He found it around the corner of a terraced house, just darting between piles of rubbish in search of food. Thats where he stumbled upon the tiny grey kitten.
The little thing was scrabbling across the pavement, mewling desperately. A big, filthy, scrawny dogreddish, or perhaps…
Perhaps neither red nor grey. A thick layer of dust clung to him, masking his true colour. He hesitated, and the kitten
The kitten squeaked at the sight of him and crawled closer. The dog growled, but the kitten didnt flinch.
*What the devil?* The dog thought. *Just what I needed. Hey, hey! Your mumll be back any minute. Dont pester me.*
He tried nudging the insistent little creature away with his paw, but the kitten paid no mind. Instead, it pressed itself against the dogs grimy leg, tiny claws clinging to his fur, and went quiet.
*Fine,* the dog sighed. *Ill wait till his mother comes back, then Ill be off.*
The kitten curled up and dozed, content and safe. The big, indeterminate-coloured dog lay down beside him to wait.
He waited a long time. Longer than hed expected. Longer, in fact, than was reasonablebecause the mother cat never came.
A day passed. Evening fell. Still, she didnt return. Night came, and the dog understood. There was no point waiting any longer. Something terrible mustve happened to her.
The kitten woke, nudging his nose against the dogs belly. He was hungry.
*Another problem,* the dog thought. *What am I supposed to do now? Just leave him here to starve?*
Fine.
Hed take the kitten to the rubbish bins behind the pub. They always threw out decent scraps, and there was a hole in the side of the big skiphis usual spot for scavenging.
*Feed him, then leave him there. I cant drag him around forever.*
Grabbing the kitten by the scruff, he got to his feet and trudged off. It wasnt far. He left the kitten in the bushes to keep him from wandering while he rummaged through the waste.
The dog twitched nervously, ears pricked at the kittens pitiful cries. The grey scrap was calling for him. Calling for his mother.
*Blast it,* the dog cursed under his breath. *What mother?*
He found a few discarded yoghurt pots, half-full. Returning, he lapped up the sweet, sticky mushnot for himself, but to smear over the kittens face. The little thing licked it clean, purring.
*There. Sorted.*
The dog was oddly pleased.
*Fed him, at least.*
Then the kitten clambered onto the dogs warm side, claws digging into his grubby fur, and fell asleep.
*Alright,* the dog thought. *Ill wait till morning. Feed him again, then… then Ill go.*
But in the night, the kitten woke, crying. The dog licked him quiet.
By dawn, the little thing finally slept. When the dog opened his eyes, he met the kittens tiny grey gaze. The kitten booped his wet nose and mewed.
*Mama.*
And suddenly, the dog knew. He wasnt going anywhere. He wouldnt leave him.
So it went.
He found softer scraps, chewed them up for his kitten. The kitten ate, then cuddled close. He hugged his dog-mother, played with his tail, slept curled against him. And somehow, the dog felt warm. Safe.
As if hed found home.
They ate together, slept together. The rest of the time, the dog played with the kitten, teaching him to pounce and chase.
*May as well show him how to survive.*
By summer, the kitten had grown. The dog, though
The dog had grown thinner. Then autumn came, and with it, endless rain. Finding dry, warm spots became harder. Sometimes, the dog curled around his kitten, shielding him from the cold and wet. He shivered, but still licked the little one clean. Keeping him fed and warm mattered more.
The dog caught a coldsniffling, sneezing, eyes watering. The kitten watched him with worried eyes.
*Mama, mama. Whats wrong? Are you poorly?*
*No, no,* the dog reassured him. *Dont fret. Come here, Ill keep you warm.*
But between the tears in his eyes and the fog of sickness, he didnt notice
The rain poured down, and the rubbish heap was bare. They had to move to another.
As usual, he carried the kitten by the scruff.
Water streamed down the pavement, the road, the sky itself weeping an endless autumn downpour. The dog barely felt the chill on his own back
He only thought one thing.
*Cant let the little ones paws get wet. Cant let him catch cold.*
He hurried across the road
And didnt see the car rounding the corner.
Thank God it was slow. The windscreen wipers struggled against the rain.
The impact wasnt hard, but enoughthe bumper sent him sprawling onto the pavement.
The driver stopped, stepping out. He approached the dog, who lay on his side, left hind leg tucked awkwardly beneath him.
*Let me see,* the man said, but the dog
The dog snarled, front paws clutching something close.
*Easy,* the man soothed. *Im a doctor. Let me help.*
The rain worsened.
The doctor shivered as water soaked his back, but the dog only held tighter, eyes squeezed shut.
*Whats he hiding?* The man peeredthen gasped. Beneath the dogs paws, two feline eyes stared back.
*Ah. Thats it, then.*
He stripped off his coat, spread it on the wet pavement, and carefully lifted the dog onto it. Then he settled them both in the back seat and drove off.
His old friend, the vet, was still at the clinic.
*Bloody weather,* the vet grumbled. *Whatve you brought me?*
Without a word, the doctor carried the dog into the examination room, laying him on the table. The dog still clung to the kitten.
*Interesting,* the vet muttered. *You hit him?*
*I did,* the doctor admitted.
The vet pried the kitten from the dogs grip, passing him to the doctor.
*Sit over there. Dont get in the way.*
The man sat in the corner, kitten in hand, as the vet prepared injections and bandages.
The kitten squirmed, desperate to reach his mother.
*Mama! Mama!* he yowled. *Im here! Dont be scared!*
*Hush,* the doctor murmured. *Hes in good hands.*
The kitten quieted, watching wide-eyed as the vet worked. Exhausted, cold, hungryhe finally dozed off in the mans arms.
Hours later, the vet told the doctor he could take the dog home.
*Needs injections. Bring him back in a few days.*
*Actually* the vet added, *Ill drop by after work. Check on him. Well have a pint.*
A few days later, the vet saw this:
The big red dog was awake, the doctor hand-feeding him treats. The dog couldnt stand yet, but beside him
Sat a lanky grey kitten, watching every bite with concern.
*Worried for his friend,* the doctor said.
The vet, whod spent years with animals and kept several cats and dogs at home, crouched beside the pair.
*Youve got it wrong,* he said. *Hes not worried for his friend. Hes worried for his mum.*
*What?*
The vet stroked the kittens head.
*Dont fret. Shell be alright.*
The kitten purred, bumping his hand.
*Want me to take them once hes healed?* the vet asked later, over drinks. *Ill keep them.*
*Brilliant,* the vet agreed. *Heres to the dogs recovery. Whatll you call him?*
The doctor thought, then smiled.
*Know what? Call him Mum. And the kittenLittle Lad. Sound good?*
The vet raised his glass.
*To Mum and Little Lad.*
They drank, laughed, talked late into the night. Meanwhile, Little Lad
Climbed onto Mum, curled around his bandaged leg, and dozed off.
The dog gazed at him, wondering
How had he ever lived without this kitten? How?
