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Lynx’s
mom, (probably Nicole)
was a young, campus cat from the west side of the Iowa River.
His extended family has grown up outside near the UI College of
Nursing. When Lynx was captured in a humane trap, he was already
a young adult, and it was clear that he had never been touched
by a human. It was also clear that he wasn't looking forward to
the experience.
After his
initial health checkup and vet care, he went to his foster home
and has to learn about stairs, cat beds, hands, and all the other
things that housecats take for granted. Because his introduction
to humans came after kittenhood, Lynx’s education will probably
take forever, but he is making good progress.
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If
you happen to find young kittens (or other baby animals)
without their mom, please think things through before you
act. Bottle babies have very special needs (food, temperature,
excretory, etc.) and require expert care. It’s easy
to shift into “helping mode.” But momcats do
kittencare best!
Unless
you are sure mom isn’t coming back, be prepared to
quietly observe for awhile. Human intervention is not always
what’s best for the animal! To paraphrase Antoine
de Sainte-Éxupéry—you
become responsible for those you rescue.
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—not
much
