Sittin’ with the Kittens
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“Nature shows us how to live, love, and grow alongside each other.” – Angie Weiland-Crosby
Alana Miles
A few months ago, a young, solid black, female cat was abandoned behind the civic center. I happened to notice her one evening when Robert and I went to the town hall to do some work. As she approached me, I could tell pretty quickly that she was terribly skinny but she was very welcoming of human interaction. I, of course, made my way over to her and began to assess the situation. There were no signs of her previous owner and no indication that she had any family members there with her. I would have added her to our herd of animals but I have two male cats at home who BARELY get along with each other, so I thought it best not to add her to the mix. I decided to adopt her from afar and tend to her there at the civic center twice a day, feeding her and doing welfare checks. It became a daily routine and I named her Susan.
A few weeks went by and I noticed that she was looking healthier and seemed to have more energy and personality. I would drive around to the back of the building where she would pop out of one of the grates and she’d meet me halfway as I made the trek to her food and water bowls on the patio step. She has a habit of gently pressing her little head to my leg as I bend down to fill her bowls. I scratch her back with my fingernails and I caress her tiny face with my hand. She’s such a sweet and affectionate girl. She kneads the ground with her paws as she eats and I’m almost sure I can hear a faint purr as she devours her food. Susan is so grateful for any kindness she’s shown.
Well, a few more weeks went by and I began to realize that she was in the ‘family way’ and we could soon be expecting kittens. I was right. Although for the longest time, I could find no sign of them. I didn’t know where she was keeping them, how many there were, what they looked like, or, if heaven forbid, something had happened to them. I just didn’t know. And there was no way for me to find out. Until one day, I was on my way to feed her when I saw four tiny kittens under one of the work trucks behind the building. As soon as the kittens saw me, they darted under the building and Susan, of course, ran to meet me. I praised her on her beautiful babies and asked her where in the world she had been hiding them. She meowed, and I don’t speak “cat”, of course, so I told her that I would be back with more food and milk.
The trouble was, these kittens weren’t newborns. They were old enough and big enough that they’d been sharing in her grown-up cat food. All that to say, they’d not been exposed to humans and were likely to be as wild as jackrabbits. This presents a problem when your plan is to “rescue” them and re-home them in loving fur-ever homes. So, I resolved to taming the beasts. Now, I sit with Susan while she eats her food and drinks her milk. And slowly, but surely, her four wee darlings inch out of the open grate and they cautiously join her on the patio. They look at me with suspicion (and I can’t blame them) but their hunger and curiosity trump their fear and they make their way to the food bowls and chow down.
I rather enjoy visiting with the kittens. I sit there in the stillness and the quiet. I don’t take my phone or any other distractions. And I just marvel at nature and these small sweethearts and what a wonderful little mother Susan has been. No one taught her. She didn’t read a book or watch a tutorial. She just instinctively knew how to care for and nurture these precious kitties. I guess in the same way that birds build nests, spiders spin webs, and salmon return home, God, in His infinite wisdom, has placed certain instincts in us all. As we’re reminded in Psalms 145:9, “The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.” What a kind Master we serve. That He would look out for the birds of the sky and the lilies of the field, and yet covet a personal relationship with us, as His children. If we ever doubt His grace, may we remember the love that He consistently shows us. And the wonderful reminder that He’s even looking out for a sweet little cat and her four adorable babies. Have a blessed day!
