Self-described Brooklyn “Cat Wrangler,” Heidi shared a sweet story of foster kittens Jive and Waltz. Over the summer, Heidi and other cat rescuers had an overwhelming effort, as kittens kept on coming while adoptions were low. So, Jive and Waltz were very fortunate to find a loving foster home.
Despite the overwhelming need for people to rescue kittens, Heidi and many others like her are volunteers. Due to their love for animals, they are willing to pay out of pocket while working daytime jobs to pay bills. Then, they go out and safely trap feral cats and their kittens living on the streets. All, to save kittens just like Jive and Waltz.
Heidi and a friend discovered the kittens in a neighboring Greenpoint, NY property. They were just three weeks old at the time and in dire need of assistance. They were malnourished, parasite-infested, and withering away. As a result, without quick action, they would perish. Tango, Jive and Waltz’s considerably younger sibling, died despite their best attempts. It was “one of the most difficult things” the rescuer had ever gone through.
Jive on the first day he came to the rescuers.
Fortunately, Jive and Waltz made it, recovering and gaining weight quickly in foster care.
During this time, words of support and seeing the kittens growing comforted the rescuer. In a video, the playful kittens seemed to already be in full recovery.
“I get the most comfort from seeing these two growing and gaining weight again,” wrote Heidi.
Meanwhile, via Trap, Neuter, and Release programs, the kitten’s wild mother was successfully spayed and released. The mother cat would no longer have kittens that needed to be rescued from the streets of Brooklyn. Heidi was able to help 40 wild cats in 2021 alone using the TNR program. It’s quite amazing!
Heidi and her pals recently needed to carefully capture cats in a parking garage’s garbage pile. They saved entire colonies of kittens, just like Jive and Waltz, thanks to their incredible efforts and patience.
Fully recovered, Jive and Waltz began acting like typical rowdy kittens. In the video below, we see that big brother Jive has managed to clip his little sisters’ whiskers in play.
By the end of July, Jive and Waltz were much bigger. Now, Jive developed some stunning bicolor eyes.
“So at some point… I have no idea when or how, Jive ended up with bicolor eyes?! Like all kittens, he was born with blue eyes, but then one shifted to green and the other stayed blue! I have no idea if this is permanent or not, though at 9 weeks old it’s quite possible they will stay this way. I’ve never seen bicolor eyes on a cat that wasn’t white or a calico before. I’m shooketh!
Despite some damaged whiskers here and there, the kittens were even more gorgeous at nine weeks old. As you can see, they are bursting with energy and adore one other. Indeed, their relationship is so strong that Heidi would only contemplate adopting them if they could live together all of the time.
They’re true couch potatoes, as you can see, living “the VIP life” at “Chez Heidi,” as she refers to it.