Cat Lady

I must accept that I am a cat lady. I must accept that I worry too much about every stray animal in existence. Why, you ask? What are you talking about? I am referring to this orange and white kitty who I thought was a boy until yesterday, when I spotted her carrying something wild in her mouth across the wide expanse of brick in my backyard. I thought she had caught a mouse, but then realized it was a kitten. And so I worried. Where would she take it? So I built this little hutch in the back yard made out of two drawers and a piece of wood and a couple of rugs I don't need. I didn't think she would notice, but then, tonight, as I was making pasta, I saw her drop down into my yard with that same small animal in her mouth and realized that she had seen the shelter and was ready to use it. I thought, How sad. Only one of her babies survived. But then, a few minutes later, I watched her return again with another kitten in her mouth. Okay, so two survived. She abandoned them, only to return with another. And then another. So now I have four kittens and the mommy living in this makeshift shelter. And it's taking everything within my rationale mind notto bring them inside b/c I know the mom is a stray and not healthy and possibly, she has feline leukemia plus a bunch of other disease, so okay, they have to stay outside, but that doesn't mean I can't go out there and pick the babies up, one by one, and cradle them in my neck, while they give this meek cry, but they are so soft and sweet. You would love them too, I know it.