The cat stared down at the huge dog looking up at her barking and snarling. The cat was afraid.
She sensed the dog could not climb the tree, so perhaps she thought at the moment she was safe. Her kittens would be hungry by now. She had to get to them. She remembered how hungry she got when she was a kitten and her mother was not there. She knew what being hungry felt like as she stayed hungry. She had no home, she had no one to care for her, so she did her best. She scoured for mice, bugs, birds and sometimes she would find food out behind the house where the little girl lived. She did not trust humans. The little girl called to her all the time in a soft voice and many times she was tempted to go to the child. To feel a loving touch would have been nice. She couldn't go to her though, as she had approached humans before and was always kicked and cursed.Some threw rocks at her, some let their dogs loose on her. She looked down and saw the dog had gone. Cautiously she made her way down the tree and hurried back to her kittens who were sleeping under an old barn behind the house where the little girl lived. When they sensed their mothers presence they began to meow and walk toward her on wobbly legs. She lay beside them and cradled them to her body as they began to nurse. Soon she drifted to sleep with her kittens close to her.
Some hours later a loud noise awoke her. She instinctively perked her ears. The sound was that of human voices calling out a name, they sounded frightened. 'Clare, where are you ,Clare'? , they yelled. They sounded so worried as they shouted her name over and over. The cat knew something was wrong. She felt as if maybe they were searching for a lost kitten as she would have. Her kittens were crying so she lay back down and let them nurse, her mind thinking of losing one of her kittens. She went back to sleep and did not wake until morning.
She woke hungry and as soon as her kittens were finished with breakfast, she was off to search for her own. When she came out from under the barn, she saw the people in the yard, many people, all of them looking worried . They were still looking for Clare she could tell. She made her way toward the back woods behind the barn. If she was lucky she might catch a tasty rabbit today. She went deeper into the woods. She sensed a noise and smelled a human. Instantly she was on her guard. This human did not sound threatening however, this human sounded afraid and was crying much as her kittens did when they were hungry.She kept alert though not afraid as she felt little harm from this human.
Going farther into the woods the sound became louder, clearer. It was a human crying and calling for 'mommy'. The cat walked to a deep crevice in the ground and she could smell the human, the human was very near. 'Mommy, Daddy, help me , I'm stuck ', the little girl called Clare screamed in a tired voice.
The cat out of curiousity walked closer to the crevice and peered down. There was the little girl who left food for her and called her softly stuck in a deep crevice. The child was crying softly to herself. She looked up and saw the cat. Their eyes met . The cat could sense this human was not like the rest. "Hi Kitty', said the child. The cat gingerly walked down closer to the little girl who reached out a hand and stroked her head so gently. This was the best feeling the cat had ever felt, other than one , that of her kittens. She began to purr and rub her head against the child's hand. 'Kitty, I'm stuck, I wish you had hands so you could pull me out'. "Where is Mommy and Daddy'? The cat stared at her feeling the little girl's fear. Clare's foot was stuck between a a small crevice, her head was almost to the top of the ground, the cat knew the little girl was in trouble. The girl began to cry , her foot was throbbing from pain and she kept trying to pull it free as she tried to pull herself up. She had a ribbon in her hair and as she turned her head it came loose and fell . The cat pawed at the ribbon and it stuck to her claws. She pulled it free with her mouth. The child kept talking to her and crying. She let the little girl pet her ,it felt so nice she almost forgot her kittens. She climbed from the hole with the girl crying , 'come back kitty', she turned to look . Their eyes met again and she felt the child's pain and thoughts . 'Please help me kitty, 'go get mommy , please'..The cat thought she knew what a mommy and daddy was but she had her kittens to think of and couldn't stay. The ribbon was still in the cats mouth as she ran back toward the barn and her kittens. When she came to the clearing she saw the humans coming toward her, she had no place to go other than back into the woods. The woman was sobbing and her husband was telling her not to worry. in a worried voice.
The woman saw the cat, the cat saw the woman, when their eyes met she felt the same calm she had with the little girl. No fear. The woman was shouting something about the cat and a ribbon. 'Kitty' , she called . The cat backed farther away. Something inside her made her stop and she stood very still as the woman approached her. She bent down and gently laid her hand on the cats head. The ribbon had fallen from its mouth and was lying on the ground. 'Here is Clare's ribbon', she called, 'look'. The cat was about to bolt when the woman said gently ,'kitty have you seen my baby'? Baby, kittens, mother. The cat turned back toward the woods as the people followed behind. She had to slow her pace as they were slower than she. Finally she came to the crevice. By that time they could hear Clare's weak voice calling.They rushed to her and gently her father and the sheriff began to pull Clare free. Her foot snapped , and she let out a cry of pain. "Mommy, Daddy' . she said between sobs. Her father carried her back through the woods and put her into the sheriffs car.
The cat watched as the car pulled away. She hurried to her kittens they had been alone long enough. As she lay down for them to nurse she thought of the little girl and woman. They had been kind to her , she liked the feeling of their hands stroking her fur. She drifted to sleep not knowing she had helped save a human child's life. She had went on instinct. Mother and child, cat and kittens.
The next day when the cat went out to look for her breakfast she heard the little girl calling her .Timidly she went to her and the little girl petted her and told her what a good cat she was. It took every ounce of the cat's being to allow the child to pick her up, which was awkward as the child was walking with crutches. She fed her a can of cat food that tasted like the best fish she had ever caught herself.
She called her.Angel. "Wanna be my kitty, Angel, you are my guardian angel cat, so please be my own cat to love? The cat nuzzled her face into Clare's and purred. This was the beginning of a long relationship between Clare and Angel and Angel's kittens as all were taken in and treated like royalty.
And they all lived happily ever after.
![[send message]](https://www.writerscafe.org/images/mail.png){kind=small}
![[befriend]](https://www.writerscafe.org/images/friend.png){kind=small}
first
prev
Share This
Email
Facebook
Twitter
Read Request
My Library
Flag Writing
