Angel Cats
People say you either love cats or hate them. I’m a lover (although allergies have prevented me from owning one), and so are Gary and Sylvia Martin. In fact, they have several, and their particular favorite was an orange tabby named Sarah. “We had had fourteen wonderful years with Sarah,” Sylvia says. “People really loved her—at the vet’s office, everyone would come to say hello whenever she had an appointment.” But Sarah had also been on medication for two years, due to a health problem which was getting worse. Shortly after the Martins moved to Picton, Ontario, they were grieved but not surprised when their beloved Sarah passed away.
They still had Timmy (who was very possessive of Sylvia) and Cocoa, who was expecting a litter shortly. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Cocoa gave birth to an orange tabby?” Sylvia mused one day.
Gary smiled. “Cocoa’s totally black, and the father is grey and white.”
“Well,” Sylvia shrugged, “miracles DO happen.” She missed that orange bundle of fur more than she wanted to admit and was very ready for another one.
A few nights later, Sylvia was preparing supper when the front doorbell rang. She and Gary opened the door to two teenage girls. They looked vaguely familiar—–perhaps from across the street?—but the Martins hadn’t met many of their new neighbors yet. One of the girls was holding a small blanket-wrapped bundle. Peeping from its folds was a tiny orange tabby kitten! “It’s been rejected by its mother,” the girl explained. “Would you be interested in taking it?”
Gary and Sylvia couldn’t hardly believe it. “Of course we’ll take it!” they said in unison.
The girls’ mouths dropped. “You will?”
“We just lost our own orange tabby,” Sylvia explained. “I think you girls are bringing a miracle to our door!”
The teens were delighted, as they laid the bundle in Sylvia’s arms, and promised to look in on the kitten from time to time. Gary was already on the phone with the local pet store. “I explained the situation, and –you won’t believe this—they’re going to stay open until I can get there,” he said to Sylvia as he grabbed the car keys. “We’ll need a can of powdered kitten formula and a tiny bottle.”
What nice people lived in this neighborhood, Sylvia thought. But she was wondering about something. “What about Timmy?” she asked her husband. “You know how jealous she is of me? What’s she going to do about this new kitten?”
Gary smiled. “I don’t think it was an accident that this kitten was suddenly given to us,” he told Sylvia. “Things will all work out.”
He was right, Sylvia thought. Hadn’t she asked for a miracle, a new tabby kitten? And wasn’t this the answer, this warm little bundle, personally delivered to her door? “I’ll name you Precious,” she murmured to the kitten who looked up at her trustingly. Sylvia stroked it, and as the blanket folds fell away, she saw that Precious had a little bit of white fur on her back. It was shaped just like a cross.
As the days went on, far from being jealous, Timmy “adopted” little Precious, and gave him all the “cat nurturing” he needed. The vet provided Precious’ first checkup—-as well as bags of kitten food—at no charge. Neighbors came by to meet Precious. And the Martins, who had expected to be homesick, found themselves part of the community right away.
Was this all by accident? Syvia doesn’t think so. God works in mysterious ways, she knows, and can even use a little kitten as part of His plan.
(C) 2004 Joan Wester Anderson www.joanwanderson.com
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What a wonderful, heartwarming story!! I believe Precious’s appearance was no conincidence!!