My Kittens

I was 14 years old walking through my mother's kitchen looking for a glass of water. In one arm I carried 2 kittens with me as I overheard mom talking to her old high school friend. The ladies were chatting away when mom saw my kittens saying "NO CATS in the house, remember?" I smiled in reply "They aren't in the house, they are ON me." My mom's friend lived on a horse farm so as she took a kitten she exclaimed "Wow! I have never seen a kitten THIS calm...Usually they freak out being this far from their mother?" I listened to her wondering what could be wrong with my kittens? Just as She asked "What is wrong with them? This one doesn't have it's claws out either?" I looked in alarm back at the kitten that she was now holding, WAS something wrong with my new littler of 3 week old kittens?! My mom just chuckled explaining "Any kitten born under Debby's care is the most loving cats you will ever find!" I sighed with relief that my kittens were okay after all. I also felt proud that my mother had said that about me. The ladies talked about cats as I listened to how different my litter was from the cats they grew up with. I had heard all the horrid stories of cats birthing out kittens then eating them Or a tom cat killing the whole litter! But as I listened to those ladies I realized how differently I raised my own kittens from most other farms. I even kept a cat "family tree" recorded in my note book. When a mama cat went into labor I took her to my made up corner of old blankets and towels for her to have the privacy through out the day in our storage room while I stayed there beside her watching and praying over her. Then I would read or draw while each kitten was born, I petted the mother cat gently all along and talked to her softly as she went through all that pain. Each baby kitten was gently moved after they were cleaned up to nurse I used my fingers to move under them so they were guided to the food source, I made sure they stayed safely tucked in the dark corner during the first couple of weeks. Then every day I talked those newborn kittens, I carefully pet them, made sure they were all eating and sharing. As they began to roamed I carried them with me everywhere in my arms or on my shoulders. In the summer evenings we all went on a walk, the four kittens and me. I watched over them as they came when I called to them, we walked out into the fruit trees for new adventures for them to see. I loved how fast they came to me when I gave out my alarming cry, I talked with them along side their mama cat. but when I carried all of them in my arms they would simply fall asleep. They were definitely different kittens then most farms, I adore my kittens and taught them how to be so trusting with humans. I often took an afternoon nap on the floor of the storage room where my four kittens would crawl right over or into me and I would smile at those tiny paws and soft noses against my cheeks. I would lay there thinking about the nice thing my mother said about me, That Kittens raised by me where the most loving kittens you could find. And I loved them all!