I Want a Kitten

by Rachel Craddock 

This adorable kitten was Neely's and my mascote (pet) for almost the first half of our stay here in Santiago. How we found her is a kind of long and complicated story, so suffice it to say that it was fun to have a kitten in our apartment—and it was an exercise in responsibility, too. 

We weren't allowed to keep Callie (short for calcetines, which is "socks" in Spanish) in our apartment, but we were having a lot of trouble finding a home for her: there really aren't shelters, at least for cats, in Santiago. So in our feverish search for a home for Miss Kitty, Neely and I found ourselves writing emails to any shelter-type place we could find, putting up ads on every Craigslist-type place we could find, and even talking to people at artisan markets who had cats about where we could find a home for her—all in Spanish.

Because of the responsibility I felt to care for and to find a safe place for Callie, I had to get over my shyness about speaking in Spanish with people. I never expected to learn so much through a gatita (kitten), but through this experience I learned that I can communicate with people in my second language, and I can take care of someone/thing that is dependent on me. I think it was the first moment I actually felt like an adult and was okay with it. 

I want a kitten.