The mother cat carries an adopted kitten to her.

It was a beautiful summer day, and I was sitting on my porch, enjoying the warmth of the sun on my skin. I was reading a book when I heard a faint meowing coming from the bushes nearby. I looked over and saw a mother cat carrying a small kitten in her mouth. She walked up to me and set the kitten down at my feet.

The kitten was small and scrappy, with matted fur and a thin frame. It looked up at me with bright, curious eyes, and then it began to meow again. The mother cat rubbed against my leg, purring contentedly, and then she looked up at me as if to say, “Take care of my baby.”

I knew that I couldn’t leave the kitten out there on its own. It was too young to survive on its own, and it needed a safe, warm place to stay. I scooped it up and held it in my arms, feeling its tiny heartbeat against my chest. The mother cat followed me as I took the kitten inside, and then she curled up on the porch outside, watching over us.

I set the kitten down in a box, and then I went to the store to buy some supplies. I bought kitten formula, a bottle, and a warm blanket. When I got back, I started to feed the kitten. At first, it was hesitant, but then it began to drink eagerly, its little paws kneading the air.

As I fed the kitten, the mother cat watched from outside. She didn’t seem worried or anxious, just content to know that her baby was safe and being taken care of. After the kitten finished its meal, I set it down in the box with the warm blanket. It snuggled up close, and soon it was fast asleep.

Over the next few weeks, I took care of the kitten, feeding it, cleaning it, and playing with it. The mother cat would visit from time to time, always bringing the kitten little gifts like feathers and leaves. She seemed happy to see that her baby was growing and thriving.

One day, the mother cat walked up to me with a small mouse in her mouth. She set it down at my feet, and then she walked over to the box where the kitten was sleeping. She nudged it gently with her nose, and then she looked up at me with a pleading expression.

I understood what she wanted. She wanted me to show the kitten how to hunt, to teach it the skills it needed to survive on its own. I scooped up the kitten and followed the mother cat outside. She led us to a nearby field, where she set the kitten down and then walked away.

I watched as the mother cat hid in the bushes nearby, watching as I showed the kitten how to hunt. I threw a ball of yarn, and the kitten chased after it, pouncing and rolling on the ground. I showed it how to stalk a leaf, and how to climb a tree. The mother cat watched us the whole time, never leaving our sight.

As the sun began to set, the mother cat walked over to me, carrying the kitten in her mouth once again. She set it down at my feet, and then she looked up at me with gratitude in her eyes. I knew then that I had done something good, that I had helped a mother cat and her baby in a small but meaningful way.

From that day on, the mother cat would bring the kitten over to my porch from time to time, always with a small gift in her mouth. I would feed the kitten and play with it, and then the mother cat would take it away, back to their little corner of the world.