Cruelty and Shame

A friend came by my house unexpectedly yesterday, all in a twitter, with a styrofoam box attached to his bike. I opened the door, surprised at the faint sounds issuing from the box, and he opened it and handed me a day-old kitten, tiniest thing imaginable. The kitty was crying miserably, and clawing about with unopened eyes. I scooped up the mouse-sized animal and brought it into the kitchen, while my friend parked his bike. He told me the old story as I prepared some warm milk for the crying kitty.

He told me he had heard the sound of kittens crying from inside a closed-up styrofoam box in a street trashcan, and upon raising the lid, found three newborn kittens weeping. He took charge of the box, and on his way to my home managed to place two of the kittens with friendly people he met along the way.

This last kitten was starving and miserable; he decided he would keep it himself. I cried and cried, I'm sorry to say, because even we are all well aware of the fact that animals are abandoned every day of the year, and worse things happen to fellow human beings all the time, to actually witness this sort of cruelty and horror first-hand is positively heart-breaking.

My friend had a little medicine-dispenser with him, something sort of like a syringe, and I proceeded to feed the little kitty, while my kids looked on, jumping around delightedly at the sight.

There she is, guzzling away singlemindedly. Notice the outstretched paws in the picture below.

The kitty didn't know how to nurse very well, so it took a bit of time and a lot of scratches and drenchings before we finally got her to drink, but in the end she drank more than 50 ml , and when she had finished at last, she nuzzled the crook of my elbow with a loud purr.

Floppy willingly volunteered a few soft and furry rags from her rag-and-cloth collection, and we dressed the kitty's box nicely.

My friend left for his own home with his new pet when the latter fell asleep in its box, and I cried a little more. No use worrying about the millions beyond our reach, but it does feel good to know that we made a difference to that one. I hope it lives a long and happy life.