He found it around the corner of a terraced house. Just darting between piles of rubbish, searching for scraps. Thats where he stumbled upon the tiny grey kitten.
The little thing was scrabbling across the tarmac, wailing desperately. A big, filthy, skinny dogreddish, or maybe
Maybe reddish, maybe grey. The dust clung to him so thickly it was hard to tell. 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. Keep away.”
He tried nudging the persistent little creature aside with his paw, but the kitten paid no mind. It pressed against the dogs grimy leg, tiny claws hooking into his fur, and fell still.
“Fine,” the dog decided. “Ill wait till his mum shows up, then Im off.”
The kitten curled up and dozed, content and calm. The big, indeterminate-coloured dog lay down too and waited.
He waited a long time. Or ratherhe never did see the mother cat.
Day turned to evening, and still she didnt come. Night fell, and the dog understood. There was no point waiting any longer. Something terrible must have happened to her.
The kitten woke and nuzzled the dogs belly, hungry.
“Another problem,” the dog thought. “What now? Cant just leave him here to starve, can I?”
Fine.
Hed take the little thing to the bins behind the chippy. They tossed out all sorts theresometimes even decent scraps. There was a gap in the side of the big skip. Thats where he usually rummaged.
“Feed him, then leave him. Cant be carting him around forever.”
Gripping the kitten by the scruff, he stood and trudged off. It wasnt far. He left the kitten in the bushes to keep him from wandering while he foraged.
The dog twitched nervously, ears pricked for the kittens distressed squeaks. The little grey thing was calling for him. Calling for its mum.
“Blimey,” the dog muttered. “What mum?”
He found a few half-eaten yoghurt pots. Returning, he lapped up the sweet, sticky messbut didnt swallow. Instead, he smeared it onto the kittens face, and the kitten licked it off, purring.
“Right. Sorted.”
The dog brightened.
“Thatll do.”
Then the kitten clambered onto the dogs warm side, claws tangling in his matted fur, and fell asleep.
“Alright,” the dog thought. “Ill wait till morning. Feed him once more, then then Ill go.”
The kitten woke in the night, crying. The dog licked him quiet.
Only near dawn did the kitten finally settle. When the dog woke, he met two tiny grey eyes staring up. The kitten bumped his wet nose and mewed.
“Mum.”
And suddenly, the dog understood. He wasnt going anywhere. He wouldnt leave the little scrap behind.
So it went.
He found softer scraps, chewed them for his kitten, and the kitten
The kitten ate and nuzzled close. He hugged his dog-mum, batted at her tail, slept draped over her. And the dog felt peaceful. Like hed found a home. A family.
They ate together, slept together. The rest of the time, the dog made the kitten run and pounce.
“May as well teach the little bugger to survive.”
By summer, the kitten had grown. The dog
The dog grew thinner. Then autumn came. Endless rain. Dry, warm spots grew scarce. Sometimes the dog curled around his kitten, shielding him from the cold and wet. He shivered, but he licked the little one clean. Keeping him warm and fed was all that mattered.
The dog caught a chillcoughing, sneezing, eyes watering. The kitten watched him, alarmed.
“Mum, mum! Whats wrong? Are you poorly?”
“Nothing serious, love,” the dog wheezed. “Dont fret. Just snuggle up. Ill keep you warm.”
Maybe it was the fever, the exhaustionbut he didnt notice.
The rain poured, and the bins near the chippy were empty. They had to move.
As always, he carried the kitten by the scruff.
Water rushed down the pavement, the road. The autumn sky wept without end, its tears splattering the dogs head and backbut he only thought of one thing.
“Mustnt let his paws get wet. Mustnt let him catch cold.”
He hurried across the roadand thats why
Thats why he didnt see the car rounding the bend.
Thank God it was slow. The wipers couldnt keep up with the deluge.
The impact wasnt hard, but it was enoughthe bumper sent him sprawling onto the kerb.
The driver stopped, stepped out, approached. The dog lay on his side, left hind leg tucked awkwardly.
“Lets have a look,” the man said, but the dog
The dog clutched something to his chest and snarled.
“Easy,” the man soothed. “Im a doctor. Let me see.”
The rain redoubled. The doctor shivered as water soaked his back. The dog only curled tighter, eyes squeezed shut.
“Whatve you got there?” The man peeredthen gasped. Beneath the dogs paws blinked two feline eyes.
“Ah. Right. Come on.”
He shrugged off his coat, spread it on the wet tarmac, and lifted the dog carefully onto it. Then he settled them both in the back seat and drove off.
The vetan old friendwas still at his clinic.
“Bloody weather,” the vet said. “Whatve you brought me?”
Without a word, the doctor carried the soggy dog into the exam room, the kitten still clutched in his paws.
“Interesting,” the vet mused. “You hit him?”
“Me,” the doctor admitted.
The vet pried the kitten loose and handed him to the doctor.
“Sit over there and stay out of the way.”
His hands were already prepping a needle, instruments.
The kitten squirmed, desperate to reach his mum.
“Mum! Mum!” he yowled. “Im here! Dont be scared! Im coming!”
“Shh, shh,” the doctor murmured. “Hes in good hands. Hell be alright.”
He held the kitten close. The little thing just stared, wide-eyed, as the man in the white coat worked on his dog-mum.
Exhausted, hungry, coldthe kitten finally dozed off in the doctors arms.
Hours later, the vet told the doctor he could take the dog home. Needed injections, follow-ups.
“Tell you what,” the vet added. “Ill pop round after work. Check on him. Well have a pint.”
Days later, the vet saw this:
The big red dog was awake, the doctor feeding him treats by hand. He wasnt to stand yet. Beside him sat a lanky grey kitten, watching anxiously.
“Worried for his mate,” the doctor said.
But the vetthe vet knew animals. He kept dogs and cats himself.
“Youre wrong,” he said, crouching by the dog. “Hes not worried for his mate. Hes worried for his mum.”
“What nonsense,” the doctor said.
The vet scratched the kittens head and winked.
“Dont fret. Your mumll be right as rain.”
The kitten purred and butted his hand.
“Want
