Too many, too little, too late....

Kittens and I go way back to the summer one found me at Gramma's house in Avenal in second grade.  I called her Joopie.  Have no clue where I came up with that name. She loved me and played with me through the summer, but in a household with six kids to feed spaying kittens wasn't in the spending plan. Or maybe it just wasn't spoken about in those day. I know, as a child, I certainly didn't know to ask....so she ran away and broke my heart.  And then, there was the orange and white poofy cat who adopted our house that I named Fluffy.  But when she decided to sleep behind the wheel of our neighbor's car, well, you get the picture. Those are the two kittens that stand out in my mind, but there were lots of others. I loved them and lost them. So I finally gave up on cats and accepted loving our family dog as good enough. 

That decision changed one rainy day when I had two sons, 3 & 5, of my own.  A calico itty bitty kitty walked onto the driveway. I told my sons we'd put signs around the 'hood, but she couldn't stay. I told the boys curtly, "Kittens come, but they leave and they break your heart."  Yeah, I said that! But, hey, I was the overworked teacher/mom absolutely certain I had the power to prevent my boys from runaway cats! But, don't worry! The kitten stayed....for sixteen fun years. 

They named her Tigger, as most Calico cats are probably named and the memories she gave my guys would fill a whole wonderful book.

But Tigger went to Cat Heaven ten years ago. I retired from teaching, moved from The Bay Area of California back to my smaller hometown and whittled my possessions down to fit into an itty bitty cottage.  I thought I would return to the old friends I'd always surrounded myself with, but you can't go home again and I found myself pretty much alone expect for family. And for the very first time in my sixty-two years.....really lonely.  I still had my amazing pooch, Rusty, but it was a long hot first summer back when Cyndi told me about the kitty she'd found.  The rest, as they say, is history.  I brought her home, called her Annie (for little orphan Annie) expecting lots of cuteness and cuddles.  Well, clearly I hadn't had enough life experience with kittens because I was only half right. (To be continued )