About a month ago, a stray cat began to stalk my son. Stephen lives on a pretty street near downtown Lexington. When he’d come home from work, the cat would meet him on his porch meowing—begging for a bite to eat or a scratch behind the ears. It wasn’t too long until the cat was inviting itself inside for short visits—kind of getting the lay of the land.

At first Stephen and his girlfriend, Dottie, wondered if the cat had a home—maybe it just liked to hang out with people. They asked around—someone made sure it had water—someone else put out food—but no one claimed it. No one took responsibility. One night, during a phone call, I heard my son call the cat by name, Sister. She was working her way into his heart.

Soon it became apparent that the small-framed, white and black cat had a serious problem. She had no home but she needed one desperately, for she was going to have kittens. Dottie was worried about Sister’s health. She was so tiny and still so young—would she survive delivering kittens? Dottie called various cat care facilities. They advised a termination of the pregnancy and immediate spaying of the stray.

The night before the procedure, Stephen borrowed my Jack Russell’s carrier. The vet said to keep the cat inside overnight so that he wouldn’t have to try and find her in the morning. We were all sad and upset about what was to come for Sister—and all because someone did not care enough to spay/neuter their pet. Sister and her unborn babies would pay the price.

I prayed for Sister before I went to bed that night. I asked God to watch over her, and I apologized for what was to happen to the kittens. I prayed if the little things were meant to be, that God would have nature take its course. “Now is the time to pity her, now is the time you promised to help.” Psalms 102:13

Dottie was up early the next morning so that she could get Sister to the vet before going to work. On the way there, Sister had her first kitten. During the course of the next few hours, she had four more. Her little body was more than up for the strenuous job.

For the time being Sister and her off-spring are living in my basement. They are healthy and cute as can be—three gray and whites and two solid grays. “He ransoms me from death and surrounds me with love and tender mercies.” Psalms 103:4

Sister is a fine mother—happy to be safe, and loved, and fed all that she can eat. Her water bowl is always full and her litter box clean. Twice a day, I give her an oral antibiotic for an upper respiratory infection.  She doesn’t like to take it, but she tolerates me, and enjoys the bite of cheese she gets as a reward.

The kittens are up for adoption. Sister will remain in the family. We’ll make sure all are spayed or neutered. It’s the least we can do. “And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” Matthew 25:40