Delayed hopes

On Wednesday afternoon Tatum overheard the noisy girl talking to the yarn lady.  They were *finally* going to the SPCA to get a kitten for the yarn lady.  She was going to get one as soon as she moved, but had delayed it since he and Ursula had to stay with her while the floor in Adelphia was being replaced.  Tatum had alerted the cats at the SPCA, oh, weeks ago that she'd be coming and that she'd be an excellent forever mommy for a kitten, but when it had been delayed he hadn't done anything more. 

As soon as the noisy girl left with the yarn lady and Val, Tatum got on the computer and sent a message to his contact at the SPCA.  He hoped it would get through.  He described what the yarn lady was wearing (cut offs and a CROP walk t-shirt) and said that the kittens should try to look really cute if they wanted to go home with her. 

When the yarn lady walked into the adoption area at the SPCA, she was amazed at the attention the kittens paid her.  The grown up cats could care less that she was here, but it seemed that every kitten in the place either came up to the front of their cage or looked at her with endearing kitten eyes.  As she passed by each cage she swore she could hear little tiny sighs, but she steeled herself.  She could only take home ONE kitten, not the thirty or more that were here in the adoption area.  There were so many kittens, they'd even overflowed into the 'cute and fuzzy' area that usually housed rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters. 

Val called the yarn lady's attention to one cage that contained two silver tabbies, one silver tabby/tortoise shell and one larger black kitten.  The tortoise shell was patting at Val's fingers and talking to her.  Although Val couldn't understand it, she was saying, "I know you're with the yarn lady - get her to come over here.  I know she'd love to meet me.  Pleaaaassseee!"  The volunteer carefully scooted the other cats out of the way and lifted the little girl out of the cage and handed her to Val.  She lay in Val's arms giving her most winning look.  Val handed her to the yarn lady, who cuddled her and rubbed her face against the kitten's tummy.  She turned up her purr to maximum volume and snuggled into the yarn lady's shirt.  Oh, she'd love to go home with this one.  Tatum was right.  She would be a good forever mommy. 

After a few moments, the yarn lady decided that yes, this was the kitten she wanted.  The noisy girl went out to get the carrier (although the kitten had no idea why Tatum thought she was noisy - talkative yes, but not at all noisy).  While they were waiting, the yarn lady whispered to the kitten that her name would be Clementine, but that she'd call her Clem. 

WHen the noisy girl returned and put the carrier on the floor, Clem hopped right into it.  No use delaying things by balking at the carrier.  She wanted to get this over with and go to her new forever home.  She was taken to Tibet so that she could be examined and given a clean bill of health.  She didn't much like Tibet, because those folks stuck poky things in her and prodded her uncomfortably, but she'd put up with anything to be able to go to her forever home.  Tibet looked at her and commented that she was a lot bigger than she'd thought and maybe they should just fix her now, rather than waiting a week or two.  Clem had no idea what they meant.  She wasn't broken, she didn't need fixing. 

Tibet brought Clem out into the waiting room where the yarn lady was waiting.  The yarn lady looked kind of sad as Tibet explained that they wanted to fix her now and that the kitten (Clem hated being referred to in the third person) wouldn't be able to go home with her until Friday.  With that, TIbet carried her back into the room that smelled like disinfectant and put her into a special small cage.  She watched through the window as the yarn lady, still looking sad picked up the carrier and went out the door. 

Clem began to cry.  What had she done wrong?  Had she broken something that needed to be fixed and that was what Tibet was talking about?  A cat in the next cage soon set her straight.  She wasn't broken, but Tibet needed to do something that sounded dreadful to keep her from having kittens and that was why she couldn't go to her forever home right away.  Clem tried to understand, but she was just a tiny little kitten who was very sad.  She curled up in a little ball and cried to herself.  She didn't even have her litter mates to keep her company.  After a few minutes one of the volunteers came in and gently removed her from the cage and cuddled her.  "It'll be okay, little girl.  The nice lady will come back for you on Friday afternoon, and then you can go to your new home.  I think you'll like it there."  She held her, and stroked her until Clem fell asleep.  She dreamed about her forever home.  Soon....