Pleading for Mercy

We have had our kittens for two weeks now. Justice is doing really well and eating a lot. Mercy, however, is not so interested in eating and is having difficulty walking without limping. We try to force feed her but she is getting weaker by the day.

We took our Mercy to the Vet who gave us some high glucose paste to force feed her. He also recommended some pedialite to keep her hydrated, which we did right away. He said she looked really weak and her chances were slim. She needed to be really warm so we put her on a heating pad under towels. Baby kittens really need the warmth that they normally would get from their mother. I think this is where we failed. We thought the two kittens snuggling together would be warm enough, but we should have used the heating pad all along. I know it does no good to second guess at this point; we cared for them the best we knew how.

Mercy died the evening of April 30th and we had a family funeral for her in the woods beyond the wild blackberry patch. (The kids thought that was a fitting spot for a black kitten). We were all so sad. I was amazed that in the two weeks we had her how much she became a part of our family. I, who never considered myself an animal lover, have completely come around. Caring for Mercy expanded my ability to love more than I thought possible. I still wouldn't change my decision at the shelter. We have grown so much as a family. We think she had a happy life with us. Rather than saying that "Mercy is dead," we prefer to say "Mercy is alive in Christ."

So now it is just our little Justice. She misses her sister and we have decided that she needs a companion...