Nikki Martinez, from Las Vegas, Nevada, spends her spare time fostering and caring for kittens. Her journey into kitten care began several years ago when she found a baby feline in the middle of the road.
“[The kitten] ran in front of my car. When I got out to look at her, I could see that she was sick.”
“I picked her up and I took her to the vet and nursed her back to health, and that was the very first kitten I ever fostered.”
The tiny kitten grew big and strong and is now living with Nikki’s aunt and uncle in Southern California— but the little foray into kitten care inspired Nikki, and she has been fostering baby kittens ever since. This past March, Nikki received a message on her Instagram account. In a post dated March 5th, 2018, she explains:
“Last night while I was in California I received a message from a sweet girl […] Her neighbor was out walking her dogs when one approached a bush. She followed the dog to the bush.”
“When she looked up she saw three newborn kittens with their placenta and umbilical cords still attached. No mama in sight.”
The three tiny kittens were only a few hours old, and by the time the woman and her dog found them, they were already stiff from the cold.
Having followed Nikki on Instagram, that’s when the woman’s neighbor decided to contact her for help. Another group of people also tried locating the feline mother—but, unfortunately, she was nowhere to be found.
In an e-mail to our staff, Nikki wrote, “Traps were set in the area to catch her, and many other cats were trapped and neutered, but she was never found.”
“I think she was either too young to know how to care for them, or she was too sick to be able to care for them”
When Nikki got the kittens, they were one-day-old, and they “smelled like death”. They were the youngest she had ever fostered, and they didn’t have a mom.
“I have had a few their size that were a little older and malnourished, but never this young without a mother.”
Nikki was devoted to saving the babies and provided them with round-the-clock care. Every two hours, she diligently made sure to wake up in order to have them fed.
But one kitten, in particular, needed a little extra.
Bagel, as the kitten was named, wasn’t doing the best when it came to her feedings— so Nikki had to tube-feed her instead.
This process can be very scary, and it’s recommended only to be done under veterinary care.
“It is critical that the tube is not placed in their lungs,” Nikki writes, “because they can aspirate, and you can essentially drown/kill them.”
As you can imagine, this was a stressful experience— but with Nikki’s love and devotion, Bagel and her little siblings started to thrive and grow.
Bagel and her siblings were nicknamed “The Carb Kitties” and each was given the name of a yummy, carb-filled treat.
Spud is the male troublemaker. He’s an adorable little fluff and was the first to eat solid food.
“Oh, to be as fat and happy as Spud,” Nikki wrote.
Pancake is another female, with a soft little face and sweet-looking eyes.
“Nothing sweeter than Baby Pancake.”
And little Baby Bagel got as cute and fluffy as can be.
Nikki took the kittens in when they were only one day old— and when they finally hit the one-pound mark, she knew it was time to celebrate!
Right now, the Carb Kitties are nearly at six weeks. They’re eating wet food by themselves, and two of the three siblings have already been adopted into loving homes.
“Since they were bottle-fed, they are very affectionate with people. They love to climb in my lap and snuggle.”
“They are very sweet.”
Thanks to Nikki, the Carb Kitties got a chance at a wonderful life— but thousands of other homeless kittens do not. Nikki hopes that Bagel, Pancake, and Spud serve as a reminder to spay and neuter your pets.
“Fostering saves lives,” she writes. “And spaying/neutering saves more.”
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