Band-Aid

On Monday afternoon I was outside, waiting for Dylan to get off of the bus. While I sat on my side porch, I heard a faint cry from a cat. This kitten was sitting in the middle of my driveway crying. It was tiny, very skinny, looked blind in one eye, and sounded like it was calling its mother.

People drop cats off all the time at barns. I guess they figure they can catch mice there and do some good. Either that, or it calms their conscious enough to know that others have done the same thing for unwanted pets.

Either way, it wasn't long before I was coaxing this distressed kitty to the porch where I could feed her. She gobbled up the food, drank her water, and kept a safe distance from me. When Dylan came home, his face lit up to see a furry face waiting for him.

On Tuesday morning, I heard the cry again. She was sitting at the end of my sidewalk. I put some more food out for her, and she ate it up, allowing herself to get a bit closer to me. That afternoon, the kids warmed to her more, and named her. Jordan named her Band-Aid because she needs one for her eye.

Later on in the day, Band-Aid became more and more accepting of people petting her, and soon let her guard down. She sat in the window, watching the boys as they ate. We put some kitten food, water, and a soft blanket out for her last night.

This morning, Band-Aid jumped onto my lap when I came outside to watch the boys ride their bikes. Dylan, throwing a tantrum when I told him to get off of the bike, threw his favorite rock. (He has rocks from around the world.) The rock (made from lava in Alaska) shattered into a billion pieces. He was placed on the boldy step. When I called him outside to talk to him, he was balling his eyes out. He was sorry that he pitched a fit, but more sorry that he broke his favorite rock. Band-Aid climbed right onto his lap, where Dylan instinctively began to pet her.

He told me that petting Band-Aid makes him feel better, and her name is perfect because she needs one for her eye, but she also made him feel better, like a Band-Aid does. I'm guessing that she's a keeper. We'll have to get her shots, have her eye looked at, and find a place for her to shit.