UNEXPECTED GIFTS FROM A SCHOOL PARKING LOT

We had an unexpected situation come upon us last Thursday after school.  As I was visiting with a close “mom” friend in the parking lot of the school, my youngest son (who will never cease to amaze me in how he can create problems where ere he roams…) went running to our car, crawled under it and pulled out a tiny gray kitten.  My friend and I were shocked.  We were actually standing in such a way as we could see the beneath our car and hadn’t noticed a thing.  Ol’ Junior who came bolting from the school was able to pinpoint the secret lying under the car in a half a second that went COMPLETELY unnoticed by my friend and I!

Of course his first words were, “Mom! Look what I found! Can we take it home?” (and thus the problem was created…)

My precious friend (who will remain nameless as to hide any horrible deed that might soon befall her…)said to me, “Oh look!  You get to take home a new kitty tonight!”  But, when I suggested she take the adorable feline with her, simply stated, “The cat did choose YOUR car to hide under…I think that is a sign she’s yours!”

By then, Junior had shared his discovery with his older brother so I now had two boys begging to take the kitty home.  Ugh!!

A little back story and just so we’re clear – I love animals.  In fact, as a child my mother and I took in or found homes for many a stray cat or dog in my hometown.  (Our local vet, loved us…if that’s any indication the “pet community service” we provided regularly for the residents of St. John, Kansas).  I might also note that when I told my mother the news of Junior’s discovery, she found it hysterical that I now had children begging to bring stray animals into the home.  I think she said something like, “what goes around, comes around?”  I think it also should be known that I am not only the mother of two extremely active boys, I am also the pet-provider for a cat, dog and guinea pig.  Therefore, I wasn’t exactly looking to add another animal to our current livestock population.  But, I also couldn’t leave a TINY kitty alone in a school parking lot. 

So, before giving in and driving home with the kitty, I took a few steps to try to find the kitty’s owners before exiting the school parking lot.  Because we live in a world of smart phones and Facebook, I took her picture, made a “have you lost me?” post and tagged as many of my school friends as possible.  I was sure this precious thing HAD to belong to someone. Then the boys and I waited in the parking lot for a while to see if anyone was still left looking for their long lost cat – but as it turned out, no one was.  So we headed home.  I called my husband to tell him we’d be bringing home more than just two boys for the night as warning – and promised him his favorite home-cooked meal as consolation for my weakness against both kids and kitties. 

HAVE YOU LOST ME? AREN'T I CUTE? 

As the night progressed, many people helped me via my Facebook post.  By the end of the night, most of the suggestions came up empty, except for one.  There happened to be a new family that brought a little gray kitty to school that day – many of my friends wondered if our gray kitty was their gray kitty.  The next morning after I dropped my boys off, I visited with the school counselor, the teacher of the boy who brought the cat and the office staff.  I made sure all of them had my phone number so they could call me during the day and let me know the minute they had located “parking lot kitty’s” family and tell me I needed to bring the kitty back to school to reunite her with her rightful owners.  I was SURE this was the ticket!!  I even texted friends and family members  (especially my mother…) that I was 90% sure I’d found an owner for the kitty.  But, as the day went on, no one called.  No one texted.  No one inquired.  Finally, I got a text from the counselor that said the family who brought the kitty to school made it home with the kitty.  They did not lose it.  The kitty I found was remaining unclaimed.  So at 3 o’clock I drove back to the school….all by myself. 

As soon as the bell rang, my boys came racing to the car.  I had told them that if we found the family who owned the kitty we were going to give her back.  If we didn’t, we would keep her.  So of course, they spent their day praying no one would claim her, while I spent my day praying they would!  I guess it was two against one, ‘cause God answered their prayers not mine!

Needless to say, our trip home Friday was an excited trip children.  The boys discussed possible names.  She is our first female pet so the first suggestion was Jennifer.  (Our dog is named Marty McFly, as in the Marty from Back to the Future…they figured they should name her Jennifer after Marty’s girlfriend in the movie).  However, after MUCH deliberation and suggestions from their father, she was officially named Salvy – after Salvador Perez the pitcher from the Royals baseball team.

Of course, Salvy is already hard at work warming my lap while I sit at the computer, walking on the keyboard to aid me in my typing ventures and swatting at anything that will move across our hard wood floors.  She has no idea the true work that lay ahead of her – we all have duties in this family septic business and she’s no different.  No doubt Butch the Cat has shared with her his tough duties as head soil percolation cat and possibly even shown her his uniform.  But that’s for another post.

Until then, she’s simply our kitty gift from a parking lot.