“A Blessing of Hope and Miracle”
On November 10th 1998 my husband and I were dining out across from
the Pearlridge Mall Hawaii when I asked if we could go to the pet store.
My husband reluctantly agreed; he knows I love animals. In the store the
two girls working the counter were holding tiny kittens bundled in paper
towels. There were three of them—2 tabbies and a calico. The girls quickly
explained to us that someone had tried to drown these little 2 week old
angels and that they could not keep them in the store.
My husband could not refuse me; I took one tabby and the calico.
The tabby that we left behind was in perfect health; he must have been
the lucky one. The only one not dunked in water.
On the ride home I named the calico “Miracle’ for we already knew that
was the only thing that would save her. She was barely moving…
As I massaged her tiny body a spark of life seemed to leap forth,
but as soon as we got home she passed quietly away.
The tabby I named ‘Hope’. She had spunk and wanted to live so badly but
you could hear her lungs rattle as she breathed. All you could do was hope!
I slept all night with one hand on her tiny body ensuring that she was
still breathing. At her 3 am feeding she seemed to come around and burst into
a deep purr… But by 7 in the morning her breathing became so difficult
that it was painful to watch. We immediately took her and Miracle to the vet;
I knew the prognosis was not good when the vet came out and took us in a
small room and Hope was no where to be seen.
It was there we found out that the cruel evil individuals who tried
to drown the kittens used bleach instead of water! Our poor babies…
When the veterinarian said that Hope had only a 20% chance of survival
I knew what we had to do.
I said good-bye to Hope in a private exam room.
You couldn’t even tell she was breathing…
I kissed her tiny striped head and told her how sorry I was.
I truly loved the kitten and her sister although we had such a short time
together…
The deaths of these two kittens have shook me horribly.
You know about animal abuse but you don’t KNOW about animal abuse until
you have one baby animal die as you are watching and another baby has
to be put to sleep so that she no longer suffers…
Yet these two kittens Hope and Miracle have inspired me.
I won’t let their deaths or their story go unknown.
I will do my part to stop the cruelty;
will you do yours?
Tricia M Bingham
| Hope & Miracle |