THE LITTLE ORANGE KITTEN

Nearly fourty years ago, while living here in Wilmington, North Carolina, I was stationed aboard the Coast Guard Mendota. Early one Saturday morning I was driving along one of the city streets, and observed a tiny orange kitten as it ran out into the road and immediately got run over by a car. The kitten was so tiny that I doubt the driver, thinking about it, may even have known he/she hit the kitten. I pulled over and parked my car. As I walked toward a parked car I could immediately hear the kitten squaling from under the car. My heart went into my throat. The little kitten was crying in pain, and hissing. I could tell by the sound that it was in horriffic pain. Feeling helpless and concerned, I layed down on my stomach and looked under the car. Immediately, I saw the kitten in the middle of the car, beyond arm’s reach. I had to almost crawl underneath the car to retrieve the kitty. As I touched the soft fur, I had to reposition myself in order to get my hands around it’s small body.

As my hand came in contact with the kittens pain ridden body, in fear, it wrapped all four feet, all ten little claws into the flesh of my hand, and simultaneously, bit down with its razor sharp teeth. The pain was almost unbearable, but the pain of seeing the kitten in even more pain, was greater. I pulled my arm out from under the car and righted myself, the kitten still attached to my hand, pumping its four legs and claws deeper and deeper into my flesh, and biting and tearing at the the flesh, I was bleeding. As I stood I grabbed for my handkerchief with the other hand, and wrapped the small body in it. In a minute or so, which seemed like an hour or so, the kitten loosened its grip with its feet, and would only occasionaly bite down into my hand, making another fresh wound. After a while it stopped biting and simply lie there, its stomach/abdomen swelling twice its size. It now sounded like a baby crying. I felt as if the kitten and I were the only ones in the entire universe. Before long the mewing became softer as the little guy became weaker. I never felt so helpless in my entire life. I knew that it would be pointless to take it to a vet, and in those days they were not as available as they are today. I didn’t even know where a vet was located and I felt that the internal injury was hopeless. I could only think that the sooner that precious little bundle of soft orange fur would pass then the sooner it would be at rest and out of its pain. All this was rushing through my mind like a fire storm. It wouldn’t look away from me,and there was a bond between us, an unspoken communication. Tears were streaming down my face. I held it close to my neck under my chin as I could feel it shivering, cold. It layed so still. It didn’t make any difference how dirty it was, your imagination can fill in the blanks. It just didn’t matter. Finally it was still. It didn’t move 🙁 I was sad, and at the same time I was happy beyond understanding, that it was finally, not suffering. I don’t know if anyone, passing by, saw me; I didn’t see anyhbody at all. I didn’t care to. I don’t even know exactly, how long I stood there holding the kitten. Finally, I wrapped it up in my handkeerchief and brought it into my car and laid it on a newspaper, and brought it home, and gave it a quiet burial. I said good bye to a precious friend.
I believe that everything in this life we encounter has some meaning to it. This encounter I would never forget.
The story doesn’t end there. All through my years, I notice that cats come up to me, in the most unusual places, and they walk around my legs/feet, with their tail standing straight up and purr, and rub their heads on my legs/ankles. We seem to have some unspoken attraction to each other. Many many times I have gone into someone’s home, sat down and had the family cat perch itself in my lap. The people, often, just look, amazed, with their mouth agape as they look back and forth at each other in amazement. Then they begin to explain that the cat never goes into anyone’s lap,and perhaps, the owners themselves.
I don’t want to get too superstitious, or take anything for granted here, but some how I’ve always felt that this unusual occurance is sosmehow related to the little kitten. I don’t know how that can be, yet we don’t know everything, do we. I’m sure there’s a logical explanation to this somewhere, but it doesn’t really matter to me. Dogs are somewhat different and I seem to be able to find some graces with some of the more irritable personalities. I don’t credit myself for this, but I do enjoy! My daughter took after her daddy because she has been involved with animals and presently works for an animal hospital nearby. She takes pets home with her and acts like a home away from home to many different animals. She’s a sucker for a stray animal, regardless of its popularity in species!