I may have related this story before - it's a story I love to tell. DW was driving and saw a "fluff-ball" flopping in the middle of the street. She stopped and scooped up a badly injured just-weened kitten. She dropped the kitty at the closest vet and told them to see what they could do. The office didn't offer much hope, but said they'd give it a try.
The kitty showed remarkable recovery over night but had extensive injuries. One eye was so badly damaged that it had to be removed. Though no bones were broken, there was such extensive nerve damage in her back that the vet had to pin her leg to give her the ability to use it. The cheaper option was to remove the leg, but we said "no way". For the remainder of her life, she walked on the side of that paw.
Though we named her "Dusty", we often referred to her as the Six Million Dollar Cat. That's an exaggeration, of course, but it didn't feel like it at the time. Dusty lived out a normal life span as a fixture at DW's retail store. She would play hide and seek among the merchandise and only come out to greet customers who showed an interest in her. People would notice her injuries and just fall in love with her. She loved to ride along with DW when she left the store to make deliveries or pickups. Never had a cat that liked cars before.
She was the most outgoing cat we've ever had. She even loved children - the only cat we've ever had with that particular quality.
Currently we're without pets. It's just not practical now that we are so footloose and fancy free. Still, we miss the special relationship a pet offers to its master (er, staff).
