Burkhalter 1

Cheyanne Burkhalter
Ms. Albrecht
Advanced Composition
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Cheyanne The Amazing Cat Rescuer: Part One
The day had been fairly dry, but like usual I had slept in past twelve. I guess that's what
comes with binge-watching whatever TV show Im into at the moment on Netflix till three in the
morning. I swear to glob that corporation owns my soul. With a sigh, I rolled out of bed, my hair
a disarray like it usually is after I wake up. Dimly in the back of my head a little reminder went
up. Ding. June third. Tomorrow's your seventeenth birthday. No big deal. I am just one more day
closer to taxes, college, and picking out what kind of health insurance I want. If it's even an
option.
I went straight to the kitchen to get a glass of tea and some cereal. My brother was still
asleep, my mom had left (probably grocery shopping or one of her infamous trips to the Freedom
gas station), and my dad and his boyfriend were still asleep because they both worked at odd
hours. Yeah, you read that right. Boyfriend, but that's besides the point.
After I ate at the table, I went into my room and opened my Chromebook to Facebook.
My neighbor had messaged me.
Bambi: So there's some kittens up at the Lacon Pool. (We both live down the street from it.)
Me: Really? Little kittens, or kittens that are old enough to take care of themselves?
Bambi: I don't know. They only come out at sun down. I've seen them a couple times though.
Me: I'll get some kitty food and some milk. We'll go up there tonight to check it out. :)
Yes, I was excited. KITTENS, man.
Burkhalter 2
At sun down, a group of us, carrying bowls of food, milk, water, and a bit of turkey
lunchmeat, went up to the pool. There was my brother Jacob, my dad's boyfriend Chris, Bambi,
and her nephew Garrett. Chris, held the flashlight since it was starting to get rather dark, and
with all the potholes in the gravel it would be easy to sprain your ankle. We walked back to the
picnic tables where Bambi said she had seen them on one of her nightly walks. In the beam of
our flashlight there was four little, glowing, yellow eyes peering at us from the tall grass. All at
once my companions rushed them, and of course, they scattered.
"Guys," I hissed. They all turned to me in confusion. "You can't just approach random
cats like that. They're scared, and possibly feral." I didn't really believe this because their long,
thick coats still seemed pretty clean in the white beam of Chris's LED flashlight. Still, it wouldn't
be a good idea to blindly test that theory. So, I got to work. My parents do call me The Cat
Whisperer after all.
On one of the stone picnic tables I laid out two bowls of food, and a small container of
milk.. I gently set the water bowl on the ground. The cats' interests had been peeked, but they
were still wary. Of course, I didn't blame them. We were five giant, hairless mammals, and they
weigh what? Five pounds apiece? The biggest one maybe six?
I got a piece of turkey out of one of the containers, and started breaking it up. Garrett was
already trying to chase one of the more curious cats.
"What are you trying to do?" I snapped at him. "Scare it up into a tree, and give it a kitty
coronary?" Ashamed, he stopped and watched as I crouched low to the ground. I threw several
chunks towards their bush, but stayed where I was with both of my hands open and flat in a non-
threatening manner. I clicked my tongue several times, and slowly they started coming out of
their hiding place at the scent of fresh meat. The largest one, an orange tabby, seemed to be the
Burkhalter 3
more adventurous ring leader. The other three slowly followed his lead. After he ate his first
piece, the others went and found their own. By the looks of them, I was thinking maybe three
females, and the orange tabby being a male. It would make sense, considering they looked about
the same age, and of the same breed. Three sisters and a big brother to watch over them.
I still had a piece of turkey in my hand, and the orange cat was near enough to seem like
he wanted it. He got as close as he dared, which was probably only a few inches from my
outstretched palm. I held it out to him, and he took it. After that, he became pretty cuddly. He
hopped up on the picnic table, and started munching and lapping happily away. Soon, his
siblings followed. Once he was pretty full, the orange one wanted pets, and he even let Chris and
Bambi hold him. A calico one, which I later called Stella, came out and started mingling with
everyone too, but the calico I now own, Spot, and her sister Stripes were a bit more shy. They
hung back, but were brave enough to eat as long as we didnt touch them.
We played with them for about an hour, and were going to head home. Then Garrett had
to screw it up. He decided to carry the orange cat back to his house which is across the street
from mine. So, of course the others followed. He was going to ask his grandma if he could keep
the orange one, but I knew shed say no because their pitbull would probably think its a new
chew toy. Flustered, Garrett stomped inside, letting the orange cat go. Then everyone went their
separate ways. Chris, Jacob, and I went back home. After about five minutes, I was sitting in the
dining room, and thats when I heard it. Four little pathetic meows. With wide eyes I went to the
screen door, and sure enough, they were on my front porch, and they didnt look like they
wanted to leave. I knew it was going to storm, so Chris and I made a little kitty nest for them
in my garage. It was really just one of my old tattered coats. We left them some food and water,
and they go to stay out of the storm for the night.
Burkhalter 4
***
Cheyanne the Amazing Cat Rescuer: Part 2
Humans. I could smell quite a few of them as I slunk through the grass on my belly. My
sisters were on either side of me, but my brother was going towards them. Of course, he was.
Inching further along the ground, among a thicket of bushes, I saw them. There were three
human males, and two females. One of the females was crouching on the ground, clicking at us. I
stuck my nose in the air, and caught the scent of meat. Now, I was highly aware that my stomach
was empty.
I watched the girl who was clicking, and saw she was throwing the meat towards us.
Maybe she wasnt too bad. Quietly, I sneaked out from the bushes I was hiding in, and found a
piece of meat as far away from her as possible. My brother and more adventurous sister were on
one of the big tables by the humans. My brother was even letting them touch him, and pick him
up. Soon, my sister was doing the same. My other sister was slowly sneaking out towards her
own piece of meat. Humans definitely werent as bad as I thought.
A while later, Id even gotten on the table and drank some milk, and some crunchy food
that smelled and tasted pretty good. After my stomach was full, I slunk back into the grass, but
the girl who had given us the meat was slowly trying to get me to come to her. As I hid by a tree,
she laid in the grass, and I cocked my head at her in confusion. Thats when she started to play.
Humans played? I didnt understand it, but as I started swatting at her hands, I realized that I was
beginning to have fun.
But it was over too soon, and they were starting to leave. . .but the youngest human
picked up my brother. Hey! I meowed, trotting after them. The nice girl was yelling at the
younger one as we followed them. My brother sure wasnt trying very hard to escape. We
Burkhalter 5
followed them down the street to a big red house. An old human came outside and yelled at the
little one. We all watched in silence, and eventually my brother was let go. Thats when the
humans went inside.
My brother seemed visibly upset, but that could have been because of the thunder we
heard in the distance. So, my brother went up the humans front steps, and sat in front of the
door. Heeeyyyy, he yelled.
The human came to the door, and I watched from the shadows as she made a face that
was pure shock. She called to another human who came to the door, and stared at my brother.
Now we were all gathering on the porch.
What should we do? I heard her say. I think its going to storm. We could maybe put
them in the garage?
The other human nodded. He seemed much older than the girl. Yeah. Let me go grab a
flashlight.
We waited, and a few minutes later the girl and older human came out to us with an old
jacket, more food, and more water. All four of us followed them to another building behind the
big one. This one was white, but made out of blocks. The humans went inside, and my brother
followed them. Eventually all four of us were inside, and curled up on the jacket. It was warm,
and I was surrounded by my family. The human girl made sure we were comfortable, and kept
the light on for us. As she headed outside with the other human, the sky let a out a torrent. I was
glad that for the dry bed I had. It was comfortable, and I felt safe.

We lived with them for a few days. My brother and more outgoing sister were the first
ones who found a home. Then the human girl moved my sister and me inside. There was another
cat who lived there. She was old, big, and grumpy. She didnt like me, nor my sister, but that was
Burkhalter 6
okay because we had a warm place to sleep every night, someone to pet us, feed us, and play
with us. Of course, my sister eventually had to go too. I wasnt there when she left, but I looked
for her for a couple hours before realizing what happened. I didnt pout because I think a part of
me knew shed gone to a new home, but I knew I was the one no one wanted.

But that idea changed one day as I was sitting in the girls bedroom. She came in, and
called me by the name she had given me.
Come here, Spot. At the sound of her voice, I jumped down from her bed and trotted
towards her. With a warm smile on her face, she crouched down, and took something out of her
pocket. It was a black strap of some kind. A small bell dangled off of it. She rubbed my head,
and I happily pressed my face into her outstretched palm. Then she snapped the collar around my
throat. It tinkled, and I attacked the beastly thing, only to fall on my face. She chuckled and
picked me up, scratching under my chin just how I liked. Content, I started purring.
Welcome home, she muttered as I settled into her lap, and she quickly lulled me to
sleep. Home. I liked the sound of that word.