Kitty News
Well, Spencer and I arrived an hour early to the animal shelter today. Our kitten was to be ready for adoption at 10:00, and our getting him was subject to how many people wanted him and a possible auction. We played with him for an hour and at auction time, there were three families and three kittens. Although one family wanted two kittens, the director announced that we could each have one. I was unsure about the male kitten, the one Colin wanted, because he seemed a bit sick, but I decided we could take him to the doctor. Anyway, the shelter gave us a coupon for free insurance for 30 days, so I figured whatever the cost to cure him, we could handle it with that insurance.

I decided to take the kitten to our veterinarian on the way home, just to be sure he didn't have anything that would harm our cats. It was a good move, but a very sad one. The doctor diagnosed him with distemper and said we could not bring him to our home. Although I was willing to go through treatment, the doctor said the mortality rate is very high and he would recommend I return the kitten to the shelter.

In those few hours, Spencer and I had already grown attached to that little kitten. He was terribly cute. I did not want to take him back. I did not. But, I had to weigh the emotional costs of near-certain death if we tried, and I just couldn't put the boys through that. The longer I waited, the more attached we would become. I agreed to return him.

Spencer and I bawled all the way back up to Edmond and all the way back home. James retrieved Colin at school and explained to him that the kitten was ill and needed to stay at the "pet store" for treatment. Colin is sad, but he didn't have that attachment time, so he is doing okay with it. He said it gives him more time to make toys for the kitten we will get.

If you know of any kittens we could adopt, please let us know.