Dirty Sally
By Bette Hileman
The children found a kitten
under the school bus.
She, a six-week-old lump of fur,
had grease stains on her back.
Could they keep her?
We already have a cat, I said.
But I guess so.
The children washed away the stains
and named her Dirty Sally.
She grew up.
She was not good about cleaning her fur.
That was too much trouble.
At ten months, Dirty Sally
gave birth to four kittens.
In the beginning, she stayed with her offspring, leaving them only to eat.
Like all good mothers, she cleaned the kittens' fur, nursed them,
and slept with them.
But when the kittens were two weeks old,
she began to abandon them.
She was in heat again.
Who would take care of the kittens?
we wondered.
No worry. Dirty Sally had help.
The other female, who had been spayed, stayed with the litter
when Dirty Sally was away.
She licked them and slept with them
and comforted them.
Dirty Sally returned to the kittens
only to nurse.
Was she a bad mother?
Sure makes you think.
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