Mittens was not one of your ordinary cats. She had a lot of free time, and she was very curious about the world around her outside the four walls of her cosy home. One day, after overhearing her human talk about an NGO that worked to help stray animals, she too decided that she wanted to make a difference. She signed herself up for an internship at Paws and Claws, the local NGO that worked to rescue and rehabilitate stray animals (dogs and cats).
Day 1: The Orientation Chaos
On the first day of her day at the NGO, Mittens was trying to find a spot where she could fit in at the NGO. Arriving at the NGO with her tiny badge and boots, everyone was a bit surprised to catch her enthusiasm about the internship. So, they all decided to play along and allocate her some work. Maira, who was in charge, welcomed Mittens, “Your job is simple – You have to observe everything around you, assist and try not to knock anything down, she giggled.
Day 2: Testing the Waters
Mittens who knew she had a short time at the NGO took all her responsibilities very seriously and tried her best at the job. Even during the orientation, she sat very attentively, her tail swishing left and right as if she were in deep thought.
However, pretty soon someone from the team brought out a laser and Mittens got distracted by the red dot, pouncing on it and almost knocking a whole jar of water down, leading to a collective team laugh.
Day 3: Learning the Ropes
By the time it was her third day, Mittens had found her spot at the NGO. She became an unofficial therapy cat for those who were stressed out (staff) and the rescued animals. Whenever anyone came to her and was upset, all she had to do was climb on their shoulder or hair, meow loudly and offer headbutts for comfort. She even became quite skilled at inspecting donation boxes. She could also sniff out any boxes that smelt of fish. “Nice one, Mittens!, Priya said as she scratched Mittens behind the ears.
Day 12: A Rescue Operation
One day, the Ngo received a call about a kitten that was stuck on a precarious ledge and needed to be rescued. The team loaded the gear in the van and Mittens who refused to be left out also joined in.
As soon as they reached the site, they heard some incessant soft meowing – the kitten was trapped on the ledge!
The team strategised how to reach the kitten and decided to lower a basket to reach the kitten. Mittens hopped in the basket, and as soon as the basket reached the ledge, she precariously hopped out and walked over towards the far end of the ledge where the kitten was trapped. Gripping the kitten between her teeth, Mittens picked her up as if she were her mom and brought her quickly to the basket. After both were safely in the basket, a team member pulled the basket up. The team cheered on how Mittens saved the day!
Day 21: Graduation Day
Exactly 3 weeks later was Mitten’s graduation day. Her internship had finally come to an end. The staff threw her a farewell party with a cake (for the staff) and a bowl of tuna for Mittens. She even received a certificate of appreciation which read, “For exceptional purring, impeccable headbutts and bravery in the face of dangling ledges”
Mittens then made her way home to meet her human owner. She curled up beside the window, of course dreaming of future adventures.
Her human of course could not have been prouder of her little mischief maker as she had a look at the certificate. Mittens was no longer just a house cat; she was the NGO intern!
