Depleted Ranks

While there was a lot of joy and fun in looking after the cats, this was counterbalanced with periods of deep sorrow, especially when viral infections swept through the cat population and several cats and/or kittens were taken at once.

The worst instance of this was a summer virus which happened during the third severe heatwave of the summer (just over three months after we had lost The Cat). Seventeen lives were lost in twelve days including two entire families of kittens, and, in addition, some adults who were already compromised with regard to their health.

Strangely, while some families were completely wiped out, others escaped completely; Flora’s five kittens were all unaffected, but other families started the autumn months reduced in number, having lost some but not all members. Whatever the virus was, it was something that no one recovered from, but many seemed immune to.

All the young cats pictured here lost a sibling; some also lost kittens.

Mini lost not only her sister, Lychee, but also her kittens, Bubble and Squeak…