Phoebe's Tale

It was a dark and stormy night.  Clouds scudded across the sky bringing with them torrents of rain.  Occasionally, the cloud cover would thin and the moon could be seen, as if through a veil, but only briefly, before the next bank of clouds blew in,  bringing even more rain to the countryside.

Inside the barn, most of the creatures had settled down for the night.  The barns cats and their kittens, snug in their boxes in their own little stalls, were just beginning to listen for the rustling of mice running across the floor, through the loft and across the rafters of the big, old wooden barn that was their home.

Invaders, however, were lurking close by.  At some point through the dark night, one of these intruders, one with sharp, pointed teeth, crept into the barn, ears twitched for the slightest sound, nose sniffing the air for interesting scents, keen eyes looking for the tiniest movement.   

Slowly, step by step, the intruder stole through the dark, cavernous barn, trying to avoid the moonlight that shone fitfully through the dusty windows that were edged with spider webs.  The resident barn owl, high up in the rafters, fixed its steely gaze on the intruder.  The mice ceased their movements, not daring to reveal their location.  The adult cats, alert to the sense of danger stayed quiet and still.  Meanwhile, the kittens, a brother and sister, both black and white with soft, silky fur, were oblivious to the danger and slept, snuggled together.

Suddenly, the kittens awoke.  The intruder with its bright, beady eyes was creeping into their stall.  As quick as lightning, it leapt at the tiny, female kitten, fastening its jaws onto her left, front leg, mauling it with its razor sharp teeth.  Her brother recoiled in panic, the adult cats growled and hissed and the mice ran for their lives.  The intruder, suddenly aware of the approaching adult cats departed quickly, leaving the wounded kitten huddling in the corner, nursing her wounds.

Oh, but she was a fighter, this little kitten.    She soldiered on, even though the wounds had left her unable to use her left, front leg.  Fortunately, the kitten had a kind and compassionate human friend named Diane who brought her to the veterinarian, who, after examining the leg, determined that the only recourse was to perform an amputation. 

The surgery was a success and the kitten recovered nicely.  The kitten, whose name is now Phoebe, lives at the Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic along with the other resident cat, whose name is Carter.

Phoebe gets around very well on three legs and jumps up onto chairs with no trouble at all.  She is a shy cat, wary of strange noises and people, which is understandable.  Yet, she is not at all shy about letting you know she is hungry or that she wants her belly stroked.  Phoebe loves to bask in the sunshine on her platform on the windowsill.  Most of all, Phoebe loves to be spoiled by her human friends at the clinic. 

We are happy and proud that we were able to give Phoebe a second chance at life at the veterinary clinic.  It is said that cats have nine lives; we are confident that Phoebe will spend  the rest of her eight lives with us for a good, long time.