Tiger had had quite a life for a cat his age. He was born to runt of a litter to large, fluffy mother in a box on the street. He and his siblings had jumped and played in that little box without much of a care. But it wasn't too long before the rain destroyed their little home and left them bedraggled.
A kind-hearted woman had scooped them up one by one and brought them inside to warm up. After a few weeks of rest, warmth, and large meals different families came to take each one of them home. Tiger hoped that he would stay with their rescuer, he had grown quite fond of her and her house that always smelled as though there was a fresh roast in the oven.
But a young girl and her father picked him out. The little girl delighted in his soft orange fur and named him Tiger. Tiger would later learn that tigers are her favorite animal, but her father being of sound mind thought an orange kitten would be a far better companion than a tiger cub.
The girl was kind and loved playing with his fur and placing him in the soft pile of her stuffed animals. It wasn't a bad life at all, but Tiger missed the woman who had first taken him in. One day, the girl decided to play safari and took him outside without her father noticing. Tiger had kept slipping out of his collar and they hadn't been able to find him one that he didn't hate.
The girl released him into the wild of her backyard and Tiger thought he spotted his chance. There was a hole in their wooden fence. Tiger thought that surely the girl couldn't live to far from the kind-hearted woman. He would dart back to her to say hello, in his own way, and then she would surely get the girl and her father to come pick him up again.
He darted through the fence, ignoring the girl's cries for him to come back. He then ran around to the front of the house, thinking he could retrace their ride there. He confidently strolled on for a few blocks, but suddenly realized that landmarks had changed in his time at the girl's house. Had this bush always been here? Was this the light post that had had the bright yellow flyers on it?
The skies started to open up and Tiger quickly sought shelter in a box like the one he'd been born in. After the rain cleared, things looked more different than ever. Tiger resigned himself to being a lost cat. He lived on the streets for a while and while he missed the comforts of a home, there was something freeing about belonging to no one.
One day, Tiger found himself near a bed and breakfast. There was a man outside having a smoke when he spotted Tiger. The man smiled and crouched down, beckoning Tiger forward. Tiger cautiously approached, not all people he'd met on the street were kind. But this man was and just scratched his head and told him to wait there a moment. Tiger had no where to go, so he did. The man quickly returned with an older woman who was carrying a dish of some food and a little bowl of water. She smiled at him as well and called him handsome. She placed the food down and Tiger, eager for a large meal, ate it up.
Afterwards, Tiger retreated again, but something about the smiles of the two he'd met urged him to come back. He returned the next day and got more smiles, more praise, and, of course, more food. It didn't take long for this to become a habit for Tiger. And when it rained the warm people at the bed and breakfast would take him inside for shelter.
There were even other cats who started doing the same thing. Yes, he had had quite a life for a cat his age, but Tiger was happy and cared for and still free and what more could he ask for?
(Prompt by Bri Aaron)
A kind-hearted woman had scooped them up one by one and brought them inside to warm up. After a few weeks of rest, warmth, and large meals different families came to take each one of them home. Tiger hoped that he would stay with their rescuer, he had grown quite fond of her and her house that always smelled as though there was a fresh roast in the oven.
But a young girl and her father picked him out. The little girl delighted in his soft orange fur and named him Tiger. Tiger would later learn that tigers are her favorite animal, but her father being of sound mind thought an orange kitten would be a far better companion than a tiger cub.
The girl was kind and loved playing with his fur and placing him in the soft pile of her stuffed animals. It wasn't a bad life at all, but Tiger missed the woman who had first taken him in. One day, the girl decided to play safari and took him outside without her father noticing. Tiger had kept slipping out of his collar and they hadn't been able to find him one that he didn't hate.
The girl released him into the wild of her backyard and Tiger thought he spotted his chance. There was a hole in their wooden fence. Tiger thought that surely the girl couldn't live to far from the kind-hearted woman. He would dart back to her to say hello, in his own way, and then she would surely get the girl and her father to come pick him up again.
He darted through the fence, ignoring the girl's cries for him to come back. He then ran around to the front of the house, thinking he could retrace their ride there. He confidently strolled on for a few blocks, but suddenly realized that landmarks had changed in his time at the girl's house. Had this bush always been here? Was this the light post that had had the bright yellow flyers on it?
The skies started to open up and Tiger quickly sought shelter in a box like the one he'd been born in. After the rain cleared, things looked more different than ever. Tiger resigned himself to being a lost cat. He lived on the streets for a while and while he missed the comforts of a home, there was something freeing about belonging to no one.
One day, Tiger found himself near a bed and breakfast. There was a man outside having a smoke when he spotted Tiger. The man smiled and crouched down, beckoning Tiger forward. Tiger cautiously approached, not all people he'd met on the street were kind. But this man was and just scratched his head and told him to wait there a moment. Tiger had no where to go, so he did. The man quickly returned with an older woman who was carrying a dish of some food and a little bowl of water. She smiled at him as well and called him handsome. She placed the food down and Tiger, eager for a large meal, ate it up.
Afterwards, Tiger retreated again, but something about the smiles of the two he'd met urged him to come back. He returned the next day and got more smiles, more praise, and, of course, more food. It didn't take long for this to become a habit for Tiger. And when it rained the warm people at the bed and breakfast would take him inside for shelter.
There were even other cats who started doing the same thing. Yes, he had had quite a life for a cat his age, but Tiger was happy and cared for and still free and what more could he ask for?
(Prompt by Bri Aaron)
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