Trading Cats

Nugget is our miracle kitty, because it is a miracle that he is alive at all. One afternoon while busily attending my flowers I was approached by a little girl, I’d say she was about eight years old. You could tell she was an avid animal lover, as she walked the neighborhood in search of a home for an unwanted kitten.
We all did it when we were young…bring a kitten, puppy, rabbit, or even a snake home in the hopes that we’d be allowed to keep them. My parents usually allowed the small creatures to stay. This little girl was not as fortunate. I already had a cat and a dog so having another mouth to feed was the last thing on my mind that day. I explained to the child she could bring the kitten back in about an hour because that was when my daughter would return home. Not fifteen minutes later I heard a knock at the door…guess who it was?! When I opened the door not one, but three little girls stood on my front porch. They were not alone, they brought with them a tiny ball of orange fur, tiny enough to fit in the palm of my hand (my hands are considerably small!) I was a bit miffed because the little girl hadn't waited like I’d asked. It was impossible to turn them away, especially after one of the trio began to cry. As tears ran down her face I made a unilateral decision…to keep the cat. They placed him in my hand. As his hazel eyes peered up at me we both knew he was home.