ODE TO A BREEDER- a beautiful poem by Heather Field

I love my little kitty, she makes my house a home.

She always is my best friend, I never feel alone.

She makes me smile, she makes me laugh,

she fills my heart with love ...

Did some breeder breed her, or did she fall down from above?

I've never been a breeder, seen life through their eyes,

I hold my little kitty and just sit and criticize.

I've never known their anguish, I never felt their pain,

 The caring of their charges, through snow or wind and rain.

I never sat the whole night through, waiting for babies to be born,

The stress and trepidation when their still not there by dawn.

I never felt the heartache, of a little life in my hands,

 This darling little baby,  who weighs but 60 grams.

Should you do that instead of this.......or this instead of that,

Alone your fight, and hope one day, he'll grow to be a cat,

and bring joy to another being, and make a house a home,

 You know it's all just up to you, you fight this fight alone.

Formula, bottles, heating pads, you've got to get this right,

Two hourly feeds for this tiny guy, throughout the day and night.

In your heart you know, you're almost sure to lose the fight,

to save this little baby, but God willing ... you just MIGHT

Day one he's in there fighting, you say a silent prayer,

Day two and three he's doing well, with lots of love and care.

Day four and five ... he's still alive, your hopes soar to the heavens,

Day six he slips away again, dies in your hands day seven.

You take this little angel, and bury him alone,

With aching heart and burning tears, and an exhausted groan,

You ask yourself "Why do this? .... why suffer all this pain?

But see the joy your kittens bring ... it really self explains.

So when you think of breeders and label them with "greed",

Think about what they endure to fill another's need.

When you buy a kitten and with your precious dollars part,

You only pay with money

We pay with our heart