Our Christmas Surprise

Pets, which contain a wide variety of species, connote different things to each individual owner. Some perceive them as added family members and some, typically children, view them as playmates. In most cases, adults value animals, as they do their own children, by purchasing them toys and giving them treats when they accomplish things. Pets have the tendency to become spoiled when given excessive amounts of unnecessary gifts, as do humans. In today’s society, there are pet parlors, spas, and shopping centers for animals. These types of things may seem absurd to many, but they are now average daily routines for several pet owners. On the other end of the spectrum, there are many creatures roaming the earth without owners or anyone to care for them. Typically, they are ravenous, emaciated, wounded, and flea-infested. More often than not, these animals are looked down upon and not wanted anywhere near homes. Because they were not exposed to any type of love from a human, these animals see humans as enemies. Their curiosity of discovering the life of a human may leave them permanently in the ground or, in a more notable sense, in the home of a warm-hearted family. My suprises kitten, Elfy, has taught me that with only a small amount of love and affection, an animal can become much more than a pet.

There were two days until Christmas, and there was one gift left to purchase for my younger sister, Tina. She had wanted a new kitten ever since our last kitten had tragically died. My brother was playing outside in our woods when he noticed something bustling around throughout the brush. He searched around gallantly, but found nothing in the entire acre of snow-covered land. While taking his shoes off on the porch, he turned around to discover that a kitten had followed him home. He was sure that the kitten was the mystery he had been searching for in the woods. Being that my brother was very young, he saw no problem with allowing the unfamiliar kitten to enter our home. During this time, I had been upstairs in my bedroom, but I dashed down the stairs when I heard my mother scream. To my surprise, there was a kitten in my mother’s arms at the bottom of the stairs. Shockingly, my mother said that we were allowed to keep the kitten and present it to Tina for Christmas. Thankfully, Tina was not home during this time; therefore, we were able to keep it a surprise. I had never been extremely enthusiastic about animals due to a horrific past experience, but this kitten seemed so innocent and helpless. I have always felt an inner-responsibility towards helping others, and I knew that it was my duty to nurse this kitten back to good health. We began with feeding the kitten some tuna and water. The kitten was so small that it fit perfectly in the palm of my hand. We then attempted to give it a bath, which was not an easy experience. With a pair of rubber gloves covering my hands, I struggled to pick off as many of the hundreds of fleas on its body as I possibly could. My heart broke as the kitten wailed and shivered in the palm of my hand. I was able to confine the kitten to my bedroom for the first night, without my sister suspecting anything curious. I took it to the vet the next morning, which was an awful experience. Because this had most likely been its first car ride, the kitten was obviously frightened and made a mess of its bodily wastes throughout my car. I was worried that the veterinarian was going to force the kitten to stay in the hospital for the night, but after receiving his shots, he was free to leave. I took him home, for yet another night of confinement in my bedroom. Amazingly, I had provided this kitten with a second chance for a new life.

It was Christmas morning and we had finished opening our gifts. My brother and I had decided to name the kitten Elfy, because we considered him to be our Christmas surprise. I had created a bed for him out of a box and a blanket, which I decorated very nicely. I told Tina that we had a surprise for her and went upstairs to retrieve her gift. She had her eyes closed and was in complete query of what her present could possibly be. Luckily, Elfy was a very quiet kitten, and I was able to make it into the living room with him not making a sound. I laid the kitten on Tina’s lap, with her eyes still closed. When she opened her eyes, she immediately burst into tears. It had been a very long time since I had seen her as truly happy as she was in that moment. She loved the name that we had chosen for him, but she was not satisfied with our sleeping apparatus that we had created. I had grown to love the Elfy in the few days I had spent with him; therefore, I decided to buy him a real bed. I spent my entire Christmas break catering to the kitten and teaching him new things. Elfy plumped up quite quickly; he had eaten much more than any other animal we had prior to him. His fur became a brown and black fluffy mixture and his paws are pure white. He became more to me than simply a pet, but rather like another person to care for. Elfy grew into a healthy, affable cat that everyone would be blessed to have in their lives. Although he came into my life as a surprise, Elfy will leave as one of my best friends.

At first, the thought of another kitten was not very appealing to me. But after realizing the severity of his situation, I was compelled to save him. Elfy allowed me to complete things that I would have never normally thought to do. He taught me, without saying a single word, that with love and affection one has the opportunity to feel complete. Material things don’t last forever, but feelings can. Elfy’s life drastically changed when he showed up on our doorstep that frosty, winter morning, but he changed my life even more.

"Our Christmas Surprise"5 (photo taken by Caitlin King)