Carnie and the Kitten

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I really wanted a dog. I needed a welcoming face when I got home from work, a cuddle buddy, someone to talk to. A dog fit the bill. I got lucky and found a fairly smart little dog, about five months old, that was already house-trained and not too rambunctious.

I soon discovered the dog, whom I named Carnie, had a flaw. He had separation anxiety. When I came home from work, he had usually trashed something, and was frantic to see me. He practically climbed me to try to get closer. I had to try to find a solution.

I tried many things that didn’t work: calming chews, chew bones, and puzzle games with treats. I put Carnie in a crate with toys, but he actually broke the crate and found a way out and chewed up my shoes. Everyone said, be patient, he will grow out of it.

One day I brought home a gray striped kitten. Carnie sniffed her, and she sniffed him. She batted at his nose and he chased her around. They were instant friends. That was not the end of the problems, but it was the beginning of solutions. They kept each other company.

I still had issues. The cat would run away from Carnie, knocking things off my shelves and counters. They tried to eat each other’s food, and steal each other’s toys. But when I came home each evening and saw them snuggled together, I knew we were going to be alright.

Photo by Valentin Cvetanoski on Pexels.com

Copyright ©2026 Lisa Paul. All rights reserved.

This piece is written in 50-word increments. The literary quote I have chosen for this week is: “That was not the end of the problems, but it was the beginning of solutions.”– Ken Follett, The Pillars of the Earth. If you are inspired by this line- and would like to use it in your own creation, please do and link back to this post.

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Published by lisaapaul

I’m a paralegal, a widow, mother and grandmother.

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14 thoughts on “Carnie and the Kitten”

  6. I do not see my comment here- it disappeared and I thought it may have gone to spam, as I have been ending up there lately.
    Anyway, let me think about what I said- oh yes- you are the first participant to take the 50 word increment portion of the challenge! Thank you for that, Lisa, as it is the real challenge part as far as I am concerned. It really helps me hone my writing skills as I have to figure out how to say exactly what I want to say a whole bunch of different ways until it fits! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.
    Thank you so much for sharing this adorable inspiration!

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