As I release my seventeenth children’s book, PRETTY KITTY, with its
pet adoption theme, my heart is flooded with sweet memories of the many
“pretty kitties” I have rescued through the years. Some I found. Others
found me. And though I loved them all, there was one with whom I shared
a bond like no other. I wrote PRETTY KITTY in honor of that special bond,
in memory of my beloved cat, Jake.
Jake was the embodiment of pure Love, wrapped in thick, soft,
beautiful creamy white fur. He definitely felt more like a baby in a fur suit
than a pet! Half barn cat, half Manx, he had a stubby little pom-pom tail
that, from the rear, made him look like a bunny! From the moment my
daughters found him in a barn with three other kittens, to the day he
went to Kitty Heaven eighteen and a half years later, it was a love story that
continues to this day. As I write this, my entire body is covered with chills,
tears streaming down my face, remembering the purity of the Love we shared.
The excuses offered by the protagonist to avoid adopting the kitties in the story are amongst the ones I resorted to when my younger daughter, cradling that tiny fur ball in her arms, asked innocently, “Mommy, can I keep him?” I was a recently divorced mother of two young girls and couldn’t
imagine taking on more responsibility or expense. We already had two dogs
and two cats. I was working three or four part-time jobs while trying to
develop a career as a children’s author, and maintain a sense of stability in
my children’s lives. I didn’t want to clean another litter box, buy more cat food, pay another vet bill, or sweep up more cat hair. I was already
stretched to the limit on my meager earnings.
However, my older daughter was on a competition dance team, which I didn’t think I could afford either. But somehow I made it work. It helped
her stay positively focused through a difficult time, and my heart told me this tiny kitten would do the same for my younger daughter. I looked into her pleading eyes and felt powerless to deny the prompting of my heart over my head. I am so thankful, to this day, for her persistence! Jake brought
immeasurable love and joy into our family, and provided great comfort
through the many challenges that followed.
Perhaps this essay, or PRETTY KITTY, will inspire some readers to
begin their own pet adoption love story. Others may choose to support their local S.P.C.A. or Humane Society by volunteering or donating. All that really matters is that we all do what we can to ensure that every animal is given the best possible chance to experience a loving home.
Thank you for your compassion, and for teaching your children to treat
animals with the love and kindness they deserve.
Credit: Karen Beaumont, author of PRETTY KITTY
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