Mysterious Cat
The cat came as it had all week long, and as expected, it didn’t touch any of the dry food laid out in bowls like its counterparts. Instead, it hurried to the wrapped food, biting into the plastic bag and bounding away.
Knowing this was her only chance to uncover this mystery, she handed her apron to one of the other volunteers and followed the kitty. What she would find would leave her heart in pieces.
Coming To America
Amanda Kim moved to Philadelphia with her mom when she was ten years old. Having spent her childhood in Lijiang, China, Philadelphia’s wild, almost endless concrete jungle took Kim by surprise.
She loved every new thing that being in America brought. But although she was having a good time enjoying all that the city had to offer, there was a big problem.
An Almost Ruined Childhood
Amanda loved everything that her new life brought her way. Despite this, she was having a hard time acclimating to everything. Language barriers interfered with her experience, almost ruining her childhood.
Amanda spent her first few months in Philadelphia without friends. Since she was an only child, she’d hang out with her mom to pass the time. She didn’t know how much these little moments with her mother would shape her future.
In Her Mom’s Footsteps
Amanda’s mom was a biology lecturer at the nearby university. Among her areas of interest were cats, a piece of her that she was sure to pass down to Amanda.
By the time Amanda grew into a teenager, she loved biology and cats just as her mom did. It wasn’t a surprise then when she majored in the subject when she started college. Her future was shaping up nicely.
Fieldwork
As part of her sophomore year’s fieldwork, Amanda needed to volunteer at any local animal sanctuary, zoo, or home during summer break. What many would consider a dark cloud over their sunny break from school was heaven for Amanda.
She’d spent most of her childhood volunteering at animal shelters with her mom and couldn’t wait to venture out on her own finally. Unknown to her, a kitty was about to change her entire outlook on life.
At Work
Amanda started her first day at the local animal shelter with zeal. Among five other students from her class, she had volunteered to take care of the animals at the shelter.
The experience was more than she could’ve ever imagined. She’d done this countlessly with her mom, and though she loved every second of those moments, none of them could ever live up to what she was experiencing now. But everything changed when the shelter moved her to a different post.
A Different Post
Before her new post, Amanda had been focused on ensuring the animals in the shelter were cleaned, fed, and given medicine if necessary.
But her supervisor wanted her to move to the vanguard of the operation, which included feeding feral animals that didn’t stay at the shelter. Seeing this as a new challenge to conquer, Amanda stepped up, not knowing what was about to happen.
A More Fulfilling Post
Feeding the animals that didn’t live within the shelter was hectic but more fulfilling. Amanda would hand out bowls of dry food for dogs and cats that came to eat. She’d also note the ones that looked sickly so the shelter could bring them in.
One fine afternoon, she was immersed in her duties when she noticed something that piqued her interest. One of the cats, a ginger-furred beauty, wasn’t eating her food. What was happening?
Understanding The Cat
Amanda knew how hard life was for stray animals trying to survive in the city. The ones that usually found free food would chow down quickly and scamper away. So why was this cat staring at its bowl and meowing at Amanda as if distressed?
Amanda didn’t know what to make of the situation, but she knew she had to step in. That evening, she talked to her mom about the occurrence. As always, her mom offered her a way out.
Her Plan
Amanda’s mom suggested she try offering the cat some wet food or giving the food in a different container. Amanda spent the next few days doing just that, but the kitty wouldn’t bite.
She’d tried canned food, cooked food from home, and even different varieties of dried food. She’d given the cat food in different bowls, from brightly colored ceramic ones to dull steel and plastic. Still, there was nothing. But then Amanda had an idea.
Stepping It Up
There was one thing she hadn’t tried, and although the idea seemed stupid at first, she knew she had to try it at least. Amanda wrapped some dry food in a plastic bag and offered it to the cat the next day.
The kitty meowed in delight and bit into the bag, to her surprise. But instead of tearing it open and digging in, it bounded away with the whole package.
It Works
Amanda was stunned at first, but she knew something remarkable was happening. She took off her apron, tied back her hair, and rushed after the cat.
Amanda snuck after the cat into an alley near the shelter. She watched from afar as the cat placed the food bag down and began meowing, looking more distressed than Amanda had ever seen her. And then it happened.
She Finds Out
Out of one of the alley’s garbage cans came a smaller cat, its fur the same as the one Amanda had followed. It purred up at the larger cat and scratched at the bag.
Amanda’s heart broke as she realized what was happening. The cat had been coming over to the shelter looking for food for its kitten. That’s why she never touched the food in bowls but chose the plastic bag at first glance. Amanda hatched a plan as the kitten dug into the bag’s contents.
Doing More
Amanda spent the next few days ensuring she packed a variety of nutritious food in a plastic bag for the two cats. The mom started coming directly to her in the second week, and soon enough, she allowed Amanda to follow her into the alley openly.
When Amanda first saw the kitten, it’d been malnourished. But now that two weeks had passed, the tiny cat looked stronger. Although the food had been helping, Amanda knew she needed to bring the two cats in so the shelter could properly take care of them.
No One Like Mom
Amanda reported the incident to her supervisor, filling him in on everything she’d done and the bond she’d formed with the cat. The shelter immediately stepped in, taking the two cats in and caring for them.
But it didn’t stop there. Amanda, who’d formed an unbreakable bond with the mommy cat, adopted her and her kitten. She was so touched by the cat, reminded of her mom and everything she did for her as a child. Truly, there is no one like a mom.