Homer's Odyssey

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All strangers and beggars are from Zeus.

And a gift, though small, is precious.

—HOMER, The Odyssey

FOREWORD

BY PATRICIA KHULY, VMD

WHEN I FIRST SAW THE KITTEN, HE WAS A MINUSCULE BIT OF BLACK FUZZ cupped in a young woman’s outstretched hands. No different from any other kitten, it would seem—that is, until he raised his head and emitted an impressive yowl for a creature only four inches in length, tip-to-tail.

Tiny though he was, he turned to the sound of my voice. That’s when I saw his eyes. This two-week-old foundling was clearly suffering from a severe infection that would surely take his sight, if not his life.

The well-meaning couple who’d found him practically begged me to euthanize him immediately. Despite their entreaties, I performed a careful physical examination as the kitten struggled, legs flailing, and mewled vigorously on the stainless-steel exam table. Finally, I announced that the kitten seemed perfectly healthy—if you discounted his ocular condition. Would they consider adopting him if I was able to treat his infection?

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