Katnapping in Korea

Aaaah. My classes are finished for the day. I can finally relax and get some planning done for next week. I think I'll open the window to catch some sunshine and the last of the cool breeze before the real cold hits. I pick up my pen, flip through the textbook, and begin creating the best English lesson ever when....

Meow. Meow. Meoooowww.

What's that? I've heard that tiny, high-pitched sad little sound before. I am reminded of capturing Ninja (our precious, little, rambunctious , scratch-happy, biting, meowing-all-the-time kitty) not so long ago. It's the cry of a kitten who's lost its mother. Oh! What should I do?!

This is where most people would either ignore these tragic meows or simply close the windows. I, on the other hand, am not most people. Instead, I run downstairs, stopping to change into my 'outside' shoes (one of those lovely things about Korea), and head across the street toward the meowing. They have stopped (of course) so I proceed to do my best impression of a mother cat. And...it works (I had plenty of practice with Ninja). Now I know the location of the little guy.

With a little help from my co-teacher, Bruce we are able to go into the neighbors gated yard to find the kitten. You might be wondering, 'Couldn't it be her kitten?' Not likely. Koreans don't really like cats, especially strays and especially black ones (bad luck). She's happy to have us potentially rid her of this kitten. We see the little guy under the stairs and hold out a can of cat food for him. Again, remembering the Ninja ordeal I never thought the scared, little cutie would get anywhere near me. Well...I was wrong. He's so hungry that he barely notices I'm there. So, I take the opportunity to snag him.

Now what am I going to do? I hadn't planned on having another cat, and what's Scott going to say? He's still dealing with his allergic reaction to Ninja. I'm sure another cat will really help that situation! I call Scott and tell him what happened. We decide I should bring the kitten home and we'll take it from there. We can always find someone to take him, or possibly give him a big meal and put him back in the country (ya right).

* * *

Well, it's been almost a week now, and we still have the kitten. He's so adorable. We love him! I'm not sure Ninja feels quite the same way though. We have to keep them separated until Ninja gets neutered, and HOPEFULLY calms down a bit. Until then, Scott and I will try to keep them apart and quiet (nearly impossible), as our landlord doesn't know we have cats (or so we like to think)!

So, that means that Scott and I now have three cats. Two in Korea and, of course Sage back home (who I miss soooo much!). We're about one away from becoming crazy cat people! Luckily, the weather is getting pretty cold here in Korea, so there will be no need to have my windows open. No way to hear the Korean kittens that need rescuing. It's very sad, but we can only do so much!

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