His thoughts quickly returned to the poor cat. Alan returned to the shed, his breath fogging in the bitter cold. The cat lay slumped on the floor, eyes half-closed and body still, its earlier resolve now replaced with utter exhaustion.
Alan’s pulse quickened; the cat had clearly given everything it had to protect the pups, and now it lay on the brink of collapse. He knelt beside the cat, his hands trembling as he gently checked for signs of life. The cat’s breathing was shallow, its body weak and unresponsive.