For Mum and the Little One

He found it around the corner of a building, just darting from one pile of rubbish to another, searching for food. Thats where he came across a tiny grey kitten.

The little thing was crawling across the pavement, mewling desperately. A big, dirty, scrawny ginger dogor, well, it mightve been grey. The dust caked its fur so thickly, you couldnt tell. He hesitated, and the kitten

The kitten spotted him, squeaked, and crawled closer. The dog growled, but the kitten wasnt scared.

“What the devil?” the dog thought. “Just what I needed. Hey, hey! Your mumll be back soon. Dont bother me.”

He tried nudging the persistent little thing away with his paw, but it ignored him. Instead, it pressed against his big, grubby leg, clinging with its tiny claws, and went quiet.

“Fine,” the dog decided. “Ill wait till its mum shows up, then Ill be off.”

The kitten curled up and dozed off, perfectly content. The large, indeterminate-coloured dog lay down too and waited.

He waited a long time. Or ratherhe never did see the mother cat.

A day passed, evening fell, and still she never came. Night arrived, and the dog understood. There was no point waiting anymore. Something terrible mustve happened to her.

The kitten woke up, nuzzling the dogs belly. It was hungry.

“Another problem,” the dog thought. “What now? Cant just leave it here to starve, can I?”

Fine.

Hed take it to the bins behind the restaurant. They threw out all sorts of tasty things there, and there was a hole in the side of the big skip. Thats where he usually went to scavenge.

“Feed it, then leave it. Not like I can drag it around with me, can I?”

Gripping the kitten by the scruff of its neck, he got up and walked off. It wasnt far. He left the kitten in the bushes so it wouldnt wander while he dug through the rubbish.

The dog twitched nervously, ears pricked at the kittens distressed squeaks. The little grey thing was looking for him. It was calling for its mother.

“Blimey,” the dog muttered. “What mother?”

He found a few half-eaten yogurt pots. Back at the bushes, he lapped up the sweet, thick stuff but didnt swallow. Instead, he smeared it on the kittens face, and the little thing licked it off, purring.

“Brilliant. Thats sorted.”

The dog was pleased. “Thatll do.”

Then the kitten clambered onto his warm side, dug its claws into his dirty fur, and fell asleep.

“Alright,” the dog thought. “Ill wait till morning. Feed it, then then Ill go.”

In the night, the kitten woke up crying. The dog licked it calm.

By dawn, it finally slept. When the dog woke, tiny grey eyes stared up at him. The kitten nudged his wet nose and mewed.

“Mama.”

And suddenly, the dog knew. He wasnt going anywhere. He wouldnt leave the little thing.

So it began.

He found softer scraps, even chewed food for his kitten, and the kitten

The kitten ate, then pressed close. It hugged its dog-mum, played with his tail, slept curled against him. And somehow, the dog felt good. At peace.

Like hed found a home. A family.

They ate together, slept together. The rest of the time, the dog played with the kitten, making it run and jump.

“May as well teach the little mite how to survive.”

By summer, the kitten had grown. The dog

The dog had gotten even thinner. Then autumn came, bringing endless rain. Finding warm, dry spots got harder.

Sometimes, the dog curled his paws around his kitten, shielding it from the cold and wet. He shivered, but he licked the little thing clean. Keeping it warm and fedthats what mattered.

The dog caught a cold, coughing, sneezing. His nose ran, his eyes watered, and the kitten stared up at him, worried.

“Mama, mama. Whats wrong? Are you sick?”

“Nothing serious, love,” the dog answered. “Dont fret. Just snuggle closeIll keep you warm.”

Through the fever and the tears, he didnt notice

The rain poured, and the skip was empty. They had to move to another.

He carried the kitten by the scruff, as usual.

Water streamed down the pavement, the road, the sky weeping endlessly. The dog barely felt the cold.

One thought filled his head.

“My little one mustnt get wet. Mustnt get sick.”

He wanted to cross the road fast, so

So he didnt see the car rounding the corner.

Thank God it was moving slow. The windscreen wipers couldnt keep up with the downpour.

The impact wasnt hard, but enough. The bumper knocked him onto the pavement.

The driver stopped, got out, and approached. The dog lay on his side, left hind leg tucked under him.

“Let me see,” the man said, but the dog

The dog curled protectively around something and snarled.

“Easy,” the man soothed. “Im a doctor. Let me help.”

The rain worsened.

The doctor shivered as water soaked his back. But the dog only clutched his treasure tighter, eyes squeezed shut.

“Whatve you got there?” The man peeredthen gasped.

From under the dogs paws, two feline eyes stared back.

“Oh. I see.” He shrugged off his coat, spread it on the wet ground, and carefully lifted the dog onto it. Then he settled them both in the back seat and drove off.

His old friend, the vet, was in.

“Bloody weather,” the vet said. “Whatve you brought me?”

Without a word, the doctor carried the soggy dog into the exam room. He laid him on the table, the dog still cradling his kitten.

“Interesting,” the vet mused. “You hit him?”

“Me,” the doctor admitted.

The vet took the kitten and handed it to the doctor.

“Sit in the corner there. Dont distract me.”

His hands were already prepping a syringe and tools.

The kitten squirmed, desperate to reach its mum.

“Mama! Mama!” it cried. “Im here! Dont be scared! Ill come to you!”

“Shh, shh,” the doctor murmured. “Hes in good hands. Hell be alright.”

He held the kitten close, and it just watched, wide-eyed, as the vet worked.

Hours later, the vet said the dog could go homewith meds and a check-up in a few days.

“Actually,” the vet added, “Ill drop by after work. Check on your patient. Well have a pint.”

Days later, the vet saw this:

The big ginger dog was awake now. The doctor fed him treats by hand. The dog couldnt stand yet, but beside him

Sat a lanky, thin grey kitten, watching every bite with concern.

“Worried for his friend,” the doctor said.

But the vet had years of experienceand pets of his own.

“Youve got it wrong,” he said, crouching. “Hes not worried for his friend. Hes worried for his mum.”

“Dont be daft,” the doctor scoffed.

The vet scratched the kittens head.

“Dont worry. Your mumll be fine.”

The kitten purred, butting his hand.

“Want me to take them once hes better?” the vet offered.

The doctor nodded. “Theyre yours.”

“Perfect.” The vet raised his glass. “To a speedy recovery. Whatll you name them?”

The doctor thought, then smiled.

“Call the dog Mum. And the kittenLittle Lad. Hows that?”

The vet grinned and clinked his glass.

“To Mum and Little Lad.”

They drank, laughed, talked late into the night.

And Little Lad?

He climbed onto Mum, hugged his bandaged leg, and dozed off.

The dog gazed down, wonderinghow had he ever lived without this kitten?

How?

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