Day 9, Thursday: A moment in your day

Many of the happiest moments in my days are due to the little joy above:  Fiona Mae Talbott.  When Kyle and I were engaged and he had moved into our little house-to-be (I still lived with my mama right up until my wedding day), we decided to get a kitty.  We already shared a great big pup, a chunky yellow lab named Max, but we wanted to have a cat since my mom was going to keep my cat Polly at her house.  Little did we know...  A)  We'd inherit a chow chow from his brother the week of our wedding, B)  We'd be moving to South Carolina in less than a year in a home with a no pet policy, C)  Our precious kitten would lose an eye, D)  The first six months of our marriage we'd have two dogs and a cat, a year into it we'd have no pets, and two years into it we'd have two cats and a dog.

It's been a little bumpy.  Let it be known that Max grew up with cats.  He'd always been around cats and loved them.  He lived with me at my mom's house until Kyle moved into our to-be-house and Polly bawk bawk the cat had lived peaceably enough with him (though Polly is not a dog person...).  When we brought Fiona home as a 10 week old kitten, she and Max were instant friends.  One of her very favorite things to do was climb onto an arm of the couch and try to jump on Max's back as he walked by.  She also loved bathing him.  She'd lick every inch of that dog.  She's a little strange.

I don't wish to go into a lot of detail, but there was an accident (yes, it really was an accident) involving Max an Fiona, and after two emergency surgeries, overnight stays at the vet, and a lot of money spent, Fiona's eye could not be saved.  I was distraught, believing that she would live a sad cat life, without balance, depth perception, or peripheral vision, and that no one would ever tell her what a beautiful girl she is.  I visited her at the vet every day until she was released to us, looking like a little frankencat monster (she was also spayed at that time so they would not have to put her on anesthesia a third time).  Kyle and I both told her that she was beautiful.  And really, she was.  She was so innocent and so sweet.

I needn't have worried about her quality of life being lessened by her early upset.  Fiona is energetic, brave, smart, curious, sweet, and hilarious.  With her one golden eye, she sits on my bookshelf and watches squirrels and cardinals at the bird feeder for hours.  She is an outstanding little hunter and she is still incredibly curious.  She has never met any animal or person she didn't like, and I've heard many a non-cat lover comment on this fine feline.  She's outgoing and playful and such a delight.  She lights up my days.  I'm not ashamed to be a cat lady :)

(I wanted to post a picture of my other beautiful cat Polly, but it doesn't seem to want to post it.  Perhaps another day...)