The Blarney Gang 17

It was April 17, 2009 when we met the Blarney Gang 17. On that evening a woman walked into a local animal hospital with 17 colorful kittens in a small carrier. Her husband was walking their dog and heard cries in the wooded area off the road. He found a carrier with kittens stuffed inside. Someone had discarded them, left to a cruel fate of starving and suffocating each other in the small carrier.

Sandy, a Milford Humane Society volunteer, was in the animal hospital and happened to hear the woman’s story: there were 18 kittens but one had died already. She also noticed that the kittens’ eyes were watery. Sandy told the woman she would take the kittens, nurse them back to health and try to find them homes through Milford Humane.

Sandy discovered the kittens were all between 3-4 weeks old, not old enough to be away from their mothers yet. They had mild to severe upper respiratory infections. The eyes of three of the kittens were closed from the infection, and a small black & white female was very weak.

After borrowing four cages and setting them up in the kitchen of her one bedroom apartment, Sandy separated the kittens according to the severity of their illnesses. After a trip to the veterinarian all the kittens were put on antibiotic medication and eye ointment.

Seanan, Aillen O’Runty and Sully O’Sullivan had permanent eye damage. And Sully’s eye had to be removed due to constant pressure, infection and blindness. The other two have degrees of blindness.

Erin, the black & white kitten, was very weak and would not eat. After several days of syringe feeding of milk supplement and food every four hours, she improved and began eating on her own.

Since they were considered lucky babies, the rest of the kittens (12 boys, 5 girls) were given Irish names: Shenanigan, Hooligan, Clancey, Fergus, Orla, Shannon, Mickey, Branigan, Kerry, Donovan, Jamison, Danny Boy and Meav.

The next month of foster care was challenging, rewarding work for Sandy, but also fun, as the kittens unpredictable behavior was always entertaining. It was quite a sight as the Blarney gang ran around the apartment during cage cleaning, making a mess!

We are happy to report that the kittens are all healthy now. The “eye” kittens, despite their handicaps, play and get around fine. Little Erin is growing bigger and eating like a lioness.

If the kittens had not been found by the good Samaritan couple, and Sandy had not been at the right place at the right time to take them in ... the outcome could have been very different and tragic.

We often think of the one (Number #18) who died while crying for help with her siblings. We have posthumously named her Aingeal, Irish for angel.

It’s nice to know in this often throw-away society, where animals are considered commodities to many, that there are caring people and organizations who take action to help them, the innocents of the world. Milford Humane Society’s battle is a constant one of educating people to spay and neuter their pets so situations like our Blarney Gang do not occur.

We need the dedication of volunteers, constant fund-raising efforts and donations from the public to keep our mission moving forward: to help as many cats and kittens as possible.

The good news is that most of the Blarney Gang have been adopted, and all have been spayed or neutered. If you would like to help offset the veterinary care and medication costs for the kittens, please send your donation in memory of one we could not save. Loud purrs & a big thank you from the Blarney Gang 17!

Milford Humane Society
In Memory of Aingeal
P.O. Box 171
Medway, MA 02053

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