Mochi

Mochi was one of several kittens and adult females rescued from a rural campground in southern Alberta in mid October, 2021. We were never able to figure out which of the three moms was Mochi's. After the rescue, the moms didn't really want anything to do with any of the kittens. This can happen. The moms can be too stressed to resume their mothering duties. However, leaving the cats and kittens in a campground was not an option. They wouldn't have survived the winter. A compassionate individual from a neighbouring community took on the task of trapping all of them. Soon after Mochi arrived in her foster home, she became very ill with what we thought was an upper respiratory virus. With veterinary support and intensive home-care, she made a good recovery. Her foster mom thought perhaps there had been something else going on and so, before Mochi was vaccinated, we did a PCR test for panleukopenia (distemper) antibodies.The test result was positive which would explain why she had been so ill several weeks earlier. She was such a little fighter throughout her illness but still, is very lucky to have survived. The good news is that she will be protected for life. She is zero risk to other cats.

Personality:

Even though Mochi was born in the wild, it didn't take long for her to let herself be in a relationship with her foster family. She's still sometimes nervous about "indoor sounds" and people with whom she's not familiar. When she was living with her siblings in the campground, her instinct was to run at the first sign of danger, a survival response. But don't worry, she knows how to bond; she's very comfortable with her foster mom. It will just take a little time as she gets to know someone new. What we have learned about tortoiseshell cats is that they want a deep relationship with their person. She arrived in her foster home at about eight weeks of age and within a few days, she was playing with the string toy and eagerly anticipating her meals. Playing with a kitten is what captures their heart. She's definitely her own little person and walks about with the confident air of a happy kitten. She's busy - one of the best ways to gauge how a kitten is doing. She streaks around the house, in and out of her tunnel, up the cat furniture, down the stairs and then eventually collapses for a big, long snooze, at least a couple per day. She likes to be on her human's bed at night and towards morning, will snuggle up for a cuddle. Sometimes adult cats don't really appreciate having little ones around but Mochi's foster brothers and sisters don't mind this one. If she gets a hiss, she doesn't persist. She'll simply find something else to do and maybe try again later. She lets them think that playing with her is their idea.

Taking five on foster mom's legs at about 12 weeks: