Black-and-white Kolb’s brood was discovered by the staff of the agricultural shop when he was two weeks old. He and three other kittens were huddled on a pallet, sandwiched between two 23-kilogram seed sacks.
The kittens were later discovered to have arrived to the store as hares, along with seeds from a regional warehouse. Unfortunately, their mother died on the journey.
The kittens were gently removed by the store personnel, who then alerted the Animal Welfare League of Arlington animal rights activists. Lauren, a resident volunteer, promised to help.
“I was grateful to these kind people, but at that time I did not yet fully know how much we owe them. Later that day, I took Kolbe and his brothers and sister with me,” says Lauren.
It was assumed that the kittens would grow up, get stronger, find their owners and go with them to a brighter future.
Lauren has been researching meals, drugs, and supplements to alleviate the children’s gastrointestinal issues and enhance their overall health for several weeks.
“At the moment, they were still growing slowly but in a good attitude. I’ve never seen kittens caress each other like this.”
Kolbe turned out to be the most loving of the litter. He could give a lot to a person, even when he was the size of a palm.
“At first, Kolbe was the sweetest soul with big, serious eyes and the corners of a smallmouth that were lowered,” Loren says.
“However, he matured into a bright, playful, and even more affectionate young man with a captivating purring sound.”
The kittens fulfilled all that had been planned while in foster care, and they were just a few days away from moving on to the next chapter of their lives. Meanwhile, Kolbe sank deep into the hearts of the foster family’s members…
“We started debating whether or not to maintain Kolbe, but we reminded ourselves that we are educators, and this is part of the process.”
With a sad sensation, the guardians understood that the kittens were in excellent care and that the chapter was coming to an end. “However, our tale with Kolbe did not finish there,” says the author.
Lauren received a message a few days later informing her that Kolbe was being returned due to health concerns. Wide-set eyes and a somewhat projecting brow have traditionally been features of the black and white kitten. They came to the conclusion after repeated trips to the veterinarian that Kolbe either has a minor type of hydrocephalus or his muzzle is just built for kissing.
“We realized we wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to him again.” Everything came together perfectly, like if this precious kid was meant to be ours.
A couple of weeks later, three new pupils got into Lauren’s house – Lucy, Levi and Lucas. Hearing a meow from the nursery, Kolbe ran to get acquainted. Of course, they didn’t let him do this, but he patiently waited for the kittens to pass all the checks at the veterinarian.
“He likes to watch them through the playpen. As soon as one of them bursts into tears or makes a noise, he comes running to sit next to him.
Former adoptive Kolbe was in seventh heaven when he initially joined the newbies in their nest. As if he knew precisely what they needed, he proceeded to look after them.