Last weekend I started hearing a kitten constantly crying outside. The loud meows would pick up at night and pierced the air, flowing in my open apartment windows. It was also raining (not a surprise for a Korean summer) non-stop (and has been for over two weeks). I felt so bad for this poor little guy that I started to take walks outside whenever I heard him crying, trying to figure out where he was and if he was okay.
After a few days I saw him, in the headlights of a car as he slowing crossed the street in the pouring rain. I approached the alleyway he had fled into but I couldn't see or get to him. I also realized he was not the only cat outside in the rain. While the kitten was small and orange-ish colored, there was a larger brown cat as well, huddled under a car wheel, that would growl when I got close to it. On Monday night I heard him again and went out to look. This time I saw the kitten, he was walking around on a large raised hedge that surroundes the nearby preschool. I followed him around the school for a while but he kept scampering away from me. So I went inside again. A few hours later I heard him crying again and convinced Jason we needed to go look one more time before bed since it was raining. He reluctantly went downstairs with me and we walked down the street, listening but hearing nothing. We turned around to head inside when I suddenly saw movement in the trash pile next to the preschool. I slowly and quietly walked towards it and saw the kitten! He was startled but didn't know where to run. I went to the left and Jason the right and we just kind of watched him for a few minutes. He was wedged between bags of trash and buckets of rotting food. Jason said he thought he could reach down and grab him and kept asking if I wanted him too. I didn't know. I was stunned. I hadn't actually expected to get so close to the kitten. Up until this point it had been a kind of game. I wanted to help him but I didn't think I could. And I also knew that in less than two months we would be leaving Korea and I wasn't sure I could take the kitten home with us. I wanted to do what was in the kittens best interest but I wasn't sure if taking him in out of the rain or leaving him in it was the best, in the long run. I started to walk towards Jason a little panicky, but the kitten still didn't run away, even though he could have. Instinctively I reached towards him and he didn't see me, he didn't get away. I couldn't stop myself and picked him up. He freaked out a little, hissing and trying to scratch and he bit me a little on my hand but I didn't drop him. I just started blubbering to Jason "what should I do?! What should I do?!?! Should I put him down...?!?!" Jason was calm and said "let's go, let's go inside, come on" and we started walking towards the apartment. I huddled the wet, dirty kitten to my stomach and started crying! What a spaz I am! I was just so happy and upset, happy to have saved him and gained a kitten, but upset that maybe I acted out of selfishness and my own interests instead of his, and sad because I knew and still know, that I may have to leave him here and find him a home.
By this time it was after midnight. We put the kitten in the bathroom and I got a cardboard box and some towels to make him a home. Jason went to the store and bought some tuna because we didn't have anything else to feed him. He scarfed down the bit we gave him. We sat with him for about half and hour. The entire time I was nervous and uncertain. Jason just kind of smiled and seemed okay with the whole thing. Finally we went to bed well after 1 am. Jason didn't want to leave him alone in the bathroom so we took him and his box in the bedroom with us. But we left the door open. After finally falling asleep I was awoken at 5 am but his crying. But he wasn't in the box. I was bleary eyed but on a quest to find him. And I did. Under the washing machine! I tried to reach him but couldn't so I woke Jason up to try. He was grumpy and didn't understand what I wanted at first. Finally he tried but couldn't reach either and went straight back to bed. I got out the can of tuna and left it out as bait. I waited until he emerged and then grabbed him and put he and his box in the bathroom.
The next day we took a trip to E-Mart to buy a litter box and kitten food. We also were thrilled to find cheddar cheese and salami, things we had never seen at E-Mart or in Wonju yet. The food was delicous. We had sandwhiches and cheese and crackers for three nights in a row and it was glorious. I also enjoyed my E-Mart McDonalds. The workers can never understand how someone would order a plain hamburger instead of a cheeseburger but that's what I get every time.
Since then the kitten has been settling in little by little. We convereted the small trash/storage room into his domain. Its a little stinky now. But it works well for him. He still hides every time we get too close to him and hisses when I pick him up but he's making progress. We checked on him every day at lunch last week, Jason and I at differnent times, and this weekend I've picked him up a lot. He's also now playing with ribbons and letting us watch him eat. And just last night and again this afternoon he fell asleep in my lap while I petted his chest and chin. Progress! Baby steps! Tomorrow we are taking him to the vet to see if he is healthy. If so we will begin trying to make preperations to take him to the USA with us. Just have to find someone to house-cat sit while we are in Taiwan! Eek such poor timing!
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| Often he stands in his water dish while eating. If you notice the bone design, that is because all the stuff at the store was dog themed, not cat. Korean's generally dislike cats. |
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| His home and his new ribbon |
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| Still a little startled to see me, but getting better |
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| Awww. He's a dirty little guy. |
