The story is short and simple, yet it was tantalizing for everyone, who participated.
The apricot and white coloured kitten appeared at my home on 12 July, aged 2 months, as I was told, but it may not be true. Very soon, she proved to be ill. As we thought, she was taken off her mother’s breast too early. She seemed to be seriously ill. Her ears were not all right inside, and she had a kind of anorexia (with her stool and urination being normal). She was so thin and she got thinner and thinner before my eyes. We thought she would die any moment. Supposing the worst, I mourned her beforehand (it’s my morbid impressionability), I cursed the evil people, who took her off her mother too early in order to sell her (the people can be called “kitten dealers”, the poor, who earn money selling kittens), in short, I got through horrible 10 days. Getting over my hysterics (which was so taxing for me, after the latest tragedy in my life, when my first young kitty of the name of Myla was stolen two weeks back, which was the first shock, with the kitten's illness was the second shock, and her death could be the third shock for my mind, poor that time), I nursed the kitten with hot-water bottles, washed her ears with antibiotics inside, but she refused eating, and we had to feed her by force with the aid of a medicine dropper. She resisted, and it looked horrible for us, who loved her. Thus several days passed. Now, it occurred to me to resort to one remedy, of which I knew since the days of my childhood. I went to the near church and brought a bottle of holy water from there. At home, I carefully dropped with the holy water on the motionless curled body of the kitten, who spent time half-sleeping between two hot-water bottles. The drop even did not reach her skin; it only touched her hair. I left the room. Presently, in other room I heard the kitten’s loud mewing. I came in and saw her standing and looking at me. I hastened to take the medicine dropper and milk, and I fed her a little as usual. Then I took a little wad of cotton and some holy water, and I carefully washed the kitten’s eyes and face. Her state was the same that day; she still refused eating. The next day, the first thing I did was washing the kitten’s face with holy water. Warmed with the hot-water bottles, she looked dying no longer, and she rolled her eyes no longer, but she still refused eating. The next day, I washed her face with holy water again--and then there was the miracle, which must be mentioned here. Almost instantly, she began eating (!!) Since that day, she ate like a healthy kitten. Preferring meat (Whiskas or other meat), she eats as though she never has been ill (!!) In all, her illness lasted for 10 days. At present, she is all right so much as if she never has been ill, and I try not to remember of the days of her illness like of a nightmare.
In this photo, she is after her illness:
She is 3 month old:
In conclusion, I have to say that holy water is an old traditional remedy in our part of the world, amongst Orthodox Christian people. Especially, it helps to people, who suffer from nerves or recovering after an illness, and it helps against evil eye. Holy water and one’s small christen cross (of silver or gold, which must be worn under clothes, next to one’s skin).
