ladysprite | Insert Homily About Doors And Windows Here

I've joked to my husband before that, if we ever get a new pet, it'll have to be one that fortune hands to us - most likely with three legs, one eye, and some horrible and obscure medical condition. Vets don't generally buy pets, we take on fixer-uppers when their owners can't handle them anymore. It's just the way the world works. But for the past ten years, I've been able to dodge this bullet.

So I'm at work this morning, and I'm waiting for my next appointment to come in, when someone comes hurrying in through our front door, holding something tiny and fluffy in their hands. Their kitten fell and hit its head a couple of days ago, and isn't nursing, and doesn't seem right, and can we help them?

And they can't afford to take it to the emergency hospital. And its head is all squishy. And the mother has rejected it. And if they can't afford the emergency hospital, and maybe not even basic care here, what can they do? And could they just surrender it to us, maybe?

And my cat is dying. And I'm not a big believer in fate or karma or destiny, but....

So now I am the dubiously proud owner of a two-week-old calico Persian kitten with a face so smushed-in it's concave, an open fontanelle (the bones in her skull never closed properly), and probable brain damage. She's already had one seizure since I took custody of her, but she's also demonstrated some impressive skill at drinking milk replacer from a syringe, which is about the only major life skill I can ask from her at this point.

I know I can't get attached. She's a lemon, and her odds of making it are slim at best. And a part of me feels horrible for replacing Tristan before he's even gone. But she's also adorable, and fits in the palm of my hand, and I couldn't just toss her out the door or euthanize her without giving her at least what little chance I can.

And, you know, she's not the only one with a soft spot. Just luckily, mine isn't over my cerebrum....