Basement Kitten
Always crazy about animals, I’ve written before about some of my beloved pets over the years, even my two attention-deficient goldfish! (See Missing Pussycats, The Puppy in the Waiting Room, Fluffy and the Alligator Shoes, ASPCA and Naval Funeral)
When my husband Danny and I were newly married we lived in Westchester in a lovely small apartment building with garages out back for us tenants.
One afternoon I had to pick Danny up at the Pelham train station and I was running late. I cut through the basement on my way to the garage, and as I hurried along I spotted a tiny black kitten curled up on the basement floor.
Barely slowing my pace I scooped up the kitten and continued out to the car. Then, steering with my left hand and holding the kitten in my right, I drove to the station. When I saw my husband walking toward the car I held the kitten up to the windshield for him to see.
My favorite childhood cat had been gray in color and was appropriately named Smokey. Although this kitten was all black I decided nevertheless to dub him with the same name.
”Look who I found in the basement!” I told Danny as he got into the car. “Let’s keep him and call him Smokey!”
And so we did!
– Dana Susan Lehrman
Dana Susan LehrmanThis retired librarian loves big city bustle and cozy country weekends, friends and family, good books and theatre, movies and jazz, travel, tennis, Yankee baseball, and writing about life as she sees it on her blog World Thru Brown Eyes!
www.WorldThruBrownEyes.com
Sweet story, Dana. Amazing feat of driving too!
Thanx Betsy!
I’m impressed that you figured Smokey was a stray and that he didn’t run away—but clearly was instantly part of the family. Lucky kitty!
Khati, I confess I didn’t even try to return him to an owner – if he had one! It was finders, keepers!
Beautiful cat!
Thanx Laurie, and we had him around for 18 years!
Aww, so glad you rescued this beautiful kitty, Dana. As a cat lover, I get it!
Yes Mare, cats are wonderful, I don’t know why some folks don’t like them!
Really a cute story, Dana. And a perfect name for your new family member. I’ve always been a “dog person,” but you — and, of course, Smokey — may change my thinking on that. Maybe.
Woof!
My immediate thought on reading your story – before I saw Khati’s comment and your reply – was that surely the kitten belonged to someone and had escaped into the basement. Probably one of the other tenants in the building. Didn’t you feel guilty about not putting up “Found” posters in the elevator? Just sayin’ . . . .
Ah Suzy, honestly I don’t remember even thinking he was anything but a stray!
And altho I didn’t post a sign reporting a found kitten, nobody posted a sign reporting a lost kitten!
But if I did usurp someone’s cat I hope now after 50 years all is forgiven, and we did give Smokey a very good home!
As is so often true, your animal finds you!
Yes indeed Dave!