A Girl and Her Cat

I did not want a cat. I did not want a pet. At all. But Dorie did. So in January I decided to cave in and get her one for her birthday. But I had some specific requirements. I felt strongly that I wanted this kitten to still be with it's mother, so that Dorie could hopefully experience the love associated with adoption (though I say the correlation is a loose one...a child and a cat are VERY different).

I began searching. I began praying for just the right kitten for Dorie. Apparently, January is not "kitten season." I found a few, but most wanted me to pay for their kittens. I visited the shelters. Nothing felt right. One night on Craigslist, I saw an ad. In our correspondence, it seemed like a good fit.  A stray mother cat had given birth to kittens in a woman's garage. The mother cat obviously could not properly care for her babies and they would likely end up in a shelter (and eventually be put to sleep), so new homes had to be found for them.

A few days later, I picked Dorie up from school and surprised her with a gift bag full of kitten toys. It took her a minute to figure it out and then her face just lit up. On the way to the house, we prayed that God would show us just the right kitten for us. And if none of them were right, we would be okay with waiting.

On the way over to the house, the woman called. She said something strange had happened, and three of the kittens were missing. Only one was there. I told her I was not surprised...we'd just prayed for God to show us the right one for Dorie. When we got to the house and Dorie saw that kitten, I knew there was no way we were going home empty-handed.

But when it came time to go, we put little kitty in the carrier. And the mother cat went crazy, crying and walking around the carrier. We moved the carrier to the car, and she ran around the car, trying to get to her baby. I told Dorie to talk to the mother cat. I heard her softly say, "It's okay, Mama. I'm going to take your baby, but I'm going to love her. Don't be sad. I promise to take good care of her for you."

We got into the car. The kitten just cried and cried. It made Dorie so sad. She said, "Mom, is this how you feel when I cry?" Oh, my heart. I told her it probably was a little of the same. I told her to talk to the kitten. She whispered, "Don't cry, kitty. I know how you feel. I had to leave my first mom, too. But I love you and I will take care of you. You have a new family now. Pretty soon you'll be used to us and you won't be sad anymore." I was glad I was in the front seat so she couldn't see my tears.

Ekira sleeps on Dorie's pillow every night.

The woman who was taking care of the cats called later that night to tell us that the other kittens had returned home about an hour after we left. She couldn't understand it. We knew God had answered our prayers. I love that He cares about us, even enough to make sure we get just the right cat.

Wherever Dorie is, that's where Ekira wants to be!

Ekira sits quietly in a chair and listens while Dorie reads her a story.

This kitten has turned out to be such a blessing. Dorie named her "Ekira" which translates to "night" in Luganda. As Dorie says, "She's black, like me!" Ekira comes whenever Dorie calls her. Have you ever heard of a cat doing that? She loves Dorie, and Dorie loves her. God gave us exactly the right cat. There is no mistaking that.