The Compassionate Cats

The Cats

Pablo, the padre (father) of the gatos, is from a town called Zamora.  When he was young his human owners took him on a trip to Salamanca.  They went shopping and left Pablo in the coche (car).  Being curious, as all cats are, Pablo decided to take a walk and look around.  When he returned to where the coche had been parked, it was gone.  This didn’t bother Pablo much because during his walk he had seen a lovely blanco gato (white cat).  He decided to go back to where he had seen her.  Flor (flower) was beautiful and all blanco (white) except for a black spot on her left side, which was shaped, like a flower.  It was love at first sight for both of them.  Flor lived at the hospital, and she took Pablo back to live there too.

Flor and Pablo named their first kitten, Shan, Skit and Sophie.  Flor said she liked the sound of S’s.  When their next kittens arrived, she named them Sleer, Sumi, and Sissy; finally there was little Sookie the baby.  Shan and Skit are twins, both Negro and very much like their father.  They help him to catch mice around the hospital.  This they feel is their job since they live on the grounds.  As Pablo says, “Everyone must earn their way.”

Sophie is the oldest girl gato; she has a black spot on both right legs and the rest of her is blanco (white).  She is very lady like, gentle and sweet, like her mama.  She helps her mama by keeping the younger girl gatos in line and teaching them to behave.

Sissy is a free spirit who is very curious and ends up getting into trouble a lot of the time.  She is blanco with dos (two) negro spots on her back.

Sumi is a very quiet and lady like gato.  She and Sissy are nothing alike even though they are the same age.  Sumi is white except for a tiny black heart on her back.  Pablo wanted to name her Lovely, but Flor said no.  She felt all of the kittens were lovely and it wasn’t right to call only one of the lovely.

Sleer is the same age as Sissy and Sumi but looks like his father and brothers, all shiny and black.  When he grows up he will be as muy grande as they are.  In his manners he is more like his sister Sissy, curious and always getting into trouble.

Sookie is the baby of the family; she is black like her padre but tiny and very dainty, soft and sweet natured.

One of the wings of the hospital is a nursing home where doce (twelve) old people live.  At the time of this story there were seis (six) senores (men) and seis senoras (ladies).

With nine gatos around, one can only assume that the good Dr. Sainz is fond of gatos.

Concha is the head nurse for the nursing home.  She is a pretty Spanish lady, who lost her husband after three years of marriage.  The nursing home is her life and she enjoys working with the patients and she is a super nurse.