mom said that Hank was just doing what dogs do.  She understands, but that doesn't mean she forgives Hank.

Mom buried Elton in our back yard, not far from where Gabe's ashes are buried.  We had some other kittens die before, but this time it seems sadder because of how it happened.  And Elton wasn't even sick, so that makes it hard to think that now he is suddenly dead.

Anyway, we are all feeling kind of sad and depressed.  I'm thinking I may have to take a nap for most of the day.  Mom has to go to work, but she says she would rather stay home and take a nap with me!