She doesn't seem to be psychologically scarred, but it's difficult to be sure. Her beginnings were enough to destroy her - both physically and mentally. Somehow, she survived her first terrible weeks on earth. Abandoned alongside a busy highway, she cowered inside a cardboard box.  Her siblings were with her, but they were all dead. Probably forced to leave her babies to search for food, the mother had jumped out of the box and had been killed by a car. Frightened, the lone remaining offspring trembled as drivers zoomed past her.

A kindhearted Samaritan stopped to see what was in the box. Inside, she found the dead kittens, but by that time, the single survivor had climbed out and settled beside the box. Crouching on the cold ground, she was still trembling as the woman gently picked up the abandoned cat. The rescuer already had two pets, but she nonetheless took the frightened kitten home. Later, she posted a notice in a veterinarian's office with a photograph of the kitten sitting inside a shoe and staring at the camera with large amber eyes.

Pam, our daughter-in-law, and Wes, our 11-year-old grandson, saw the notice. Wes asked to see the kitten, and later when they looked at the stray, they knew they had found a treasure. The kitten would no longer be an orphan, but she needed to be vaccinated and spayed. Pam made an appointment, and soon the kitten received medical attention. She was a healthy feline, but the vet couldn't possibly predict the kitten's personality, for it had not blossomed yet.

All our adopted strays have become family members. The little cutie, then, would be an indoor cat, enjoying her new home with Pam, Wes and Jeff (our son). They set about to name the kitten, but nothing clicked.  In the middle of the night, when ideas come to us from some dark and mysterious place, I thought of a name. With her survivor skills, she would get the perfect name. Mary Lee Settle's book "Addie," focuses on the author's Grandmother Addie, an independent survivor. Thus, the orphan was dubbed Miss Addie. Otis, a stray basset hound, adopted earlier by Pam and Jeff, liked Addie from the start, and they're now close friends.

The family members have fun with Addie and can't imagine life without her. Addie stalks them. She retrieves her toys from a bowl and plays until she drops off to sleep, like a tired toddler. She attacks wall shadows and often finds a hiding place for naps. If Pam rings a small bell, Addie runs to her. If someone rings the doorbell, Addie rushes to the door to see who's visiting. She loves people, a miracle, considering the cruelty she experienced from a person who left her to die.

If someone had taken the time to have the mother cat spayed, suffering and death could have been prevented. All nine of our family's adopted strays have been neutered. For those who cannot afford neutering, there is a program to pay all or part of the costs. Applications are available at libraries, veterinarians' offices, and animal shelters. If little Miss Addie could talk, she would tell you that neutering is an advantage to both owners and pets.

Contact writer Dolly Withrow at ritew...@aol.com.

She doesn't seem to be psychologically scarred, but it's difficult to be sure. Her beginnings were enough to destroy her - both physically and mentally. Somehow, she survived her first terrible weeks on earth. Abandoned alongside a busy highway, she cowered inside a cardboard box.  Her siblings were with her, but they were all dead. Probably forced to leave her babies to search for food, the mother had jumped out of the box and had been killed by a car. Frightened, the lone remaining offspring trembled as drivers zoomed past her.

A kindhearted Samaritan stopped to see what was in the box. Inside, she found the dead kittens, but by that time, the single survivor had climbed out and settled beside the box. Crouching on the cold ground, she was still trembling as the woman gently picked up the abandoned cat. The rescuer already had two pets, but she nonetheless took the frightened kitten home. Later, she posted a notice in a veterinarian's office with a photograph of the kitten sitting inside a shoe and staring at the camera with large amber eyes.

Pam, our daughter-in-law, and Wes, our 11-year-old grandson, saw the notice. Wes asked to see the kitten, and later when they looked at the stray, they knew they had found a treasure. The kitten would no longer be an orphan, but she needed to be vaccinated and spayed. Pam made an appointment, and soon the kitten received medical attention. She was a healthy feline, but the vet couldn't possibly predict the kitten's personality, for it had not blossomed yet.

All our adopted strays have become family members. The little cutie, then, would be an indoor cat, enjoying her new home with Pam, Wes and Jeff (our son). They set about to name the kitten, but nothing clicked.  In the middle of the night, when ideas come to us from some dark and mysterious place, I thought of a name. With her survivor skills, she would get the perfect name. Mary Lee Settle's book "Addie," focuses on the author's Grandmother Addie, an independent survivor. Thus, the orphan was dubbed Miss Addie. Otis, a stray basset hound, adopted earlier by Pam and Jeff, liked Addie from the start, and they're now close friends.

The family members have fun with Addie and can't imagine life without her. Addie stalks them. She retrieves her toys from a bowl and plays until she drops off to sleep, like a tired toddler. She attacks wall shadows and often finds a hiding place for naps. If Pam rings a small bell, Addie runs to her. If someone rings the doorbell, Addie rushes to the door to see who's visiting. She loves people, a miracle, considering the cruelty she experienced from a person who left her to die.

If someone had taken the time to have the mother cat spayed, suffering and death could have been prevented. All nine of our family's adopted strays have been neutered. For those who cannot afford neutering, there is a program to pay all or part of the costs. Applications are available at libraries, veterinarians' offices, and animal shelters. If little Miss Addie could talk, she would tell you that neutering is an advantage to both owners and pets.

Contact writer Dolly Withrow at ritew...@aol.com.