(Read The First Installment: How I Went Out for Coffee and Came Home with Three Kittens, The Second Installment: Getting Three Abandoned Kittens in a Box)

What’s the first thing you do when you rescue abandoned kittens? Take them to the vet.

(Okay, first you take as many pictures as you possibly can and then you take them to the vet.)

Keeping the triplets in the carrier and the box, I got on the phone to our animal clinic, where just two weeks ago we said goodbye to our dear Jinx.  Considering it was Friday afternoon, I hoped beyond hope they would fit us in. There was a small window of opportunity and we had to make it work. Without a car, it was quite a trip. We carried the little grey one over first and then I hurried back for the other two.

As I carried these kittens from place to place throughout the day I couldn’t help but remember when I brought home Jinx from the Humane Society all those years ago. I adopted her impulsively and the fee took the very last bit of my money. All the way home on the streetcar, Jinx in a box on my lap, I said to Shannon, “Did I just make a big mistake? Should I be turning around and taking her back right now?”

Well, I didn’t. I trusted my instincts and we had 20 years together.

Now I was faced with the same kinds of questions. What would the vet discover? Could we cover the cost of what these kittens needed? What had we (or, more rightly I) gotten us into?

The First: The first kitten out was the one we had seen behind the refrigerator. Now was our first chance to get a good look at the little grey. The minute this kitten came out of the box, I fell in love – the beautiful face, the shining grey fur and, of course, memories of our beloved Bascha who we lost years ago. As the vet started the examination, she told us that when cats are very afraid they tend to either freeze or go wild.  This little one was very still, except for the trembling, and didn’t resist the exam at all. Soon we knew that we had a “he” and this little boy was doing just fine.

The Second: Next the bigger black cat came out of the carrier and smashed its way over, under, through and behind – any direction that was away. The vet really had to work to get a hold of this beauty. When she finally did, she kept the kitten held down to the table by the scruff of the neck and that had a calming effect. Once again the results were good. Maybe a teeny-tiny sign of a cold that would clear up on its own but other than that, we had another healthy boy.

The Littlest: Then came the littlest – what a feisty kitten! The vet was able to get this one on the table but wow, this kitten didn’t anyone holding his/her scruff! Every grab resulted in ears back and a devastating look in the eye! The vet couldn’t help but laugh as again and again she got “The Look”! Despite the ferocity, the exam was completed and once again, good news! This healthy kitten is our one girl.

Amazingly, all three went back into the carriers fairly easily. Now that each kitten was de-wormed, immunized and had a clean bill of health, it was time to take them home.