Last night was "hey, look what I found in my yard" night.

Between 8pm-12am, I saw the following:

First, a box of baby sparrows. The nest had fallen out of the tree and was lying in the grass. The owner, in a misguided attempt at philanthropy, had placed them in a box (but at least left them under the tree). She was afraid that they weren't being fed. The nest had been on the ground since Saturday, so she brought it in. All 4 of the baby birds had crops full of food, were pooping normally, and were bright and alert. Mom had obviously been flying down to feed them. Note to readers: if you find a baby bird nest or a bunny nest or any small critter (including fawns!) - leave them alone. The parent will care for them. If they don't, there is probably a reason. Let nature takes its course.

Then came the kitten that was thrown from a car. The people behind the car saw it happen and stopped to pick up the kitten. When it got to us, it was apparent that kitten had suffered severe head trauma. I wanted to save it, as anyone who knows about my love for kittens can attest. Other than the knock to the head, the kitten seemed ok externally. Alas, it went to kitty heaven, as (at that moment), I knew I could not take another kitten.

Then came kitten #2 - 10 days old, found in a puddle of water. Other than being freezing cold, the little kitten was fine. With some warming up, kitten #2 was nursing well from the bottle and active. Guess who is raising it? Yeah, me. The pregnant girl with SUCKER written on her forehead in 10 foot tall letters. The one who - one hour before - said that she couldn't take another kitten.

Then came the decrepit old cat that someone found in their front yard. Probably thrown their by a car hitting him. He was old and had a pelvis that looked like it had been put on backwards. That's how badly it was broken. His eyes were matted shut, and he seemed barely aware of where he was. He just laid there, mewing pitifully. It was a gift to end his suffering, but it didn't make his passing any less sad.

Other than that, we saw 5 paying clients - including a dog that had been hit by a car and was dying in front of us. He had gums the color of the linoleum (gray), a respiratory rate of 100, and was breathing as if his abdominal contents might be in his chest. His dad had $100, so I was forced to deliver the grave news. All in all, not a great night in the ER.

Here is the new kitten, to lighten the mood.

P.S. Anyone want me to mail them an adorable, black and white male kitten - bottle raised, vaccinated, and dewormed? He's ready to go at a moment's notice!