When we arrived at the house in Spindale, we were planning to trap eight adult cats. We knew that Callie had had kittens about five weeks before - possibly three or four kittens. On the first day of trapping we caught 2 females and 4 males, including Callie. We used our special drop trap to catch the four kittens that came out from under the deck for our tuna. We left three traps set overnight. On the following day we returned to find two cats and a raccoon in our traps. After we had transferred the cats to carriers and released the raccoon, we set about cleaning the deck. (Raccoons make a mess.) The homeowners worked from 5 am to 4 pm so we were on our own to find the hose and lift it up to the high deck. When the task was done, one of us went below to catch and recoil the hose. There under the deck, evidently seeking the water that came dripping through, was a tiny, solid grey kitten. A fifth kitten that no one had ever seen! He ran behind some loose boards, but he was not able to elude us for long. We took him to join his litter mates at the vet’s office where they would be adopted out in time. Smokey was definitely the runt and his survival was questionable.

Meanwhile, a young man named Steven had called us, weeping and begging for help on the phone. His beloved cat had suddenly become very ill and he had no money for vet bills. We told him to take Bullwinkle to the same vet where the kittens were sheltered. Steven’s mother drove him and Bullwinkle to the vet’s office and he spent the better part of the day there. The staff allowed him to visit Bullwinkle where he was caged to receive intravenous treatment. Soon Steven was helping fold laundry and carry it upstairs, all the while checking on Bullwinkle and questioning the vets whenever he could. With all their heroic efforts the vets were not able to save Bullwinkle and Steven was devastated. We asked him if he would like to take one of Callie’s kittens and he again explained he had no money. But he fell in love with Smokey. We promised to pay for Smokey’s shots and surgery. Every time Smokey was due for his next boosters, Steven would call me. I heard all the latest stories of Smokey’s adventures in the home where Steven lived with his mother. Our last contact was in December when it was time for Smokey’s surgery. Steven’s voice was glowing with his love for Smokey. I still think of that tiny kitten that no one knew existed, appearing under the deck just at the time when we went to retrieve the hose, and it almost seems that he appeared out of nowhere - just to be Steven’s angel cat when he needed him.