Left in a box

I can’t say I remember much of what my life was before the box, but I know my life in the box was the worst and best of my life.

You might think that a paradox, but let me explain so that you can better understand what I’m saying.

I was born to a mother who I didn’t really get to know. They separated me from her almost immediately. I’m not sure why, but I was placed in a cage with my siblings, where we were fed for a few weeks.

It was cold, damp, and dark, but at least we had food and each other. We were all confused and missed our mom. We cried almost all the time, snuggled together at night to keep each other warm, and tried to understand what was going on. We were new to the world and we didn’t grasp what was happening.

We didn’t receive any kind of love from anyone but each other. There were five of us, and we grew closer in the absence of our mom. We didn’t compete for food or attention. We didn’t know who fed us, there was never any contact, any kind of closeness. We could barely make out any specific smells. We were confused, scared, and cold most of the time. Sometimes we got hungry, even though we received food daily, but sometimes it just wasn’t enough.

What was this world I had stumbled upon? Was this life? Was this what I could expect from it? A cold cage to share with my siblings? Not enough room to run, nothing to explore?

As days passed by, we entertained ourselves by playing together and taking long naps. We were not alone, we could smell others like us, or similar. We could smell others unlike us. Creatures that made much more noise. Sometimes we’d wake up to raucous noises in other rooms. Our own room was filled with cages with other cats, although they looked different. My siblings and I were known as Abyssinians, but others unlike us, with more fur —and no fur at all— were in other cages. We tried to stay quiet. We noticed that if we whined, cried, or asked for attention, it would affect our food rations, so we tried to keep our voices down. We all learned that lesson.

Such was life until one day, by some miraculous chance, we got away. I’m not sure what happened, I wish I could explain it better, but I am but an inexperienced kitten in the affairs of humans and the world. I know little about other creature’s behaviors, especially that of humans. I know it was they who kept us in cages, but I also know it was one of them who placed us in a box and brought us to where we live today.

It was the first time we saw the outside world. We were being moved. To where, I can’t be certain, but I know that we were being transported to another location. We were moving, and when the vehicle we were in finally stopped, we sat, expectantly, in the dark, waiting for something to happen.

Suddenly we heard a lot of noise, shouts, running, a great commotion ensued. Then there was quiet. And then, there was light. Someone grabbed our cage and a few others, I believe, and the next thing I knew was that someone was petting us. It was a new feeling. I had never been touched like that by a human before. It felt good. I started purring and I didn’t want it to stop. The person talking to us spoke softly, in a calming tone that made me relax instantly. I had never felt so insouciant since I was separated from my mom. I looked up at the person speaking to us, I didn’t know what she said, but there were drops of water emanating from her eyes. She was sad, but why?

Not long after she placed us in a box, all five of us. It was a big space, with soft blankets to sleep on, water, and food. The box was brown, and once we were in there I heard how it was being wrapped with something else. Suddenly we were in the dark. I panicked. So did my siblings. Was this it? Was this the end? I was scared. I could feel my heart beating fast in my chest. I started crying, so did my brothers and sisters.

Suddenly light started seeping in. Four holes appeared on the walls of the box, killing the darkness that had enveloped and scared us so. We calmed down a bit, but we were still distressed. We heard the same soothing voice, and shortly after, movement again.

It felt as if we moved forever. I had to pee. I didn’t want to go where we were sleeping, but I couldn’t hold it much longer. My mind was wandering in these logistics, when we stopped. I forgot all about what my body had so urgently needed a moment ago, my ears pricked up and I started crying again.

“Hello?! Please, let us out, someone!!” I’d scream. Could they hear me? Did anyone care?

The soft voice spoke again. Were the other kittens with us in other boxes? What was going on?

We were placed on a hard surface. We started yelping, all at once, all together. We wanted to get out.

We heard steps moving away. The car door shut, a loud noise that made my ears hurt. It went on for a while, intermittently. Then stopped. A motor started up. Then all was quiet. I guess it was night, because there was no light entering through the holes. I was scared again. All this uncertainty was surely gonna get the best of me.

All was quiet for what seemed like the longest time. We cried. We screamed. We whined. We pleaded. We tried… and then… then… we heard steps.

The box was picked up. Voices. Shouting. More people came running. Another commotion. These humans sure liked to get worked up.

We were carried someplace. We were indoors again, I could feel it. It was warmer, and someone was opening up the box. When it finally opened, we all looked up, not knowing what to expect. Looking down at us were three friendly faces, smiling, love in their eyes.

We were all each picked up, examined. I noticed other boxes in the room, so maybe the other kittens were there too. I hoped they were all there, I had learned to get to know some of them and had become friends with a few. We were cleaned, groomed, fed —oh, I was so hungry!—, caressed, held softly and with care. We were safe. I could feel it. I knew my life was just about to begin.

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When I heard the honking outside I knew something was amiss. Who could it be this late? People would, of course, call at all hours to tell us about animals in distress that needed help. But we didn’t get many drop-offs. When I went outside, the quiet of the night was disrupted by the meowing of kittens. There were five boxes near the entrance, all containing different breeds of cats. I was dumbfounded. Who had put them there? Where did they come from?

We brought them in and examined them all. There was a litter of Abyssinians. I hadn’t seen those in a while, a favorite among breeders, as they could sell them for quite a bit. There was one in particular in this litter, a little loud fella with his beautiful green eyes, looking around, trying to identify objects and things around him. As soon as I picked him up he started purring as if he’d just arrived in heaven. He was the sweetest little creature, considering what he must have gone through.

Luckily that whole litter was healthy. Some of the other ones were not in such a good condition, but we trust that they will recover.

Whoever brought them here gave them a second chance at life. Our animal sanctuary, here, isolated from civilization, provides the security and care for animals to recover and later be adopted, or live with us until the end of their days.

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If you find an animal in distress or in need of help, contact your local animal shelter or Best Friends (435-644-2001).

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