I have a daughter who has great compassion for "all creatures great and small". She has literally snatched mice from the cat jaws of death, and on one occasion was willing and eager to save a SNAKE from its feline clutches. Each creature was carefully escorted to the safety of the foothills a block from our home.
Varmints are not the only beneficiaries of her kindness. After high school soccer conditioning one early summer morning Kellie was driving home and saw what initially looked like a leaf in the road. As her little Honda CRX approached, she soon realized it was a bird! That tender heart of hers knew just what to do. She immediately pulled her car over, ran into the road, scooped up that birdie, and brought it to safety. There it sat ON HER LAP as she drove all the way home. She did, actually, stop first at the veterinarian to see if he could render aid, but, alas, the office was closed.
This was not the first time she had rescued a feathered friend. A few years prior a bird flew right into our picture window and lay alive, but motionless on our front walk. That time the veterinarian's office was open and Kellie insisted we take it in for a thorough evaluation. The doctor explained that the bird was just stunned--nothing broken.
Kellie patiently waited while both birds recovered nursing them back to health with a soft bed, water, and food. Within a few hours they were hopping about and soon released into a nearby park.
Kellie's most recent rescue effort has been with us for just over a week now. Meet Lucy. Girls in the duplex adjacent to Kellie's college home picked the little one up for free at a farmers market. After a few months the novelty had worn off and this energetic and loving kitten needed a new home.
Oh I resisted as best I could, and for good reason.
Reason number one: I just couldn't bear another cat heartache. Our beloved cat, Niner, had been with us 11 years before his pancreas failed and he died in my arms just over a year ago. Brian was traveling, the older girls were at school, and the younger ones were in bed. I knew it would happen that night and it did. I cried and cried as he passed away. Too hard to bear.
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Niner |
Two months later Kellie had us adopting another orange cat,
Lyra.
Her story still brings great sorrow.
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Lyra |
Reason number two: We already had a cat! Linus came into our family one cold Winter day five years ago meowing so mournfully at our front door. "Don't feed it," we pleaded, but The Rescuer just couldn't ignore his cries and snuck him food. A trip to the vet made him ours with immunizations and a snip snip to his masculinity.
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Linus with The Rescuer |
I suppose I shouldn't completely blame The Rescuer. After all, her parents did give her that heart. Both of us are softies when it comes to feline companionship. It took all of two seconds for Lucy to win us over.
But that's it. Ok, Kellie? Really. That's it.