“Ginger”
Like me, my kids have never owned a pet. The other day they heard a kitten crying from inside the sewer near our house. I went outside to see if I could locate the sound. I did my best cat impression for a few minutes and soon after the kitten emerged from underground. It was immediately clear that she was bruised, tired and hungry. I told my kids the story of how my grandmother, uncles, and I use to rescue and take care of strays when I was a child. Naturally she was very apprehensive at first, but eventually we were able to get close enough to feed her and give her milk. Shortly after she decided to show her appreciation by rubbing up against my leg and purring, which I explained is what cats tend to do for affection. My daughter thought it was one of the most adorable things she’s ever seen! She said, “Everyone loves you daddy!” “Even animals!”
Since the kitten was starting to warm up to us I decided they could keep her under the condition they’d have to care for her. I assigned my daughter the first order of business which was to give her a name. She quickly settled on “Ginger”. We all agreed on Ginger and the kitten seemed to actually respond to it. Next, we made her a bed with a warm comfy blanket inside and found a nice spot near our back door in order to monitor her. We then added a fresh bowl of milk, and some chopped turkey to ensure that she would quickly regain her strength. We planned on giving her a bath and taking her to the vet, but unfortunately the next morning she was long gone.
We’ve searched for her for the past few days, but still no luck! We all hope for the best, but like I explained to my kids, that’s how it goes sometimes with strays…My daughter seems to be the most saddened by the departure but we haven’t given up hope just yet. We’ll continue our search for Ginger, but if we can’t find her we’ll remember our very brief encounter with her. I sincerely hope someone finds her and takes good care of her. I am happy that my kids were able to at least learn a quick lesson on responsibility and what it’s like to care for a life other their own.
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Versatility By RNJ 