Cat profile for Adia, a female Domestic Medium Hair

Domestic Medium Hair

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Age: 17 Years Sex: Female

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Leave a treat for Adia

Nicknames:
"Dia" "Adia Precious"

Kitty Complexion:

Activeness

sleepy		very active

Intelligence

silly		genius

Curiosity

not curious		very curious

Friendliness

timid		affectionate

Vocal

not vocal		very vocal

Sun Sign:

Quick Bio:

-mixed breed

Birthday:
May 7th 1994

Likes:
Licking strawberries cut in half and stalking the wild squirrel at Lake Alice, with me in tow on her leash, annoyingly crunching through the grass behind her.

Pet-Peeves:
Not giving her your full attention (e.g., talking on the phone or watching TV) while brushing her.

Favorite Toy:
striped rubber balls and a shiny thingy on a wand

Favorite Nap Spot:
Under the bed in the guest room or on the patio on a cool day.

Favorite Food:
white Albacore tuna (a very special treat)

Skills:
walking on a leash

Dwells:
indoors

Arrival Story:
My precious Adia came into my life, amazingly, weighing less than one ounce. She had no hair and had not consumed anything during the first 24 hours of her life. Adia was born a preemie, and her very young "feline mom" began killing her kittens, perhaps because they were premature. But my dear late Godmother, Grace, rescued Adia and a litter mate and asked me for help. She said, "I've put a saucer of milk out for them but they don't appear to be drinking . . . ." I said, "We have to do a little more for them, G-Mom, than that." When we arrived at G-Mom's house, I was shocked at the sight of these two kittens, blindly trying to crawl over the bare garage floor, barely the size of mice, and frantically "mewing." So scooped them up and we rushed to the pet store (and made it there five minutes before they closed) for something to feed these precious creatures and guidance on how best to care for them. The two employees we encountered were Godsends. I later went back to thank them only to find that the store had gone out of business. But they told me so much that I needed to learn about being a new mom to feline babies that, I'm sure, saved Adia's life. I purchased kitten milk replacement formula, mixed and heated it, tested it on my wrist, then fed Adia and her littermate every hour for the first 24 hours they were in my care, when they were actually now two days old. Sadly, her littermate, a grey and white tabby, died the second day. It's truly amazing my Adia survived. I had taken both kittens to a vet, who injected them with fluids, but he told me it was far too early to tell if they would live. But I kept hoping, and praying, and feeding, and burping (them), and cleaning, and setting my alarm for feedings every two, then every four hours after two days or so of hourly feedings -- and making sure no one touched Adia without washing his or her hands first. Because Adia had never had "mother's milk," she had no immuno advantage, if there is such a concept. The first time someone touched her -- before I could stop the woman -- without washing her hands, Adia developed a fever and required antibiotics. But people were truly more curious than anything because this hairless creature didn't resemble anything they had ever seen before. One person said, "I don't mean to be rude, but . . . what is it?" I can't say I blamed them. Can you imagine a kitten so tiny that you literally cannot feel her in the palm of your hand? She was as weightless as a pencil. And as I previously mentioned, she was as hairless as a baby mouse, and perhaps just a little larger. I was blessed to be able to take her with me everywhere -- even to my workplace, a hospital. I managed a guest services center and had staff who wanted to help with her feedings. On a couple of occasions the tiny kitten awakened. We would hear this extremely high-pitched "mew, mew," to which one employee responded, "Oh mom . . . you're being paged." :-) But what a delight it was to share this experience with my precious Adia. She is truly a blessing, which incidentally, is the meaning of her name. "Adia" is Swahili for "blessing" or "gift from God." And that she is, by way of my dear Godmother. Interestingly, Adia also selected her own name. Somehow I knew her name would begin with an "A," but I selected other possible names symbolic of the strength of her survival instinct and journey into this world. When I called out three names to this sweet kitten, she responded only to "Adia." I can recall sitting in my rocking recliner, bottle feeding this tiny kitten whose eyes had just now opened. As she nursed, she looked up at me and peered directly into my eyes, to which I responded, "hello." I'll never forget that moment of oneness with Adia, as I had asked myself several times as she grew, is this the pet I've been longing for? Will she survive and will we share a special bond? I was almost afraid to become too attached because it was always "too early to tell" if she would live -- according to the vets. That's probably why I didn't take more "baby pictures," which I now wish more than anything that I had. But growing up as an only child, I always had pets. As an adult, I felt a void in my life that only a loving pet could fill. My guinea pig, Genua Fluff, had passed on several years earlier, and was, I was told by our vet, at nine years old, the oldest guinea pig in our state's records. It's amazing what a little love can do. Ironically, it was due to a vet's carelessness that she died. Her passing was very painful for me. My dwarf rabbit "Bennie," dwarf lop-eared "Honey Bunny," and another guinea pig had also passed on. One of my beautiful volunteers at the hospital, a very wise and intriguing "old soul" said, "I can see a lovely pet coming into your life, dear; you'll share a special bond that can't be broken, and you'll know it; so be patient; no need to look for your special pet . . . she will come to you." And she did.

Bio:
A true "tortie and white."

Lives Remaining:
9 of 9

I've Been On Catster Since:

July 17th 2007