Another little box of ashes....

I expected to be too busy to write before Ann's arrival, but today has been nothing like planned and I've lost another kitty!  Around 3AM this morning, Chloe had a seizure and a second one several hours later, with a lot of heavy, erratic breathing in between.  I had her at the vet's by 7:15AM and they thought they had her stabilized, but she had another seizure and died at that time.  It all happened so quickly that it's hard to take it in, and it has tapped that well of sadness I can manage to keep calm most of the time.  So, I'm taking the time to give her the love and remembrance she deserves

Cat owners know that each cat is unique, with some spark that sets one apart from another.....and wins a spot in your heart  Chloe was my hippie child, dancing to her own drummer...when you least expected.  She had hip dysplasia, which caused her to have a funny gait and to walk with her tail down.  But, as soon as she was within a few feet on me, up went the tail.  With it being a long, thin tail, she was often called Rat-tail Girl.....all with affection.  For no reason whatsoever, she would dart from the kitchen to the hall, stop suddenly and look around, and dart someplace else.  She would also do that on the bed, skating around like a water bug.  We usually commented that she was glad to be alive!

She maintained a kitten's face and skinny legs with small little feet.  Everything in between was fat and bulbous, which also gave her the contradictory name of Tinsy Little Girl.....or Tinsy Little Rat-tail Girl!!!  She was also known as the kitchen gestapo and developed this knack of herding Smokey away from me as I prepared the breakfast food.  She had it down to a science.....and Smokey knew it!

She loved being near Gabby and every night they would groom each other's head before going to bed.  It was a nightly ritual. The dining room table was part of her domain and she could survey her territory from there.  She intuitively knew when it was 7PM......treat time!  And she didn't hesitate to remind me if I was late with treats.  She loved to help with chores, especially changing the bed.  as soon as the bottom sheet was on, she would get smack in the middle of the bed, lie on her back and squirm.....she loved a clean bed!  She was truly a character in her own right. 

In no time flat, I've gone from 5 cats in the house to now only two.  Tonight I'm likely to have the whole bed to myself.....not that I ever complained about having it full of cats.  I have not even gotten accustomed to being without Gabby, and now I have to do the same with Chloe.  Until they are gone, you/I don't realize how much their presence fills the house and adds love and joy to life.  I can't tell you how much they will be missed.