Tom Kitten

This is my new cat. Somehow he fits all of the interesting, unexpected things that have happened lately just perfectly. You see shortly after we'd given up the job search in America for this year, and shortly before I got the e-mail about the great job that I now (almost officially) have, he turned up on my parents' road, just a tiny kitten, half starved to death. Someone hadn't been able to kill him, so instead they chose to toss him out on a road with nearly no houses on it to certain death. My parents heard him meowing by the road, picked him up and rescued him, even though they had already decided that they would have no more pets. Tom could hardly move (he really was almost starved to death), but they nursed him back to life, giving him milk and food. And then, while I was in Michigan in June for my interview, he was attacked by a larger tomcat. This tomcat bit him in the back, leaving him nearly paralyzed. After that he had some difficulty walking, so my parents once again nursed him back to health, and he managed to gather strength and learn to walk properly again. Now Tom Kitten is an active, thriving little tomcat himself, very playful and friendly (and hard to get a good picture of because he's always jumping around). And if I get all necessary approval, he will be coming to live at my house as soon as I have one!