Cat distribution system smallest and largest kitten

The Cat Distribution System | Seven Stray Kittens 8

You don’t choose cats. They find you. They meow at your door, you suddenly trip over one, or they simply get delivered straight to your doorstep.
I found my very first tomcat, Mythos, as a kitten who was barely clinging to life on Lesbos. He came wobbling confidently towards me in a perfectly straight line across an enormous square. He already knew what I didn’t understand yet: You are My Human! And despite the fact that this was, on paper, completely impossible, he was right. I took him home to the Netherlands and he became my Prince Mythos – the happiest, smartest and sweetest tomcat ever.
My cat Mouni was born here one night because the neighborhood cat apparently considered me a suitable adoptive human. And tomcats Minja and Mynx were subsequent gifts from Mama Mouni.
And whether you believe in it or not, every cat lover knows the phenomenon: a cat chooses you. That’s how the CDS* works.

Tiny runt kitten sleeping beside the largest kitten in the litter
Big & Small

Mama Cat and the Seven Kittens

Recently, I was walking through the little forest behind my house, when I suddenly found myself imagining what it would be like to find a bunch of kittens there and raise them, just like you so often see on social media. But life isn’t Instagram, so I came home kitten-less.
An hour later, I was sitting in my garden eating a piece of watermelon when the phone rang. “Hi, this is the kitten rescue. Do you still want to foster kittens?” Wow. I had almost forgotten about that. I had signed up the previous year. “They were born today. Seven stray kittens, with a mother cat!” At the time, I had decided that although I couldn’t save the world, perhaps I could save one tiny little piece of it. So the next morning I cycled to the kitten rescue – which was, how coincidental, in that very same forest – to spend the next twelve weeks taking care of these little ones and their mother.

Newborn underweight stray kitten
Newborn stray kitten, weighing less than 100 grams, starts her life at a disadvantage.

Nature’s little Helper

A litter of seven is quite a handful for a mother cat, of course, and it doesn’t take long before you see just how tough nature can be. One kitten weighed less than 100 grams at birth and was considerably smaller than the others. She simply couldn’t get enough milk, which made the difference bigger and bigger, and she soon found herself in a downward spiral…

Largest and smallest of seven stray kittens sleeping together
Big & small. Seven kittens, one very obvious difference in size. And somehow, the tiniest one always seemed to have the biggest personality.

A Good Latch

This little one, clearly had the will to live. With everything she had, she kept trying to push her brothers and sisters aside, hoping to get a turn at the milk bar… but her tiny body simply wasn’t strong enough. While the others lay blissfully stuffed with milk, she was the only one left behind, mewing and kicking with hunger and frustration.
Although I regularly managed to plug her back onto Mama, she barely grew. Nature needed a little helping hand. In the shape of a bottle.
After some fumbling on both sides – it was the first time for both of us – she drank like a pro, eagerly flapping her ears and twitching her whiskers. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen such a happy kitten. She even performed the kitten equivalent of a victory dance: happily rolling onto her back, her round little belly in the air as proof of her triumph!

Provided by the Cat Distribution System, a contented stray kitten relaxing after bottle feeding
After a good feed: full belly, sleepy eyes and absolutely no complaints.

A Runt with Character

I said it before: somehow, the runts, the stragglers, the little misfits often seem to turn out to be the toughest ones. As if they somehow know that nothing in life should be taken for granted, and that you have to embrace every single moment with all four paws.
Although she is still the smallest of the bunch, she climbs fastest, jumps highest, runs hardest and is by far the most sociable of them all.
Eating is the one area where she is still slightly behind, but I suspect she secretly rather enjoys that special bottle time. (And so do I.)

Tiny runt kitten with large bright eyes looking at the camera
Still the smallest. Still ridiculously cute. And already showing us that size has very little to do with character.

CDS

And that, apparently, is how the Cat Distribution System works… I had this innocent fantasy about finding a kitten. The CDS delivered seven. So… careful what you wish for!

Seven stray kittens
I had imagined finding one kitten. The Cat Distribution System apparently had other plans. Seven kittens and a mama cat later… here we are.

How did you get your cat? Have you ever been chosen by the Cat Distribution System?

* What is the Cat Distribution System?
The Cat Distribution System (CDS) is the internet’s tongue-in-cheek way of describing those situations where a stray or unexpected cat seems to ‘offer itself’ to a person — and the person decides to take it in. In other words: you didn’t choose the cat. The cat chose you. And they lived happily ever after.

Contented stray kitten relaxing after bottle feeding
After a good feed: full belly, sleepy eyes and absolutely no complaints.
Tiny runt kitten sleeping beside the largest kitten in the litter
Put the smallest and largest kitten side by side and suddenly you realize just how tiny she really was.
Happy stray kitten lying on her back with a full belly after feeding
The bliss of a full belly. There are few things more satisfying than watching a hungry little kitten turn into a completely milk-drunk one.
Happy young stray kitten looking at the camera
That face. This is what a little bottle of milk and a lot of determination can do.
Small but Mighty
The cutest kitten of the litter, completely satisfied after a good bottle of milk

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8 thoughts on “The Cat Distribution System | Seven Stray Kittens”

  • Reply ↓
    Brenda Good

    What a beautiful account of your fostering and you are a beautiful.person.It makes up for all cruelty one hears about like those monster children who tortured 2 newbirn kittens.I hardly ever recovered from thst.So msny kind people and hearing of kibd deeds reaffirms my faith in human kindnesd.
    I hopr your 7 thrive.
    I sm currently supporting a beautuful fox family..in wild of course.

    • Reply ↓
      admin Post author

      Oh, I wouldn’t be able to get something like that out of my mind either. :'( Let alone understand it…
      I think that as a human being, you often have the choice between making something beautiful, contributing something positive, doing something good… I am firmly convinced that you can at least try to prioritize that side of yourself…
      And it’s nice to read that you are doing so!
      Is ‘your’fox family doing well? 🙂

      Thanks for your kind words and have a nice Sunday!

  • Reply ↓
    Barbara

    Loved your story so much. Thank you.
    Yes I have been the lucky recipient of this system many times in my 70yrs.
    Latest one jumped in my high kitchen window as I was crying over the demise of my last rescue cat whom I was deeply in love with has now been living with me 8 yrs now. He chose me alright.
    Bless you for your excellent posts and your heart for God’s creatures.

    • Reply ↓
      admin Post author

      Hi Barbara,

      Thank you for your beautiful, heartfelt response.
      And how special that a ‘comfort cat’ jumped through your window at exactly the right moment!!

      May you enjoy your cat(s) for a long time to come, and may they enjoy their human!

  • Reply ↓
    Astrid Bruning

    Beautiful story. Great photos as always.
    I do understand your story, I was chosen twice. Once at the cat I volunteered at. Every time this small tortoise shell cat would come from hiding to greet me. There was an instant connection between us. When I got her I let her of the basket onto my bed, so much purring and kneading the bed. She was very happy and grateful to have a forever home. That was 11 years ago and “Lalique “ is still with me.

    The other was a kitten “Clawed Monet” who chose me when I went to a garage sale to look at a violin. They asked if I wanted a kitten and I said no, however they brought them out, and here was this ginger and white with these amazing blue eyes running to me, how could resist. Instead of a violin I came home with beautiful kitten. Clawed is now 17 years old and going strong. He has been my muse for my of my paintings.

    I am an artist from Australia and have been following your amazing photography for a very long time.

    • Reply ↓
      admin Post author

      Hi Astrid,

      Thank you for sharing your beautiful, heartwarming story…. They both sound like a wonderful gift from the CDS….. A violin would have been great, but a real “Clawed” is obviously much better! And what beautiful/original names you have given your cats!

      Thanks for your lovely compliment and…. your painting, especially of cats (including one of mine ;)) is beautiful!

      Regards,
      Roeselien

  • Reply ↓
    Anthony Parr

    Very cute story
    We had many similar stories where the cat recognized us as their future
    Once we opened the door to let our cat in and another cat walked in like it was home
    Another recent tenant who didn’t like men would jump up to my chest to embrace me, a man, when I came home from work
    I could go on
    but
    thanks!

    • Reply ↓
      admin Post author

      Thanks, Anthony for sharing your story full of cat-love…. And I can understand how you can go on and on… (so could I) cats are so endlessly fascinating…!

      Kindly,
      Roeselien