Once upon a time Smokey, a beautiful tortoise-shell cat, was loved. She came to the shelter already spayed. She arrived trusting people. She looks fit and beautiful, too. That means Smokey felt content enough to groom. Most significantly, Smokey is five years old. It’s a sad statistic that unowned cats don’t typically survive into mid-life.

Yet Smokey was wandering around a shopping area, approaching people for help. She was in trouble. Evidently, a decision-maker in her human family didn’t care. But maybe someone else did. Maybe a child loved Smokey. Maybe the child cried when his friend disappeared.

Maybe the child learned a lesson from his role models about how to treat inconvenient loved ones. Maybe he’ll remember that lesson when his parents need help.