Lucky

Nine-year-old Owen wanted a pet more than anything. Every time he saw kittens featured on a TV show, he stopped to watch. Owen loved to see the little kittens wrestle and play. They grabbed each other's tails, and sometimes they chased their own tails. The programs always made him think how wonderful it would be to have a kitten of his own.

Then one day, Owen was walking home from school, and he noticed a tiny black, white, and orange kitten.

Is that kitten following me? he wondered. Owen stopped to play with the little calico. It was dirty and seemed sad and hungry, too.

Owen couldn't help himself. He scooped up the kitten and carried her home. When Owen's mom met the sad little calico, she immediately adored it. She put down a saucer of milk, and then, she looked at Owen.

"We can't just keep her," she said. "This may be somebody's lost pet. You will have to try to find her family."

So, Owen decided to make some posters. He put his mom's phone number and a picture of the kitten on each one. He hung the posters on bulletin boards in the grocery store, at the library, and in the local coffee shop. Owen's mom promised that if no one called after two weeks, they could keep the kitten. Meanwhile, Owen's parents gave the kitten a bath and took it to a veterinarian. They wanted to make sure the kitten was healthy.

Each time his mom got a call or a text, Owen was a little nervous. Each time, he would fearfully ask if that was the kitten's owner. Each time, his mom shook her head; no one called about the kitten. Finally, Owen's parents said the cat must have been abandoned. Or, maybe it had never lived with humans at all.

After two long weeks, the entire family had fallen in love with the furry calico. Owen had done a great job feeding her and giving her fresh water every day. He'd even offered to clean the litter box each evening. His mother was proud of the way he had cared for the little guest without any complaints.

Owen finally had a pet. He named her, "Lucky."