I thought others might like to see this nice story.
-cr
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Associated Press
Posted July 9 2004, 9:37 AM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG -- When Maggie Rogers spotted something bobbing in the
water three miles into the Gulf of Mexico while on a scalloping trip
with friends, she assumed it was a turtle, or a piece of sea kelp.

But as the boat got closer and slowed down, she found it was a tiny,
apricot-colored kitten. Nine inches long and screaming at the top of
its lungs, the cat was paddling furiously.

``We scooped him up and he sat on the boat with me for eight hours,''
said Rogers, who is the finance director at the Clearwater Marine
Aquarium.

``He was exhausted and stressed,'' Rogers said. ``His heart rate was
high.''

The boaters on the 17-foot Scout Current Drift did not know how the
kitten arrived in the Homosassa Bay. There were at least 40 boats in
the crowded area where he was found, they said.

On Tuesday, three days after he was found, a veterinarian found the
10-week-old, 1-pound kitten had worms, but was otherwise healthy.

He was adopted by Rogers' sister-in-law _ and named Nemo.