Gracey’s Kitten Photo

Gracey as a kitten hiding between the sofa cushions

Gracey Came Into Our Lives One Cold December Day

Gracey, The Tiniest Tiger came into our lives without warning one cold December day.  While  looking for a friend’s  dog who had gone missing, we decided to check  the local pound. We were not expecting to find a tiny kitten shivering on the cold cement floor  nor were we prepared for the big bright green eyes that pleaded with us “please take me home, I promise to be good.”  Without reservation, I scooped her up and tucked her under my coat.

The dog warden asked us to please take her home because he wasn’t allowed to keep cats at the facility but he didn’t have the

Gracey was put in the drop box even though it said NO CATS!

heart to throw her out into the cold and he was putting his job at risk by keeping her. And then he shook his head and said he supposed that was ok too because he wasn’t cut out for the job anyway.  His wife had already threatened him not to bring home another dog.  He was far too tenderhearted for the job he was supposed to do.

I hugged the tiny kitten and told her she was coming home with us and that we promised to take the best care of her that we could.  After seeking advice on what to feed such a young cat, I began to warm up goat’s milk and baby oatmeal several times a day to help our little girl thrive. And thrive she did!

Gracey was the first kitten to share our home.  We all learned together how to get along and make things safe for both kitten and humans.  Gracey went to work with me every day for almost a year.  I would go to the door and call her by name and she would come running and jump up into my arms and off we would go.  Then one day she decided she was grown up enough to stay at home and I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed but understood that she was no longer a kitten.

The Power of One Tiny Kitten

Gracey, all grown up and our best friend.

Gracey has had a tremendous influence on my life.  She was the inspiration behind my book The Tiniest Tiger and the catalyst for my career change from specialty food marketing to studying big cats and completing my Master of Zoology degree. Without her entering my life, I might not have had the opportunity to study and live among the Maasai in Kenya or  walk alongside the cheetahs in Namibia.

I can’t imagine  what my life might have been like had we not gone looking for our friends dog that cold December day. And I can’t even think about what might have happened to Gracey if  I had not scooped her up and brought her home into our lives. I know my life has been changed for the better. And I am pretty sure Gracey would tell you she has it pretty good too.  The power of one tiny kitten.

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Related articles

• The Adventures of Gracey, The Tiniest Tiger at Denver Elementary (conservationcubclub.com)
• Gracey’s Super Easy Mashed Potatoes Recipe for Distraction (conservationcubclub.com)

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