I found you out front of Wal-Mart, a girl sitting in a folding chair holding you. You were the last one of the liter, …how special, you were!!!You were 6 weeks, black & white, blue eyes, and talking (meowing). I took you then and held you sitting in the passenger seat and you talked the whole way home…you were always a talker! Your eyes sparkled with white whiskers on black hair and that’s
how you were named.
I remember when you were investigating your new home; you came across the mirror placed on the floor. You must have thought your image was another cat because you would gallop sideways, hunched up, towards it. I remember when you started to go pee in the house and I picked you up and held you to aim it out the screen of the window. I was trying to decide if I should have you declawed when you began to run around the house like a wild-one and you jumped up on the doorway and dug your nails into the side and hung there, so…you were declawed in the front.
That was so long ago…the years passed and many changes you endured. Together we lived in; an upstairs apartment, a studio apartment, a bedroom, a basement, and two different houses. Although your survival needs were always met, the adoration I gave was not replicated when I HAD to be away and you would cry and cry and cry. That’s when you became an overeater and when I was able to bring you back to me, you had gained some serious weight. That’s when my guilt would convince me to let you enjoy my leftovers, which furthered your weight issue.
Once there was a mouse in the house and you let me know that it was under the cupboard by constantly batting at the door. When I opened it, the mouse ran into the living room and hid under the couch. We both followed it there and I tilted the couch on its’ end to find it. You were on one side of the couch and I was on the other. We watched the mouse run under to the other side and I would tilt the couch in the opposite direction. We would both flip our heads to the other side and see the mouse. You would lunge for it and it would duck under again. After repeating this many times, the mouse finally ran off to another room and you were bored with it and quit chasing.
I think it was all a game
for you anyway!
Then we found out that you had diabetes. An insulin shot around 8:00 am and one around 8:00 pm kept you strong for half your life! You felt good; we would play with the feather on a string, the felt rope-like piece, you would bat at my hand, and you would even run after me when we were playing. The eating of the leftovers had to stop and you did complain about that! You would always be licking your chops when I was eating cheese dip and you would purr your powerful purr if I was eating cereal.
Together we went out-of-town frequently and stayed in hotel rooms. You didn’t always like going in the car but once we were there, you enjoyed hiding behind the bed or sitting in the window. I was always there around 8:00 pm for that nightly shot that you would come for because I know it made you feel better.
We had three emergency room visits when your sugar was too low and you would bounce right back to your normal self as we would test and re-test your blood sugar and then change your insulin units. I know it was rough, but you knew how much I loved you and would
always come back to yourself.
I would come home from school and you would meet me at the doorway of my bedroom. Then we would lie in bed by the window and love being together for a bit, before I would take care of other business around the house. You would come like a dog when I called you, sharing a greeting as you came.
How you loved to lounge around under the Christmas tree or in your winky-eye chair in the sunroom. The first time I saw you open the cabinet door in the kitchen to climb in, I was truly impressed. If I couldn’t find you anywhere else, I would always have to check if I had shut the hallway closet door with you lying on the first shelf on some towels or other bathroom items.
I knew there would come a day when I might have to make that ultimate decision and I didn’t know how I would survive it. Now it’s here and I can hardly believe that I’ve lost …YOU!!! There was some relief, at first, because you were in kidney failure and although you didn’t complain, I could tell you were struggling with the changes. You had finally relaxed and lay down in front of me. We had a few intimate moments of you rubbing your face on mine. You’ve always been such a strong kitty! Yet you were weak in the end. You just bowed your head and went to sleep.
I will forever miss you, Sparkleboy. I have ALWAYS loved you! You were such a great partner. My best buddy! I’m sorry for all that you went through and thank you for being so tough through it all! Thanks for being MY KITTY!
You will forever be, My Sweet Sparkles, Sparkleboy,
My Kitty Love!!!
I hope to see you again in heaven!