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Kitten

Abusive gifting

By Harper LewisPublished 2 months ago Updated 2 months ago 1 min read

She asked if she could give my daughter a kitten.

I thought it would have its first round of shots; after all, it was a gift.

She chose the runt of the feral litter to give and weaned it too early, never took it to the vet.

That was my responsibility—how could I have expected a gift to be given without paying a price?

If I said no, I would have been a mean mom who wouldn’t let her daughter’s godmother give her a kitten.

Nevermind the fact that I was sinking and couldn’t take on more financial responsibility.

It was a gift from the fairy godmother; I was set up from the beginning.

My daughter is grown and out of the house, but that goddamn cat is still pissing on everything I own fourteen years later.

Life

About the Creator

Harper Lewis

I'm a weirdo nerd who’s extremely subversive. I like rocks, incense, and all kinds of witchy stuff. Intrusive rhyme bothers me.

I’m known as Dena Brown to the revenuers and pollsters.

MA English literature, College of Charleston

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Comments (1)

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  • Caitlin Charlton2 months ago

    A gift should really be, just that, a gift. Promising that there will be nothing else you would need to worry about. 🐈❌I love how honest this was. How you laid it all out and gave us room, not to decide, but to digest what she's done. I don't feel there was any room there for gratitude. Especially while you're sinking and couldn't take on more financial responsibilities. 🐈❌The last line. I read it like a shout. Like you turned the volume up. I like that because it makes the cat feels near. Almost like it's looking over my shoulder about to piss on me. I am so sorry that this has happened. Sending warm hugs and care your way 🤗🖤❤️

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