The first time I heard about this litter of kittens was from a co-worker who was hand feeding them due to the loss of the mother cat. The good thing was they were about 3 weeks of age so their survival was pretty assured. She was trying to find homes for them ahead of time. There is something inside a woman that goes to mush when it comes to baby anything; and I found myself saying, "I'll take one!". When the kittens were ready, arrangements were made for pick-ups. Now, we worked different shifts, so my pick-up time ended up being 2:00 in the morning (my lunch time). I arrived as quiet as possible to find the box of remaining kittens on the enclosed back porch. In the headlights of my car, I made my choice. A sweet gray kitten whose fur showed silver highlights. He came with the name Sneakers. As he was a solid gray, the name appealled to me and was never changed. As I wrapped him in the warmth of my coat, it began to snow. I did not know then what a "special" cat he would be! Arriving home while all the humans slept, each animal came to meet the new arrival. Cold and confused, he dove for Nutsy's warmth. He was greeted with hisses and a pop on the head. No problem, he tried Colonel next. As I laughed, Colonel ran in circles trying to keep the kitten away. Finally, it found Sprite and acceptance. She lay down with Sneakers and cuddled him in her arms. Exhausted, he fell asleep in her warmth. Sprite would be his protector for almost 2 years. Then, he finally claimed my oldest son as his very own person.

I have lived with many different cats and dogs during my lifetime, but Sneakers was unique. You see, he could see, well, ghosts. Or, at least one little girl ghost from a long time ago. Sneakers did not really like being the ghost watcher, but it seems he was the only one, in the household, gifted with this trait. Even when I did not know a ghost was in the house, Sneakers ALWAYS knew. His wide diliated eyes and stare; his pacing; and his raised fur were all signs I grew to know. At times, this whole process was comical as he stared down into the darkened cellar watching something only he could see, and one of the boys would sneak up behind him and quietly touch him. This would cause the poor cat to jump into the air, and the boys to fall down laughing. Sneakers would just put on his "your forgiven" face and walk off with his tail upright. He was a great, lovable, compassionate ball of silver fur.

midi~Beauty and the Beast
© Disney
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