He found the little one by the corner of a brick terrace house, darting between rubbish bins, searching for scraps. Thats where he stumbled upon the tiny grey kitten.
The kitten was crawling across the wet pavement, mewling desperately. A large, filthy, ginger mongrelor perhaps
Perhaps not ginger at all. The dust clung to him so thickly his true colour was lost. He hesitated, and the kitten
The kitten saw him, squeaked, and wriggled closer. The dog growled, but the kitten didnt flinch.
“Blimey,” the dog thought. “Just what I need. Go on, scram! Your mumll be back soon. Dont bother me.”
He tried nudging the persistent thing away with his paw, but the kitten paid no mind. It pressed itself against his muddy leg, tiny claws clinging to his fur, and fell silent.
“Fine,” the dog decided. “Ill wait till its mum shows up, then scarper.”
The kitten curled up and dozed off, perfectly content. The big, grubby dog lay down too, resigned to waiting.
He waited a long time. Longer, really. The mother cat never came.
A day passed, then evening, then night. She wasnt coming. Something awful mustve happened.
The kitten woke and nuzzled the dogs belly, hungry.
“Great. Another problem,” the dog thought. “What now? Cant just leave it to starve.”
Fine.
Hed take it to the bins behind the curry house. They always had good scraps. There was a hole in the sideperfect for slipping in.
“Feed it, then leave it. Cant be lugging this around, can I?”
He grabbed the kitten by the scruff and trotted off. Not far. He left it in the bushes so it wouldnt wander while he rummaged.
The dog kept twitching, ears pricked for the kittens anxious cries. The little grey thing was calling for its mum.
“Ugh. What mum?” the dog muttered. “Thats me now, isnt it?”
He found half-eaten yoghurt pots and licked up the sweet, sticky remainsnot for himself, but to smear on the kittens face. The kitten licked its whiskers, purring.
“Alright then. Thatll do.”
The dog felt oddly pleased.
After eating, the kitten clambered onto the dogs warm side, claws tangling in his fur, and slept.
“Fine,” the dog thought. “Just till morning. Feed it, then go.”
But the kitten woke in the night, crying. The dog licked it quiet.
By dawn, the kitten was asleep again. When the dog opened his eyes, he met two small grey ones staring back. The kitten booped his wet nose and squeaked:
“Mama.”
And the dog knewhe wasnt going anywhere.
So it went.
He chewed food soft for his kitten. The kitten ate, then clung to him, wrestling his tail, napping on him. The dog felt warm. Like hed found home.
They ate together, slept together. The dog taught the kitten to pounce and dodge”Survival skills,” he insisted.
By summer, the kitten grew. The dog grew thinner.
Autumn brought endless rain. Finding dry spots was hard. Sometimes, the dog wrapped his paws around the kitten, shielding it from the cold. He shivered but licked the kitten clean. Keeping it fed and warm mattered most.
The dog caught a chillcoughing, sneezing, nose dripping. The kitten watched, worried.
“Mama? Whats wrong? Are you poorly?”
“S nothing, little one,” the dog rasped. “Dont fret. Cuddle closeIll keep you warm.”
But through his feverish haze, he didnt notice
The bins were empty. They had to move.
He carried the kitten by the scruff, rain hammering down. Pavement rivers swirled around his paws. He only thought:
“Cant let the little ones paws get wet.”
He didnt see the car rounding the corner.
Thank God it was slowwipers struggling against the downpour. The bumper clipped him, sending him sprawling onto the kerb.
The driver stopped, stepped out. The dog lay on his side, left leg twisted.
“Let me see,” the man said softly. But the dog snarled, clutching something to his chest.
“Easy,” the man murmured. “Im a doctor. Let me help.”
Rain sheeted harder.
The doctor peeled back the dogs pawsand gasped. Two wide kitten eyes blinked up at him.
“Right. Youre coming with me.”
He spread his coat on the pavement, bundled them inside, and sped off.
His old mate, a vet, was still at work.
“Bloody weather,” the vet grumbled. “Whatve you brought?”
The doctor didnt answer, just laid the soggy dog on the table. The dog still clung to the kitten.
“You hit this?”
“Me,” the doctor admitted.
The vet pried the kitten free and handed it over. “Sit there. Dont meddle.”
The kitten squirmed, yowling:
“Mama! Mama!”
“Shh,” the doctor soothed. “Shes in good hands.”
The kitten watched, tense, as the vet worked. Exhausted, it finally slept in the doctors arms.
Hours later, the vet said the dog could go homewith meds, check-ups.
“Ill drop by tonight,” the vet offered. “Bring a bottle.”
Days later, he found this scene:
The ginger dog, awake but weak, being hand-fed by the doctor. Beside him, a lanky grey kitten watched anxiously.
“Worried for his mate,” the doctor said.
The vet knelt, shaking his head. “Not his mate. His mum.”
“Dont be daft.”
The vet scratched the kittens ears. “Shell be alright, son.”
The kitten headbutted his hand, purring.
“Want me to take them?” the vet asked later, clinking glasses.
“Ill keep them,” the doctor said.
“Good. To a speedy recoverywhatll you name them?”
The doctor paused.
“HerMum. HimSonny. Suit you?”
The vet grinned, raising his pint.
“To Mum and Sonny.”
They drank late into the night, laughing, reminiscing. Sonny climbed onto Mum, curled around her bandaged leg, and slept.
The dog gazed at him, wondering
How had he ever lived without this kitten? How?
