We found Hitam

who is a real crier meowing innocuously in the pits of the rubble, a dump site of old furniture, cardboard pieces and other paraphernalia beaten by the rain of January.

The caregiver told me there were two of them, hapless and helpless kittens she'd found while she was feeding by the alley. One white and one black. But when we went to the site, we could only find Hitam. For lack of creativity in naming and the obvious fact that it is mostly black, we named the kitten "Hitam".

And it's obvious to all of us that Hitam and sibling were dumped strategically because the caregiver is reputed for feeding at the place, for many who'd seen her.

And so, in the drizzle of the afternoon rain, we trudged back home with Hitam in tow, its meows easily interpreted as "bloody murder". We gave it a good wipe and fed it some bits of rice and fish. To our surprise, the two week-old wolfed it down so rapidly that its tummy was bloated by the sudden intake of food.

While it snoozed in the warmth of old clothes, occasionally exhibiting signs of suckling, we waited for a kind soul, who'd volunteered to foster Hitam until a good family is found, to arrive. And so, for the brief few hours that we'd Hitam under our charge, it couldn't strike us any clearer that caregiving, esp. to an animal infant, is a job that requires a lot of commitment, and how vulnerable each kitten, as big as the palm of your hand, is to street life. Hitam was found without its mother.

We pray for a cathood of health and safety for young Hitam.