August Happiness Challenge -- Day 31

Rizz appreciates "lucky"

On Day 31, I was happy for a heads-up. Remember Napoleon? He's the wild-eyed little kitten who was rescued by a homeless couple. I may never see the little fella again, and today I was pleased and relieved to learn why.

His human got the offer of an apprenticeship! He can learn how to become a window washer in the Indianapolis area. He told me it takes 60 hours of training,* so he and his wife and the kitten are headed to Indiana to give that a try. He said his prospective employer understands that they are homeless and living out a tent, and has made allowances. His wife, however, is not as fortunate. A professional hairdresser licensed in Iowa, she can't very well show up to take her Illinois (or Indiana) state boards if she isn't cleaned and well groomed. So they understand the first step is for him to get this job, so they can afford a shelter that allows them to bathe thoroughly and on a regular basis.

As he related this tale, he said he couldn't believe how "lucky" he was that his prospective employer understood he was homeless. I told him, "You deserve this luck because you saved a life."

"No," he said, "Napoleon saved our lives." He told me the story of how he found the kitten in the bushes of Millennium Park, curled up beside his dead mother cat. No other littermates were in sight. The human told me how and his wife wiped the kitten's infected eyes clean with tissues and bottled water and decided to keep him. They love caring for him. This kitten has given their lives new meaning.

I know cats. Napoleon is -- right now, at least -- healthy. Friendly and fearless. When I kneel down to pet him, he climbs right up onto my lap and sometimes tries to get into my purse. I've seen him when dogs pass, and he doesn't care. This is an animal who has never known anything but affection. How can I not root for people who share their reservoir of affection with a helpless, abandoned kitten?

This month, I've become attached to this little family. I'll likely never see them again. I'm so happy that the reason is a positive turn in their fortunes, and not something horrible.

 

 *I believe he said 60 hours. A bus went by during this part of the story.


If you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not this individual post) each day in August, looking for the Happy Cub. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with AugustHappiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.