Bitsy
We first saw tiny Bitsy when we observed her mother, Sheridan, climbing into the hollow trunk of a lightning-struck oak tree. We peeked in and saw her caring for a tiny kitten. The kitten was no newborn — her eyes were open and she was alert and active. We had no idea Sheridan had been pregnant and we believe she had first cared for Bitsy in the woods surrounding the clearing. Eventually Sheridan brought Bitsy up to the house and introduced her to the colony.
Bitsy’s diminutive size led to her name. In the first photo you can see her head peeking out beside her mom as they drink from a small plastic bowl. We had to put that bowl out for a few months because Bitsy was too small to reach the tubs and bowls the other cats in the colony used. You also see Tux, Motley, and Starsky hanging out. You can judge Bitsy’s size from the second photo. Starsky, lying behind the tree, is about the same age as Bitsy but Starsky is noticeably larger.
Sheridan had always been a loner and she kept Bitsy as close to her side as possible. With Sheridan’s special attention and our own efforts to be sure Bitsy got her turn at food and treats she matured into a normally sized, if not slightly large, adult.
Bitsy was one of the last kittens born on the property before we began our Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) program to control the feral colony.