Dear Kuhio: I’ll never forget the first time I saw you. You were just a tiny, little gray tabby sitting on the closet floor with your brothers and sisters. I was immediately drawn to the pure black kitty but your daddy wanted you because you reminded him of his childhood kitty that he named “Kitty Cat”.So, you came home with us and we decided to name you for Kuhio Blvd. in Waikiki where we had a condo at the time. You were so small that you fit into the palm of daddy’s hand. You were too tiny to climb the stairs. What were we thinking when we put your cat box downstairs? So with a lot of patience on your part and a few accidents (also on your part), we figured it out together and you became our world for 17 wonderful years. We always laughed because you had to explore whenever a closet door was opened. We always wondered if you were looking for your brothers and sisters in there. I love you, Kuhio. Always have and always will.
Dear Halo: I was nervous the first time I met you. Your Dadcat had picked you up from the shelter when I was away at work. We had lost Kuhio a month before and Dadcat said he just couldn’t stand coming home to an empty house. I was nervous because I was afraid you wouldn’t like me. Dadcat told me I was silly. I gazed into your gorgeous green eyes and was amazed how like Kuhio you look. But, when I picked you up, I almost dropped you. You were so much heavier than I was used to. I know you only weighed 9 pounds at the time, but I was used to a 6-pound kitty. We’re still figuring it out you and I. I know your first year of life must have been rough but I think you are starting to forget those days. I’m so sorry you ended up scared and alone at the shelter right after giving birth. No one could tell us what happened to your kittens. I hope they were found and given good homes. You no longer duck your head when we pet you. I’ve even heard you purr a couple of times. What a gift that is to us. We just want you to know that you’ll always have a home with us and, by the way, it’s okay to get on the furniture. You will not get in trouble. And you don’t need to check on our whereabouts 20 times a day. We won’t leave you.
Dear Cammie: I had talked Dadcat into getting a sister for Halo. She seemed lonely without a friend. We went to the no-kill shelter with a lap cat in mind. Halo gets very nervous when you hold her for long and I really was missing a lap kitty. You picked us out from the moment we got there and followed us from room-to-room. I’m afraid that I wasn’t interested in you at all because I’ve always thought tortie’s were just too strange looking for me. They always seemed spooky. We looked and looked (moving you aside several times) and as we walked down the stairs to leave, you leapt upon my shoulders and would not let go. Dadcat picked you off of me and you began to purr like a jet engine. You snuggled deeply into Dadcat’s arms and gave a big sigh. We had been chosen. I brought the cat carrier into the shelter and when I opened the door, you walked right in and curled up. I had never seen anything like it. So, we brought you home. You never made a peep in the car. You and Halo hated each other on sight and 18 months later, not much has changed. But, I think you are learning to ignore each other. We had been told that you and Halo were about the same age so we were quite worried when all you wanted to do was sleep. After another checkup at the vet, we were told that you were at least 12 years old. No wonder you wanted that pesky Halo to stop messing with you. I often wonder what your first decade of life was like. Where did you acquire your disdain for cat food and love of people food? Don’t worry. You always have a home with us. Maybe the people at the shelter thought we wouldn’t adopt you if we knew how old you were. You did a great job at selling yourself. How come once we got you home, you decided that I was “not worthy” of your attention?It is really ridiculous the way you growl at me when I pet you. Or stop purring if I touch you.
Dear Pepper: I saw you 3 times before you came home with us. It was about a year after we had adopted Cammie from the no-kill shelter and I had started volunteering there. Each time I saw you, I picked you up and you immediately purred your brains out. I just loved you so much. I asked the other volunteers what your story was and found out that you have a profound heart murmur and several adoptions had fallen through for you because people didn’t want to take a chance. During another day of volunteering your Dadcat and I brought some bags of food. You made a beeline for Dadcat and leapt into his arms. You began to purr and fell asleep. Dadcat carried you around the rest of the day and didn’t want to put you down. We were both in love with you but I was afraid to ask him if we could get another cat. So, I called the shelter a week later and asked them if we could foster you and pay for any medical checkups your little heart would need. I mentioned this to Dadcat and when I came home that day, you were already ours. He wanted you to, but was afraid to ask me about it. So, you were home. Halo was quite interested in you but unsure of your reception. Cammie hissed and spit at you and you just ignored her. You quickly figured out that she was all talk and no action. (Hopefully, Halo will figure that out too, someday). So, you’re the littlest (barely 6 pounds) and you rule the roost. Halo and Cammie follow your lead. All your test results have shown that your heart is beyond repair. There is nothing that can be done. But, you’re not sick. You don’t complain, and you are one of the most fearless kitties I’ve ever known. We worry about you and your lack of fear. You climb the fence. You walk the fence pole with the neighbor’s 3 snarling Boxers ready to make a meal of you. You jump off the second floor balcony. You jump out of the upstairs bedroom window.At this point, our hearts will wear out long before yours! It really is quite a challenge supervising you so that you don’t hurt yourself. You may not have a long life, but you’re going to have a good life with us. Now that all the doors and windows are secure, we can sleep a lot easier! We love you, Pepper Braveheart.
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