Katrina

Katrina was the 'runt' of Rene's first and only litter, and born last.

She was not breathing. Her mom Rene looked at the still little form lying there, and looked at me, her very expressive little face seeming both sorrowful and worried. She nudged the kitten with her nose, and looked at me again, as if pleading with me to help her somehow.

Not knowing what to do, but having heard that sometimes kittens would start breathing if you massaged and cleaned them, I began stroking the newborn kitten with one finger and encouraging Rene to lick her, to just keep loving her and see if it helped. She did so, looking at me a couple times for more encouragement. Within a short time, suddenly the kitten began breathing!

She had some kind of ouchie on her eye when born, and it was crusted fully shut. When the kitten was about three weeks old, I held her and used a fingernail to try and loosen some of the scabby-crust, and her mom cleaned up the rest and she seemed just fine.

Katrina is pure white but for about 10 black fur-hairs. She is very nearsighted. Between being the runt and being nearsighted, she makes a "shy" impression.

The old man cat Cosmos watches out for her to some degree. When he eats, he will meow at her to tell her to come, and she will eat with him (the other cats, except Georgia who eats first, have to wait). If he did not do that she would not get to eat until last.

She was named Katrina by PJ, who used to call her "the little White Russian princess."