Sheena was really a dog in a cat suit. For one so small, she left a big empty in our hearts. Sheena was rescued by Kitty Angels. Her story was she had lived with a disabled person, who kept letting her out accidentally. She was one year old when she came into the rescue. They named her “Skittles”, I am assuming because she had many colors. As I selected a cat to adopt, I initially discounted her.
There were many cats in Petsmart that day and many were truly beautiful, much more beautiful than Sheena. I glanced at Sheena and kept looking. I had narrowed my selection to two other elegant looking cats. I didn’t think Sheena was beautiful, but something made me give her a second look and drew me towards her. I put my fingers into her cage and she snuggled up to them, purring and rubbing and trying her best to claim me. It worked.
Her beauty was internal, as I came to realize and was much more beautiful than any cat I could ever envisioned. She was spayed and came home to live with me. I found Sheena enjoyed being brushed and within minutes we were the best of friends. There was no adjustment period for her. She never hid, as many cats do when arriving at a new home. She was immediately comfortable, as if she belonged there for years. No words, no matter how eloquent, could ever describe the bond we shared. She tolerated so much with such dignity, courage and understanding.
Having been an only child, she didn’t even put up a fuss when I took a seven year old Rottweiler home to live. Borita and her quickly became the best of friends. Sheena also tolerated rescue Rottweilers and even three baby squirrels that I had saved. She knew how to put those Rottweilers in their places. She showed no fear of dogs, but I think she knew that her “mom” would never let anything happen to her. Sheena became known as “Kit”. It suited her. She wasn’t a fancy cat. She lived her life indoors and never pestered us to let her out. She was loyal, intelligent and loving. Her devotion and companionship got me through a lot of rough times, job loss, divorce, bad relationships, and numerous moves. She was always there for me. If I couldn’t sleep at night because of worry or loneliness, she would walk up next to my head on the pillow and flop down like a rag doll. This behavior was labeled “get in your bed, Kit” and she would do it on command.
It was uncanny that no matter where in the house she was she always knew when I would lay down on the couch and she would be up next to me cuddling within a few minutes. She was obedient for the most part. The one thing I won’t miss too much is her waking us up at 4 a.m., thinking it was a good time for the breakfast buffet to begin. She never scratched the furniture or rugs.
She loved to eat! Her favorites were a bit of ice cream, Chinese food, snap peas and milk. When she drank milk, her eyes just about popped out of her head and her little pink tongue moved 100 mph! She loved to sun herself and watch the birds and squirrels. She befriended a little chipmunk we named Tiffany. Tiffany showed no fear of her (they were separated by screen doors) and Kit never showed any aggression. However, Kit did not like other cats. She only loved dogs. She would seek out our attention and was never aloof. Even when we were so busy with our lives, she only asked to be by our sides. Quietly enjoying our deep bond. She provided such support when Borita died at the age of twelve years. Kit had a fast recall and sit in front. Faster than my prize winning Rottweiler.
She also knew how to sit pretty and “no hands” while doing so. It was three years before we took another dog to live. This time a young American Staffordshire Terrier rescue. Well, she wasn’t too keen on him at first but later she learned he too could be manipulated and teased. To see a twelve pound cat put a seventy pound pit bull in his place was quite comical. Hooch came to respect her, but it took some time. Soon they truly were attached to each other. He has been looking for her. Sheena loved her “Grammy Rose” and also Papa “Tom”. Her death was a shock to us and the Vets. We may never know exactly what killed her (renal failure or a mass tumor-autopsy pending), but we are grateful that if it was her time to cross the Bridge it was quickly and she didn’t seem to suffer much.
We miss her like the world would miss the Sun. She was a once in a lifetime feline friend. I just wish I could have held her those last few moments. I wish there was just a bit more time to tell her we loved her very much, even though Hooch took up so much of our time and energy.
I want to thank her for her years of selfless love, devotion and forgiveness for not spending as much time as she would have liked with her. I still can’t sleep in the bed without her to wake up to and stroke. We never knew a cat could take up as much space in our hearts as our dogs did. She quietly invaded our hearts without us knowing the full extent of her power.
Our only comfort is knowing that one day we will see her again and we are sure Borita has been waiting for her Kit. Now she can explore the world and feel the grass under her feet. I kept her indoors to protect her, but I always felt as I was making her a prisoner. Her piercing green eyes will always light our hearts up.
She loved her pop “Tom”. He would say “Kit..get in the pouch” and he would curl her up on his chest and cuddle her”. It looked kind of silly to see this big tough guy coddling a little kitty, but was very touching at the same time. I do feel that Sheena did come to say one last goodbye to me and to comfort me at my darkest hour. It was 2 a.m. and as I sat alone on the couch crying and begging for her to come back to me, I heard a big thud on my back deck. I was frozen for a moment and got up enough nerve to look. There was a very young raccoon, female I think, staring back at me. I got an overwhelming sense of peace and comfort. It was Kit. The raccoon and I stared eye to eye for a minute and then she slowly turned around and descended the deck rails. She did this, EXACTLY, as Kit used to descend from heights. The exact same mannerism. I got the “image” of Kit saying that it was okay that she was gone.
She knew I loved her. She forgave me for not being there while she struggled for her last breath. She wanted me to feel peace, but she made it clear she had lots to do now that she was free and lots to explore. I do so believe this was our goodbye. It was the day of her death, less than 24 hours. The raccoon appeared healthy and full of fur, where Kit had lost 80% of hers, but as I looked into the raccoon’s eyes, I saw Kit’s eyes. There was no fear, only peace and love. I wish her well on her journey to the next life and can never express the love that one small cat blessed us
with for ten wonderful years.
Please if anyone reads this,
give your pets more of your time. They deserve it.
Until we meet again....
| Sheena {AKA Kit} |
| 17, Feb 2005 |
| Denise |