Kenya on the left and Nairobi on the right
In September 1991 at the Santa Monica Cat Show my friend Patty was taken by two five-week old kittens available for adoption from one of the rescue organizations. They were brothers and littermates. She decided to take them both home with her and named them Nairobi and Kenya (for some place she like to travel to one day). They were so cute and they immediately took over her home with Kenya being a bit shy while Nairobi brash and always needing to be noticed. They were to be indoor cats but got supervised outings in the backyard so there was some “outside” time for them. That turned out to be fortuitous.
Just a few years ago Nairobi slipped out the door between the house and the garage while Patty was leaving for work. He then slipped out the garage door to the Great Unknown. Patty returned home ten hours later and after conducting a tail count found she was one short but Kenya was fussing at the back door. Patty found Nairobi sleeping on a lawn chair in the backyard – that was the only safe place he knew and stayed there until she returned home to rescue him.
Nairobi was a food thief too. Having dinner there meant protecting your dinner from his unrelenting attempts to borrow food from your plate or any serving dish. At about age ten Nairobi developed a heart condition but that could be controlled by a daily medication but, unfortunately, his health got worse while his brother Kenya stayed perfectly healthy.
On January 12 Patty sent out a note that turned out to be Nairobi’s death announcement and eulogy:
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Nairobi, the Best Cat Ever, 1991-2006
I lost my dear furry friend Nairobi on Tuesday. Nairobi finally succumbed to the heart, kidney, thyroid and inflammatory bowel diseases that he had. Happily, Nairobi exceeded the vet's life expectancy by 2 years. He was a trooper. How many cats do you know that took 5 meds a day for years without complaint? I'd call him; he'd come over, take his pills, and go back to his business.
Nairobi was the most loving, sweet kitty I have ever known. In 15 years, he never once bit or scratched anyone in anger. Quite the opposite -- he loved nothing more than to cuddle or play (or eat, if I tell the truth!). I have so many terrific memories of him -- from playing "Kamikaze Kitty" when he was younger, to his tolerance of Sarah [Patty’s five-year old daughter] tying ribbons to his tail in his last year. He was my buddy and pal, and saw me through much sorrow and joy. He was even the first being other than me to know I was pregnant! I was truly blessed to have my little guy for as long as I did. He will be missed greatly. Nairobi was, is and will always be loved.
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So with only Kenya left in the household he took over the lap duty that was Nairobi’s province. A week after Nairobi’s passing, Kenya was stretched out purring on Patty’s lap when he sat up and let out a loud meow and jumped down to the floor. He then died within a few seconds of a fatal heart attack. My suspicion is that he missed his littermate, brother and life-long companion and the stress was too much for him.
Patty’s daughter Sarah complained the house didn’t feel right without a kitty so they adopted two five-week old littermates, a male and a female. Maybe there will be another fifteen years of happiness.
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