He found it around the corner of a house, darting between piles of rubbish in search of food. Thats where he stumbled upon the tiny grey kitten. The little thing was crawling across the pavement, crying desperately. A big, dirty, and scrawny ginger dogor rather, it was hard to tell if he was ginger or grey beneath the thick layer of dust covering him. He hesitated, and the kitten
The moment the kitten saw him, it squeaked and crawled closer. The dog growled, but the kitten wasnt scared.
*”What the devil?”* the dog thought. *”Just what I needed. Hey, hey! Your mum will be back any minute. Dont bother me.”*
He tried nudging the persistent little creature away with his paw, but the kitten ignored him. It pressed against the dogs large, grubby paw, clinging with its tiny claws, and fell silent.
*”Fine,”* the dog sighed. *”Ill wait till its mother returns, then Ill be off.”*
The kitten curled up and dozed off, perfectly content. The big, dust-coloured dog lay down too, and waited.
He waited a long time. Longer than he expected. The mother cat never came.
A day passed, then evening fell, and still, no sign of her. Night came, and the dog understoodshe wasnt coming back. Something terrible must have happened to her.
The kitten woke up, nuzzling the dogs belly. It was hungry.
*”Another problem,”* the dog thought. *”Now what? I cant just leave it here to starve.”*
Fine.
Hed take it to the bins behind the restaurant. They always threw out good scraps there. There was a hole in the side of the big bin where he usually rummaged for food.
*”Ill feed it, then leave it. I cant be lugging a kitten around.”*
Gripping the kitten by the scruff of its neck, he carried it off. It wasnt far. He left the kitten in the bushes to keep it from wandering while he searched for food.
The dog fidgeted nervously, listening to the kittens pitiful cries. The little grey thing was calling for its mother.
*”Blast it,”* the dog muttered under his breath. *”What mother? Shes gone.”*
He found a few half-eaten yoghurt pots and carried them back. Licking up the sweet, sticky mess, he didnt swallowinstead, he smeared it onto the kittens face. The kitten licked it off, purring.
*”There. Sorted.”*
The dog was oddly pleased.
*”Thatll do for now.”*
Then the kitten crawled onto the dogs warm side, dug its claws into his matted fur, and fell asleep.
*”Alright,”* the dog thought. *”Ill wait till morning. Feed it one more time, then go.”*
But that night, the kitten woke up crying, and the dog licked it gently to soothe it. It wasnt until dawn that the kitten finally slept. When the dog opened his eyes, he met the kittens tiny grey gaze. The little creature booped his wet nose and mewed.
*”Mum.”*
And suddenly, the dog understoodhe wasnt going anywhere. He wouldnt leave this kitten behind.
So it began.
He found softer scraps or chewed food for his feline charge. The kitten ate, then snuggled close, hugging its big dog-mum, playing with his tail, sleeping on him. And somehow, the dog felt at peace. As if hed found a home. A family.
They ate together, slept together. The rest of the time, the dog played with the kitten, teaching it to run and pounce.
*”Might as well train it to survive,”* he reasoned.
By summer, the kitten had grown, but the dog
The dog grew thinner. Then autumn came, bringing endless rain. Finding warm, dry spots became harder. Sometimes, the dog curled around his kitten, shielding it from the cold. He shivered, but licked the little one cleankeeping it warm and fed mattered most.
The dog caught a cold. He coughed, sneezed, his nose and eyes running. The kitten watched him anxiously.
*”Mum, mum, whats wrong? Are you sick?”*
*”No, nothing serious, little one,”* the dog rasped. *”Dont worry. Come here, Ill warm you up.”*
Blinking through watery eyes, his head stuffy, he didnt notice
The rain poured harder. The rubbish heap was emptythey had to move on. As always, he carried the kitten by the scruff, stepping onto the road.
Water rushed along the pavement. The autumn sky wept endlessly, the raindrops pelting his back. But he only thought one thing:
*”My little one mustnt get wet and fall ill.”*
He hurried across, not seeing the car rounding the corner.
Thank God, it was moving slowly. The windscreen wipers struggled against the downpour, so the impact wasnt hardbut enough to send the dog sprawling onto the kerb.
The driver stopped, stepping out. He crouched beside the dog, who lay on his side, a wounded leg tucked beneath him.
*”Let me see,”* the man said, but the dog
The dog snarled, clutching something tightly against his chest.
*”Dont be afraid,”* the man soothed. *”Im a doctor. Let me help.”*
The rain worsened. The doctor winced as water soaked his shirt, but the dog only curled tighter around whatever he was hiding.
*”Whats this?”* The doctor peered closerand gasped.
Two round, feline eyes blinked up at him from beneath the dogs paws.
*”Ah. That explains it.”*
He shrugged off his coat, laid it on the wet pavement, and gently lifted the dog onto it. Then he settled both in the back seat and drove off.
At his old friendsa vetsclinic, the place was empty.
*”Rain,”* the vet grumbled. *”Whatve you brought me?”*
Without a word, the doctor carried the dog inside, laying him on the examination table. The dog still clutched the kitten.
*”Interesting,”* the vet murmured. *”You hit him?”*
*”I did,”* the doctor admitted.
The vet pried the kitten free, handing it to the doctor.
*”Sit over there and stay out of my way.”*
His hands moved swiftly, preparing a needle and surgical tools.
The kitten squirmed, desperate to reach its mother.
*”Mum! Mum!”* it yowled. *”Im here! Dont be scared! Ill come back!”*
*”Shh,”* the doctor soothed. *”Your friends in good hands.”*
He cradled the kitten, who watched, wide-eyed, as the vet worked.
Exhausted, cold, and hungry, the kitten soon fell asleep in his arms.
Hours later, the vet told the doctor he could take the dog homebut it needed injections, and a check-up in a few days.
*”Actually”* The vet rubbed his chin. *”Ill drop by tonight after work. Check on your patient. Well have a drink.”*
Days later, the vet returned to find the ginger dog awake, the doctor hand-feeding him treats. The dog couldnt stand yet, but beside him
A lanky grey kitten sat, watching anxiously.
*”Worried for his friend,”* the doctor said.
But the vet, whod spent years with animals and kept dogs and cats at home, shook his head.
*”Youve got it wrong,”* he said, crouching by the dog. *”Hes not worried for his friend. Hes worried for his mum.”*
*”What?”*
The vet stroked the kitten, winking.
*”Dont fret. Your mum will be fine.”*
The kitten purred, butting his hand.
*”Want me to take them once hes better?”* the vet offered. *”Ill keep them.”*
*”Perfect,”* the doctor agreed.
*”To a speedy recovery,”* the vet toasted. *”And whatll you name them?”*
The doctor thought for a moment.
*”You know the dogMum. The kittenSonny. What dyou think?”*
The vet grinned, raising his glass.
*”To Mum and Sonny.”*
They drank late into the night, laughing, reminiscing. And Sonny
He climbed onto Mum, curled around her bandaged leg, and slept.
The dog gazed at him, wondering
How had he ever lived without this kitten?
(End.)
