Back in the day, Dad used to give food to some neighbourhood stray cats. He formed such a bond with one that he started to give her food inside our house. Most of us protested but to no avail. Even we didn't really understand the seriousness of that decision then. She'd wait for him to come back from work and then follow him into the house. She'd leave the moment she had her food, I made sure of that. I was the resident cat hater.
**** got real when she got pregnant and started crying outside our front door. The incessant crying was too much, so my dad being the gentle soul that he is, opened the door and let her give birth to 3 beautiful kittens inside our house. None of us were ready for it. It was a small house as well. After a few days, we took the kittens outside, hoping that she would take them somewhere else. She would not. All she would do was stay guard and cry, looking nervously all around. Her face when she looks around scared is still one of the clearest memories I have of her. Could melt anyone's heart.
Long story short, overnight we became owners of 3 kittens. The little **** didn't stop there though. She gave birth at least 3 more times at our house. Mom and dad had to look after 9 kittens IIRC. All 9 of them running away at different ages. With the oldest non-runner also running away at one and a half years. He was a fighter, battling with the resident neighbourhood alphas who were far bigger than him. That they were running away is an assumption we made though. Anything could have happened to them. But none of them were ever found in our vicinity. Dad would always go looking for them but never found any of them ever again.
I have some great memories of those kittens and their mother. Whenever she gave birth to multiple kittens, the kittens could play with each other and would not feel lonely. But she gave birth once to a solitary kitten and I was the only one available at home that she could play with. Loved that kitten. She had a nice personality. I won't lie, even though I said "good riddance" at home when she ran away, I might have shed a few tears some nights thinking about that kitten.
