PUMPKIN'S STORY

Ever since I was a baby I have been a huge animal lover. It all started on a farm in the middle of nowhere. When I was two we moved to a small town into
a 100 year old brick house, which used to be the old church manse. All my life I had cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, and many other animals.

I feel the best cat we ever
had was Pumpkin, an orange tabby. When I was thirteen, my friend and I found her in our back yard. She was in such rough shape. Her right ear was so badly frostbitten it was stuck down so she could not hear out of it. She was so hungry. She probably had not eaten for a long time, so I took her up to the house and gave
her food and water.

Shortly after she arrived, my mom discovered Pumpkin was pregnant. Pumpkin stayed. We kept feeding her and she became my friend. I became really taken with this fat orange cat.

One day we got a phone call
from our neighbours. They told us to come right over to their garage. When we got there Pumpkin was feeding seven tiny kittens. Wow, they were so small and
cute.

We knew they could not stay their in the neighbour’s garage so we took them to our attached shed. For weeks we help take care of them and watch them grow. They
were all different colours. The only male was orange just like his mom. The smallest and the biggest one were grey and white, than their was a grey
and black tabby, and two calicos. The one calico had six toes on her front feet just like her mom. I found it odd that only one of the kittens had
that, but that made her more special.

I spent the whole time while they were growing up playing and bonding with them. I wanted them to be used to people
so one day they would be great cats just like their mother. Once the kittens were old enough to be rehomed we made sure they would go to great homes and
all of them did. It was sad seeing them leave, but I knew it was the right thing to do.

Once they were gone we took Pumpkin over to the vet to be spayed
the vet found she was full of worms and said she might not survive the surgery. Luckily she pulled through nicely and we got the meds for the worms and also the
ear mites that she had. We got them cleared up and got her to put on weight. She turned into an amazing cat. She was my buddy. She gave us lots of love
she wanted to pay us back for saving her and giving her a second chance.

Then, one fateful day, one of our neighbours from across the road came over asking for
my mom. I told her she was out back. Soon after that, my mom came in and told me the awful news. Pumpkin had been killed. She had gotten hit by a car. The news
just hit me. I spent most of the day crying for the loss of my pal knowing I would never be able to hold her again. It pained me. My mom thinks what probably happened
to Pumpkin was the car came at her on her deaf side and she did not hear it coming.

After that loss I learned that other animals out their also needed
second chances at life. I now spend my life helping and saving animals just like I did for my friend Pumpkin.

Click the link above to see the blog this story originally came from.