Gryphon was born on August 10, 2009. When was only three days old, a big dog tried to carry him away from his feral mother. He was unhurt; but that night, the mother decided to move her litter to a safer place, away from the barn and the dog. Unfortunately, little Gryphon had the nasty smell of dog breath all over him. He was left behind.
We waited all day for the mother to return, knowing that the baby didn't stand much of a chance without her. But it never happened. And by the end of the night, he was getting cold and very very hungry. I couldn't just leave him there.
Hurrying to the store, I bought kitten formula and a tiny bottle. The first few days were incredibly trying. Gryphon didn't mind the bottle, but he aspirated the formula from time to time and I was terrified that he would develop an infection. The vet I took him to gave me some antibiotics, but didn't sound hopeful. Gryphon only weighed a few ounces and his eyes were tightly sealed shut. I did everything I could, read every bit of information I could find on the internet, but still a feeling of dread hung over me. I didn't even name him for about a week.
One night, my ex-husband and best friend told me that HE certainly wouldn't want to die without a name. He suggested Gryphon. And it stuck.
Soon, days turned into weeks. The day his eyes opened, I was overjoyed. At least he would get to see the world, if only for a little while. But my little guy wouldn't give up. He gained multiple ounces every week and ate like he was starving to death every few hours. I don't have any children, but I imagine this experience would be comparable.
To this day, I remain so very proud of him.
Gryphon currently lives with my ex-husband David over six hours away. He's not really a kitten anymore, but a handsome young gentleman. We have regular web-cam chats and I miss him terribly. Leaving him behind was one of the most difficult parts of moving to the city, but I plan to visit as often as I can.
I do not own the rights to Karen O and the Kids' Igloo and Sailing Home.