Customer Gets More than She Bargained for: A Happy Tail

Does your brand new couch squeak when you sit on it? While these couches often have a break-in period that may have accompanying whoosh or "cheeping" The story of a very special sofa is one which I can't wait to share.

According to a news item now circulating the Internet, Matthew Hurst, an employee of The Goodwill Industries was called to the back room of their facility in Huron, Ohio by two workers who had just received a donation of a beautiful sofa from a woman from the area. The couch was in excellent condition and one that the store employees thought would sell easily.

Photo credit: Kaila Voight However the workers were somewhat concerned when they heard the sound of a cat emanating from the area in which the sofa was stored. They searched the area feverishly but no kitty was visible. As they got closer to the sofa, the noises became more insistent and louder. It became obvious that there had to be a kitty in the couch.

Quickly pulling the cushions off the sofa, with no cat yet to be found, the workers cut up the lining. Lo and behold a little grey and black kitten's head emerged. It was apparent that the tiny feline could not have been more than six weeks of age.

But unfortunately, the woman who had donated the sofa had not requested a donation receipt and with no contact information there was no way to reach her. So what was to become of this diminutive feline who unwittingly ended up becoming part of the gift to the Goodwill facility?

Of course Mr. Hurst was completely prepared to take the kitten home, but fate intervened. A customer shopping in the store saw the little kitten and love at first sight prevailed. She offered to adopt the kitten on the spot, saying that the kitten would be welcomed warmly by her three other cats. I would say this kind lady got more than a bargain if she purchased any items that day! But was this really a happy ending?

The woman who had donated the sofa called the Goodwill store the next day to report that she had a missing kitten, and wondered if the baby kitty happened to have been inadvertently caught in the sofa. Mr. Hurst informed the woman that in fact they had found the kitten, and that a customer offered to adopt it and had happily left the store, kitten in tow. The woman was thrilled that her kitten had found a forever loving home, and gave the store permission, after-the-fact, for giving the kitten away.

So the only unfortunate part of the story was that in order to be completely certain that there were no more kittens trapped in the couch, the store employees tore the remainder of the sofa apart, cutting it to pieces. While the sofa was no longer a potential sales item, at least a very relieved kitten was adopted and is living happily with a very kind customer. It goes without saying that it was indeed a very lucky thing for this kitten that no one sat on the couch to test its comfort quotient.

The moral of the story is; of course always look a gift-sofa in the mouth to make sure that there are no "surprise" items residing within its depths.

I do love magical endings, don't you? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.