Early Memories of My Humans

by Patches Jezabelle

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Shawnee. She lived in a small apartment along the Susquehanna River, right next door to a McDonald's restaurant. One day, she pestered her Mother into letting her go next door for an ice cream sundae. After she got her sundae, she immediately started for home, and that is when she spotted ME, scrounging for a meal by the dumpster.

Oh I was not the fine-looking specimen of feline loveliness that I am today! I was thin and mangy, full of fleas and worms. I saw the little girl looking at me, and although I was a little scared of humans, something told me that this one was special. So I put on my best friendly kitty face and I knew she was hooked!

The little girl ran back to the apartment and told her mother about me. The mother was a kind-hearted lady who fed several river feral cats outside of her home. She quietly approached me and quickly scooped me up and took me to her front porch. She put out a bowl of milk and gave me some meat scraps and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I ate and ate and ate, for I had learned the hard way that I never knew when I would get the chance to eat again. The lady said I could come around whenever I got hungry and she even petted me. I purred and purred; I was in love!

The little girl wanted to bring me inside, as I was smaller than the other feral cats, and afraid of them. The mother told the little girl to ask her stepfather, but her stepfather said NO! He told the little girl that their apartment was too small for another cat, and besides, the resident kitty - Master 'Fo didn't like other cats! Oh how my heart sank when I heard that!

This made the little girl sad, and the mother tried to console her by telling the little girl that they would try and find a good home for the mangy little kitty. However, as time went on, things were not looking so good for me. Sure I was healthier, but I wanted a real home and my own humans. But I plotted a brilliant plan, I decided to use my kitty charms on the stepfather!

Well if I must say so myself, I have some pretty powerful kitty charms. Soon the stepfather started letting me inside. Then I encountered my next hurdle -- Master 'Fo. He was the apple of the humans' eyes and he didn't like me a bit! But I knew exactly what to do - turn on the charm - using PEAK POWER! And gradually, I won him over too.

So I had found a good home at last! Master 'Fo and I spent many happy years together. I am happy to have met my humans when I did!