We have been adopted

Since the last month a small kitten has been wandering around our house. Her fur is grey and somehow shabby, perhaps because she is young and malnourished. In a country where humans might starve, cats and other companion animals are seen as scavenger pests. I remember how in Ghana I never saw a stray dog or cat. Strangely I was told they were delicatessen. In Tanzania nobody eats cat or dog, more because of principle than anything else. The first time we saw her she was very small and skinny. It was possible to count her ribs and vertebra just by looking. We felt sorry for her and decided to start leaving some leftovers outside each night. She kept on returning. Clara has named her Mietzi and she reacts to the name. Slowly her visits became regular and we were everyday prepared to serve her dinner. Since the last week she started to trust us and lets us closer and closer. After every visit we would leave the door slightly open and lately she has dared to enter the house and explore. She comes in almost each night and sits on a cushion we prepared for her. We are now allowed to pick her up and stroke her fur, she purrs lovingly and sleeps calmly through the night in our living room. We have noticed how she’s grown, bigger and healthier. Clara loves to play with Mietzi, although her visits are usually too late for them to meet. She is a very gentle kitten and has always been I don’t think she’ll ever be a house cat, but somehow I think that’s the best way.