Taking In Kittens Part I

THE PHOTO, and if it was photo shopped it was extremely well done, and it really doesn't matter whether it was, was taken from the interior of a home, looking out through patio doors. Standing up against the glass, tiny paws pressing hard, body stretched out to full length, stood a tiny precious orange-yellow tabby kitten. Behind the little doll sat a full grown yellow tabby, the familiar pattern of Orangie yellow stripes, beautiful, that standard sweet face. She was looking plaintively in through the doors, plainly asking for help, for food, for a home. The caption said, "what would you do if you saw this"? Folks started typing in their responses. "Open the door", said one. "Let them in", said another. I jumped right in, with : "I'd have that door open quicker than a flock of maggots lands on a dung pile". (That's me, the literally creative one.) Unsatisfied with but a single response, I contributed a few more. "Who wouldn't? Everybody would!". And a few more. well,and then, about what percentage of the American or human population would indeed do that, would take in the precious creatures and feed, house, and care for them for the rest of their relatively short, by humans standards, lives? In Islamic countries, everybody would, Anybody who didn't would be in serious trouble, probably ostracized or worse. Muslims love cats, Islamic culture reveres cats, since  long ago, in the seventh century the prophet Mohammed was saved from a snake bit by a cat, stroked the at making it beautiful as all cats have been ever since.  When a cat was sleeping on the sleeve of his  prayer garment, he cut off the sleeve,leaving the cat undisturbed. In  Islamic countries, you feed stray cats on the street, you take them into your home, for cats are clean, cats are special angels. Here in America, the percentage of cat and kitten "rescuers" is doubtlessly somewhat lower. But I, even cynical about American culture I, have enough faith in my fellow Americans to believe, firmly, that a large majority of us the American people would indeed do the right thing, the loving, compassionate thing. I've done it a million times, and never regretted it yet. I have emptied half my retirement savings account taking in stray and feral cats,some of whom still live with with me. Other lived out their lives of various lengths, and are buried lovingly in my yard, or honored with their ashed upon my fireplace mantle. Half of my life retirement savings. Half. Proper cat vet care is expensive. Veterinarians, god bless them, live nice comfortable upper middle class American lifestyles. So be it. I have paid and paid and paid, for vaccinations, for liver failure emergency care, for kidney failure emergency urgent care, and yet, my beloved babies died. So be it. I can go to Europe during my next lifetime. Perhaps my cats will go with me. As for this life, I can enjoy my own back yard, and the beautiful precious beings who live there. My indoor cats will not accept new roommates. I would have it otherwise.  I can live the high life next time around, As for now, I would take in the two yellow kittens at the patio door. I have done it many times, and will doubtless do it yet again.