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A Tail of 9 Lives

First Frost????

Well here I am a kitty all ready to be deep in the cold winter weather of cruel Kansas plains - and it stays warm. finally enough frost to make most leaves drop, so the squirrels are clearly visible from my window perch. Rats with fuzzy tails, diabolical little fellows. I just know I could catch one if they let me out.

It was cold enough last week to make sleeping with humans bearable again. I prefer the feather pillow for my front legs, with hindquarters on the mattress. Sort of like a maharajah, perched and potenta-ting. Sometimes, if I get a chill, I try to climb into the human's mouth. They won't let me, but its worth trying. Seems like it would be very warm in there, and they don't use it when they are asleep.

The baby cats are crazed, like little black whirlwinds. they have all new buckeyes to play with, too. you can hear them knocking their buckeyes about in the front hall, all day, all night. occaisional crunching when they go to their food bowl for a snack. then more buckeye bumps. it is a comforting sound.

my nephew Andy is supposed to come home from Iraq for thanksgiving. he is the only human besides the man and woman who live with me I tolerate. I am very glad he is coming home. Travel safely,
SPC Guthrie! All warrior cats salute your service.

Weather Withers

One thing about living in Kansas is that the weather seems to change faster than I can shred a sofa pillow, and I am a fast shredder. One day I'm basking in the sun, smelling flowers and listening to birds planning their summer homes, looking for garter snakes. the next day it is cold, raining, all the flowers have curled up and the snakes disappear. I like the cold weather. Nothing is nicer than rolling around on the cold concrete, stretching out and just breathing. My breath makes little clouds in the cold.

I pretend I do not see the orange cat across the street. He's peeking out the front window under the shades. He does not like me and I do not like him. Our humans try to keep us apart, but one of these days, maybe we will meet. I like to imagine the battle, it is as much fun as imagining that I am deep in a birch forest with 6 feet of snow under my feet.

Today there may even be a little bit of snow. I am so excited. April 11, and snow!!!

In memoriam, for my mom Nala

Its been a while since I wrote, diary. This entry is to remember my mom, Nala. She crossed the bridge last month after a brief illness. Nala was my companion, my mom, my strength and protector. Me and my litter-mates were born in a storage shed at a softball field complex. Nala was so starved that she didn't even have milk for us. Some kind strangers found us while our eyes were still closed, brought us all home and gave my mom water and good food. Within hours she was feeding us and watching over us as only a mommie can. And she herself was only a few months old!

Some humans adopted us as a family and we all came to live here. the only home I've ever known. My sister was adopted by some people with dogs and I never saw her again. I heard she was doing very well. My mom, brother Emme, and me spent 4 years together in bliss. Emme died at age 4 and mom and I carried on.

One day last month Nala asked our humans to take her to the vet, but within hours she was dead. Kidney failure, maybe? Or the wierd virus that took Emme? anyway, now I am an orphan, the last of my litter. I carry on, loving and being loved by my humans and the new cat Pekoe.

I would not be here except that my mom was strong enough to do what she had to do for her babies. I've heard that by the kindness of a dog, one would know how a human should be. For me, the best dog ever was my mom, Nala.