Aw Crap. Cats.

I had just settled in to watch The Office when I heard the mewling.

Thought it might be a bird at first. Three minutes later it hadn't stopped; I muted the TV, and yes, it was definitely a kitty out there crying. It sounded close by.

I am a total sucker. I went outside.

I found Downstairs Mama already at my neighbor's front porch taking a peek. Downstairs Mama is - well, I don't know her name. She doesn't know mine. We exchange pleasantries and jokes when we see each other, and she'd heard the cat also. It was coming from the porch directly below mine...the apartment is inhabited by an old lady and (I think) her sister who might be a diabetic (or senile) - they often have screaming fights. But that's another post.

We looked around. Couldn't see a cat. One of the security guards came up to us, found out what was going on, and produced a giant flashlight. We found a cat hiding under a bench...a cat, and a teeny, tiny kitten.

The cat bolted.

Which brings me to the kitten.

The security guard is a former vet tech. I brought down a towel so we could at least keep the kitten warm. The guard handed me the kitten to hold while she put down the towel, and holy shit, he was brand new - still had the umbilical cord, eyes were closed. He started mewling again, but I cupped him in my hands and kept him warm and he shut right up and seemed to go to sleep.

Not gonna lie, I melted. I'm not even a cat person.

We put him in the towel and put some cat food down, hoping to lure Mama Cat back.

Meanwhile, I tried to get in touch with every cat person I knew, because if Mama Cat didn't come back and security guard/vet tech didn't come back like she promised, I for damn sure wasn't going to let that baby get eaten by a raccoon. I went so far as to get in touch with a local animal hospital, and the staffer curtly told me, "We're not open."

"Then why are you answering the phone?"

I loitered.

Finally, the guard came by with a lady in scrubs - one of her former coworkers, I guess - and they picked up the wee one. Mama Cat never returned.

As of now, Mama Cat (and possibly more kittens) are still at large; the little dude is safe and sound and hopefully will live a long, happy life. I am somewhat relieved that I didn't have to track down kitten formula in the middle of the night and feed him every two hours, even though I would have, because I am a bleeding heart and adore animals and would have named him Toby.

...man, if I ever get made permanent I'm getting a parakeet or something.

I'll keep in touch with the guard - I want to know how he's doing.

He was this little. He could fit into a teacup.

"Of course," Roomie points out, "they're cute when they're little. Then they grow up and become cats."