As I drove up to my friends home to visit, I noticed her 3 year old daughter standing by the back door, holding tightly, to what I thought, at first, was her baby doll, wrapped up in a receiving blanket.
It was a hot, July day, so I was shocked to find, upon asking the child to "see her baby" ,that it was no doll at all, but a tiny, maybe 4 week old, gray tiger kitten that she was "loving".
The kitten had been dropped off , or in some other way abandoned or orphaned, with at least 2 other kittens, which were found dead.
I informed my friend that this kitten was too young to be away from it`s mother and would take special care if it was to survive at all.....and that being wrapped in a baby blanket on such a hot day would not help matters at in the least.
We convinced the little girl to give up the blankey, but still she clutched the kitten to her chest.
That kitten, (named Tiger), much to my surprise, grew and flurished.He was dressed in doll clothes and riding in a doll stroller on more than one occassion over the next few years when I saw him, and he slept with my friends daughter ever night of his life. He was the most laid back cat I have ever seen. That kid could do anything with him and he loved it. He`d purr and blink lovingly no matter what!
I think she loved that cat to an old, old age......until she woke one morning to find him next to her in bed, having passed over that rainbow bridge at the age of 22 + years.
Sometimes true LOVE can make all the difference!
It was a hot, July day, so I was shocked to find, upon asking the child to "see her baby" ,that it was no doll at all, but a tiny, maybe 4 week old, gray tiger kitten that she was "loving".
The kitten had been dropped off , or in some other way abandoned or orphaned, with at least 2 other kittens, which were found dead.
I informed my friend that this kitten was too young to be away from it`s mother and would take special care if it was to survive at all.....and that being wrapped in a baby blanket on such a hot day would not help matters at in the least.
We convinced the little girl to give up the blankey, but still she clutched the kitten to her chest.
That kitten, (named Tiger), much to my surprise, grew and flurished.He was dressed in doll clothes and riding in a doll stroller on more than one occassion over the next few years when I saw him, and he slept with my friends daughter ever night of his life. He was the most laid back cat I have ever seen. That kid could do anything with him and he loved it. He`d purr and blink lovingly no matter what!
I think she loved that cat to an old, old age......until she woke one morning to find him next to her in bed, having passed over that rainbow bridge at the age of 22 + years.
Sometimes true LOVE can make all the difference!
