By KAREN MADORIN
All it takes to dampen a good mood is a look at any news site. To counter those dreary dumps on the day, I intentionally seek stories with happy endings. This week I didn’t have to look far.
A girlfriend in Sheridan County requested help on her FB page to save an abandoned kitten. Within minutes, offers to assist flooded her feed. Before the clock marked an hour, that hungry baby had a new momma to look after it.
Shirley, my friend, lives on a cattle ranch. In addition to raising beef cattle and hay for consumers, she gardens, raises chickens, and cares for the dogs and cats that call the property home. On a visit to the barn to do chores the other morning, she found a wobbling, still blind white kitten bobbing its little head and reaching with a front paw in search of its absent momma. Nothing causes a pet lover more distress than finding a truly abandoned infant unable to meet its most basic needs. My friend shifted gears.
She put her intended tasks on hold to look for that little guy’s missing parent. In short time, she realized his mom had gone AWOL. Apparently, Shirley’s seen similar situations before, so always prepared for the expected unexpected, she dug a little eye dropper of her emergency kit and filled it with milk for that hungry baby.
What she used this to feed this teensy stray worked, but she knew a real momma cat would make all the difference in its chances for survival. None of her cats qualified to substitute at that moment so she made a little video on her phone and posted a call for help on her page.
In no time, friends offered three momma cats willing to accept a spare. Further postponing her chores, Shirley hurried this little fluffball into town to meet his new family. As soon as the kitten was in reach of the adoptive mom, she put her raspy tongue to work cleaning up her bonus offspring and covering his scent to make him her own. While she worked her magic, he latched onto a teat and suckled 'til his little belly rounded out.
Folks in agriculture solve problems day in and day out. My friend faced an old-fashioned, time-sensitive issue in a sparsely populated region. Like everyone who survives in this country, she evaluated her options and resources. To give this kitten its best chance for survival, she put technology to work.
While the technology Shirley utilized creates its share of troubles and interruptions in people’s lives, in this case, it made it possible to swiftly find a substitute mom for that orphan. He’ll remain with his bonus fam 'til he’s old enough to wean, and then he’ll return to Shirley. Once back at the ranch, he’ll join Shirley’s rodent reduction crew that also provides entertainment for her and her family. I love a happy ending.
Karen Madorin is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and sixth-generation Kansan.