Going Through the Last 20 Years

As I go through all of my things in my tiny room, I’ve had the time to really reflect on my life. All of my experiences I’ve had, people I’ve known and loved, things I’ve collected and, of course, my furry, little life changers. Yeah, I know that I’m only digging myself further into my “crazy cat servant” persona but bare with me

20 years ago I adopted a cat from a lady who was re-homing her 11-year-old kitty because her stupid boyfriend was allergic to her. She came in a tiny, cramped carrier and was so scared and confused, she just hid under my bed or in my closet until I went to sleep, then she would sleep on my chest until I woke up. I tried so hard to make friends with her and make her feel comfortable. One night, when friends came over, she bolted out and despite driving around all over the place for hours, I never found her.

I felt terrible and vowed to do better next time. We got Elijah and Alex as kittens and I was definitely more protective than before. I learned what being responsible for another life was about.

Shortly after that, we stopped by a pet store and found 2 black kittens in a cage with no bedding, food or water. They were crying and climbing up the cage. There was no way I was leaving them behind, so we took them home. Those little ones, who we named Spike and Missy, were a handful and a half but my heart was full of love for all 4 of my furry babies.

20 years later, Missy was the last to go. She died of lung cancer on November 6th, 2016 and my heart has been heavy ever since. Being at home just isn’t the same without her. When Gideon suggested we move to Las Vegas, I immediately agreed. We get to start a new life, in a new place and get new kittens!

Now, as I’m packing up my life and ending this chapter of my life, I feel thankful for the things I learned from Alex, Elijah, Spike and Missy. They helped me grow as a person, love more than ever before and learn to be okay with surprises and unpredictability.

I’ve found several of their favorite toys, grooming tools and pictures, which made me kind of sad but I am so excited to start a new chapter of my life with Gideon and our new fur babies.

It’s amazing that we leave in a week!