What Blew In With the Storms...

A few weeks ago we had some fierce storms roll through our area resulting in five days of constant rain and frequent lightning. It reminded me of hurricane season when after the initial blast of storms we’d be besieged by rain. I generally like a rainy day or two as I enjoy sitting by the window watching the stormy winds toss the branches of our live oaks, making them dance and sway as if they were moving to some wild melody that only they might hear, but after a few days I find my enjoyment waning as I have to get out in it to go to work, take out the trash, or walk our dog.

One evening after several days of intense rain I ventured forth into the stormy weather to walk our dog Amos. Moving down our street with our golf umbrella held almost as a shield in the gusty rain, I heard a pitiful mewling coming from our neighbor’s yard. As I neared the bushes it seemed to emanate from I saw a little white blur bolt past me and disappear around the corner. I tried to follow, but soon gave up as the intensity of the storm drove me back home toward shelter. That evening I lay in the bed thinking about the poor animal and the predatory birds that I often see in our neighborhood. My husband surmised that someone had probably dumped some kittens nearby and said that he’d heard one earlier in the week but had been unable to catch it. We agreed that if we heard it again we’d try to rescue it and take it to the animal shelter where maybe it could be adopted.

Several days of chasing a feral kitten in the rain ensued with no success, until one evening as I prepared to slog through the rain to take Amos out once again for his walk I heard its cries emanating from our carport. Grabbing a flashlight I peered underneath Don’s ATV to see a thin, sick, and frightened little thing, her eyes almost swollen shut and her ears showing signs of having been in at least one skirmish. Marla brought some cheese out and we placed a little under the edge of her shelter, which she immediately gobbled up. We laid out a little trail of cheese leading to a small animal carrier, watching her dart out to grab a piece and then retreat to her shelter. When she finally reached the carrier we were able to close the door behind her, and then gave her a little canned tuna and water. The following morning we took her to our vet who confirmed that she was indeed sick with eye and respiratory infections. His advice was to see if she could be socialized into the family, which made our Marla incredibly happy, and after two weeks, our little kitten (now named Mercy) has won our hearts and provided our dog Amos with a playmate and our daughter with a sweet cuddling friend.