suffering no more...

As our cat was laid to rest today, I couldn't help but think what a good cat she'd been. She did her job well. I don't think she ever hurt a flea. Unlike some cats, Kit loved people. She liked to be loved, & she loved loving. She was a tolerant cat. She'd let me turn her ears back & would sit until they flipped forward on their own.

For a year or two, she received insulin shots. Each time the needle hit her skin, she would meow as if it hurt, but then she would go about her business as if nothing had offended her. Kit had to make a few adjustments in her life, the most difficult being living with her siblings, the dogs. Secretly, she loved them. Taunting them was one of her favorite past times.

The older Kit got, the more sociable she became. When the baby of the family left for college, she decided that maybe her parents would suffice. However, if she didn't approve of her brother Otis' behavior, she took cover in the basement. She loved slinking in & out the pet door. Every opportunity to tease Otis thrilled her little cat psyche.

Like every cat, Kit loved to be fed on time. If her meal was delayed, her meow grew louder & louder.  Her fur was so pretty. She was called a Blue Tabby. Her tummy was creamy, truly the prettiest part of her small body. The rest of her fur was a mixture of grays, with a little touch of caramel. She had a beautiful little head with eyes that changed from hazel to golden.

Kit loved the girls. She would wake them in the night while she chewed their hair. She loved to sleep on their beds. She didn't mind taking the blame for their antics either. One time she covered for our middle daughter. She served as her scapegoat for messing up my crafts. Supposedly, she tiptoed all over my painted sweat shirts. I bought it hook, line, & sinker.

I was most touched by Kit in the last 6 months of her sweet life. It didn't occur to me until recently, but I believe Kit sensed my illness. From the day I was diagnosed, she spent every day (all day) on the couch next to me.  She curled herself up in a little ball of fur & seldom left my side. She loved when I played with her ears & rubbed her head. She gave us 17 years. That's almost a childhood.

Next week, I will pick up a little box filled with her ashes. I will place her in my cupboard next to Dolly.  Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would find comfort in the ashes of my little family members. She will live forever in our hearts. Perhaps she & Dolly have been reunited in Heaven. I believe they are together now, suffering no more.