At dusk seven years ago, I walked slowly around the edge of the harvested rice field and headed home.
A road where one car can pass. A narrow river flows on the right side. The light red cosmos is shaking along the river, who has planted it.
Several cosmos have fallen. At the same time, I can hear sounds like screams. When approaching, there is a baby cat. I don’t know how many colors it is because it is covered with sand in a dry earthy color. The fur is rough. You are there as you crawl on the ground. Do you see your eyes? Hands naturally reach the baby cat. The size is much larger than the palm of one hand and fits comfortably in the jacket pocket.
I get home, turn on my computer, prepare cardboard and make a bed. Search online for baby cats. Since milk is cow’s milk, we investigate several things such as feeding cat powdered milk, buying baby bottles, preparing toilets, etc., get in the car and rush to the pet shop. When I got home, I put my baggage prepared for the cat at the entrance, wrapped the kitten in a towel and ran a car to the animal hospital.
What is the name of this kitten at the animal hospital reception? I was puzzled. If a mother cat is found, it will be returned. I can’t let go of this kitten’s name. I suddenly replied, “This kitten is a Neko.”
“Ne is Hiragana, Ko is a child”
The examination ticket says “Neko-chan”.
I still didn’t know if this kitten was a boy or a girl, but I felt relieved that this kitten had no illness and no insects.
When I got home, I received a medical ticket. A thin piece of paper is very heavy. Protect until returning to the mother cat. Even in the middle of the night, the kitten’s cry squeaks like a scream.
Even if I make milk, this kitten sleeps when I add a baby bottle. This kitten can’t drink just 20cc. Was this kitten’s vitality weak? I imitate the mother cat that lay down and try to lie down with a baby bottle.
During my trial and error, the kitten began to bite the baby bottle’s rubber nipple. Take it to the vet.
“It’s a girl, you’re okay to start baby food because your teeth are growing.”
The baby food started and after a while, there was a big thing in Neko’s mouth. The color of the paws has changed and the cocoon hair is bald about 1 cm in diameter. Hurry to the vet again.
“This cat has allergies,” am I in the words of the vet? I can’t get out of the word. I did not know. On that day, I was given medicine by a veterinarian.
I mixed medicine with food. Do not eat. I shattered it and mixed it with milk. Kittens don’t drink milk. After trying this, go to the vet. Five kinds of free food samples were given, but kittens don’t eat at all. The next day, you will be given three types of medical treatment. I haven’t eaten anything for two days. I opened all the samples at once and took them to the kitten’s mouth one after another.
The only food that this kitten can still eat is the one that was chosen when the kitten was a baby. Other than that, no matter what food I carry to the kitten’s mouth, the kitten won’t eat, but the kitten lives well.
I think this is the day this kitten chose to live.
by Koyasu
