“What’s that?” That’s what my mom must’ve been wondering when she noticed a tail and two hind legs of our kitten Shorty wedged in our freezer.Her legs were like popsicles, while the back ones were melted the front ones were frozen. This kitten is now about two and a half years old. It’s coat is black with white boots, nose, and stomach. Shorty enjoys playing, she’s very friendly, but she avoids the house.

So, my mom rushed to the freezer to free Shorty. She opened it with chills racing up her spine, to find a stiff and motionless kitty crushed on the edge. Shorty was gently wrapped in a nearby rag to be carefully carried inside.

We placed Shorty next to the heater so she would hopefully defrost. This kitty was constantly watched in case she would get up until we went out to eat for supper. But we kept the kitty in the bathroom while we were gone, so if she did get up, we could still find her. I was anxious arriving home to check Shorty’s status. Nervousness and excitement sped through my bloodstream, it crossed my mind that Shorty could easily be dead. I turned the bathroom door handle and was thankful for seeing Shorty sitting up and watching me walk in. And by the time I checked her in the morning she could walk again. We found out that my brother, Derrek, went in the freezer earlier, and he accidentally closed it on her. Shorty survived roughly two hours in the freezer causing frost bite by her hind legs.

It’s a miracle that Shorty was discovered before she froze to death. She is lucky that my mom found her in time to save her life. Since then Shorty grew back her hair from the frost bit quickly and hasn’t tried to sneak into the freezer again. Shorty made me think about the saying “Curiosity killed the cat.” This cat made me realize how precious life really is, and how easily it can be taken away.