Sometimes it Does Take a Village

I have never been fond of "It takes a village" in association with politics but it is applicable in the story I am about to share.  A neighbor walks her sweet pup every morning past an uninhabited building and, on this particular morning, noticed a small black kitten hiding in the bushes.  Concerned, she passed the information on to us as we were making out way in that direction.  

We found the kitten just where she had described.  He was quite small, all black with medium length fur, beautiful green eyes and the largest ears for a 6 -8 week old baby.  After observing for a time, we decided to offer him some canned cat food which he promptly devoured. 

After conferencing with several neighbors who were also concerned about the kitten, we decided to involve the Animal Welfare League in Kilmarnock.  After several phone calls with them, a woman by the name of Mary Jacobs arranged for us to borrow a "Have a Heart trap" from the AWL and made arrangements with the Kilmarnock Animal Hospital to take him in IF we could catch him. 

We set the trap near his bush just as the sun was setting and an evening drizzle began.  With any luck, the aroma of the canned kitty food would bring him running and into the trap. Several hours later that evening, we returned to find the food half eaten and the very wet kitten huddled in a corner of the cage.  

He spent the night in our sunroom and by morning was dry and ready for his next adventure to the animal hospital.  They were waiting for us when we arrived and immediately took him to the back area and placed him in a cage.  It was my understanding the hospital would test him for transmittable diseases, de-flea him if necessary and initiate a wellness plan to include vaccinations.  We thanked the front office staff and headed to the AWL to return the trap they had loaned us.  

Yes, it did take a village to save this precious kitten from certain death and hopefully his next  steps in life will be more pleasant.  Thanks to all the folks in this community who value life, even in its smallest forms.