~13 years ago, a little yearling kitten followed a kid home from school. It was very cold, but he was very vocal and cheery, trotting alongside me like he already knew me. The cat seemed desperate for help, even rubbing on the neighbor's dog and crying. Nobody knew who he was or where he came from. Knowing that it would get cold that night, my mom set him up in a dog pen in the basement and left him food. We already had 2 cats and weren't sure we could take on another.
He did not eat for 2 days, so we took him to the vet. He had a broken jaw, cracked ribs, all on his left side. They recommended euthanasia, but the cat was so lively we wanted to give him a chance. So the vet reset his jaw, gave us a thick nutrient paste, and we spent the next 6 months or so hand feeding and watering him. But what for a name? Well, the cat would climb up on your chest and meow right in your face when he wanted something badly, so we named him Chester.
Chester began to have seizures not long after his miraculous recovery - probably from being hit by a car before he found us, or worse... Luckily, there was a medication that could control most of the seizures, so for 13 years and counting, he has had it every day. In those 13 years, he has also survived: eating 3 ft of ribbon, the AC suddenly going out during a heat wave, and fibrosarcoma! He has paid it forward to us tenfold- he is quirky, calm and laid back, and very insistent that he sits right next to you when at the computer. He has a huge fascination with grass and loves to chase it. When he is feeling really affectionate, he seeks you out in bed and rubs his nose on your nose, over and over. He greets everyone at the door, and loves everyone he meets. How he found us or why, I'll never know. He is wonderful.
dayton, OH
