The Kitten

So, there was a stray cat living outside my apartment that I noticed about two months ago. I am normally not a cat person, but I felt sad for her. She was so little and stray cat like, I took it upon myself to start feeding her. She ate all the food and water I left out for her, but I didn't really ever see her. I wasn't really worried though.

Then I went for a little weekend vacation, (story to come later), floating down a river. And when I got back, my neighbor had taken it upon herself to continue feeding the cat in my absence. At first I was happy that the cat hadn't gone hungry while I was away for four days, but I assumed she had been able to catch her own food since she was alive before I had started feeding her.

Well, after I explained to my neighbor that I was the guilty party member who was feeding the stray cat, she told me how the cat had become friendly. I was happy, because that meant she was a nice cat. But then my neighbor also informed me that she was going to take the cat to the pound if someone didn't do something.

I am allergic to cats.

But I am weak at the thought of a kitten being put to sleep because of the simple problem of overcrowding at shelters, so I quickly volunteered my home.

"Oh good, she really does want a forever home." She seemed happy with having found a place to put the kitten. I was left chewing my lip.

My neighbor helped me get the kitten into a crate, and I made an appointment with the vet at the humane society to get her checked out. I put her in the car, drove her down there, and proceeded to wait. The vet techs finally came out to collect the stray kitten and me.

The vet techs checked her out for feline leukemia and pregnancy, weighed her, (six pounds, eight ounces) then called the vet in. She explained how my new family member, (who was clean of both afflictions), would need her kitten vaccines since she was six to eight months old. In total, after the second round, she would be costing me two hundred dollars. I sighed inwardly, but I couldn't just leave her there to die.

The poor kitten was shaking like a twig during a tornado, anyways.

So she got her distemper, rabies, and leukemia vaccines, plus a flea and tick treatment and a deworming. Then she crawled back into her crate, defeated. I paid the front desk and left with the little calico.

I stopped by Petsmart and bought her some necessary things like a scratching post, little box, collar, water dispenser, food dish, and most importantly kitten food. Then I took her inside my apartment for the first time. She mewed at me, and after setting up food, water, and litter box, I let her out, slipping on her black collar.

She crawled under my futon and stayed there all day and night.

She finally started coming out and inspecting her new home. I encouraged her to use the scratching post, and was very relieved to see she knew exactly how to use the litter box.

She even started coming up to me. And since last Tuesday, (as I have only had her a week) she has started coming when called, goes where I tell her, and eats pretty much everything, including waffles.

And while I am allergic to cats, I have invested money into allergy medication, and have plans to get allergy shots.

I named her Elsa, but I call her Elsie most of the time.