The first time I saw Kassy, who is now my full-grown calico cat, was the day I went to explore the new Feathered Friends pet store in town. I had come for nothing other than the typical reason of an animal-loving child, to find a fascinating new animal to beg my mother for. After tapping a few fish tanks, poking a couple of hamsters, and mocking a few birds, I came across the feline section.

I was soon busy adoring each fuzzy little kitten that meowed desperately for me to assist them in their escape of the two-by-two cages in which they were imprisoned. Then, I happened upon a fragile little creature with eyes like gems hidden behind swollen, crusted eyelids. The innocent, hopeless, and somewhat sickly appearance of the kitten melted my heart.

When I first laid eyes on her, the memory of my first calico cat, Cally, was brought to mind. Cally had gone missing a few years after we got her, and was assumed to have been caught in the merciless jaws of a wild coyote. With this tender thought in mind, I immediately started begging my mother for the kitten who was not more than fifteen dollars. My mother took notice of the kitten’s condition and knew I would be the perfect home for her. With her wee little voice, she meowed a “thank you” as I held her in my arms for the first time. I was then on my way home with my new pet.

As we made our way home from the Feathered Friends pet store, Kassy suddenly became uneasy in my arms and began frantically searching the car for a way out. She crawled over our shoulders, on the dash boards, under the seats, and below our feet. At the time, I thought she was just nervous, so I held her firmly against my chest after retrieving her from under a seat. I soon came to realize her squirming was more than just anxiety of a new place. The slimy green poop went almost unnoticed until the horrendous smell rose to the range of my nostrils, and the spreading warmth through my shirt took me by surprise. I looked down to see that Kassy had, in fact, relieved herself all over my shirt. This had been the cause of her squirming earlier, and now she was calm, satisfied, and happily snuggling against my chest. The only thing that kept me from screaming and throwing her out the window was the gentle purr now escaping her frail body. Through the endurance of the sickening odor and the growing stain on my shirt came the bonding moment that has kept me and Kassy the best of friends ever since.