A tribute to mama kitty...

Ok. So my mom sent out what is written below in an email after my family's cat from my childhood was put down. Most of you know or have met "mama kitty"...

Once upon a time there was a petite grey tiger kitty that found herself without a home. She didn’t know why her people tossed her out into the big, wide, world. She began to explore a neighborhood with lots of trees and lots of people kittens. Being a timid, but friendly little kitty, she would go up to each house and “MEEOWW”…ever so politely. Most of the people kittens excitedly asked their parents if this cute little tiger kitty could possibly become their pet. Most parentsin the neighborhood stood firm with a very positive, “NO WAY.”

One two year old little girl named Kristen became very excited when the tiger kitty came to her house and asked ever so politely if she could be her pet. Her Mommy and Daddy said, “Absolutely, NO WAY! We already have an indoor cat and one cat is enough!”. Although the tiger kitty really liked the little girl and she was hoping to be fed, she moved on throughout the neighborhood asking each neighbor to please adopt her. Although the neighbors were a friendly bunch of people, most did not want to feed an orphan kitty because they then knew that kitty would consider herself to have a new home.

A few days later the little girl named Kristen still was taking time to pet the kitty when her parents said, “NO! That kitty needs to find another home!” They chased the the kitty away but soon noticed the kitty eating something on the street. Upon investigation the Daddy said, “This poor little kitty is so hungry she is eating a dead frog that has been smashed into the pavement by a car!” “That does it”, said the Mommy and Daddy, “Get that poor little kitty some food and water!”

The tiger kitty was so happy to have people give her some catfood and water. She ate and ate and ate. After she was finished, she went to take a nap under the bush in the front courtyard by the front door. A little later the little girl was excited to see that the tiger kitty was under the bush in the shade. She noticed a tiny little kitty beside her and told her Mommy, “ My new kitty just had a baby kitty !”

“You’ve got to be kidding!”, said Mommy as she went outside to look for herself.
Sure enough, the orphan tiger kitty had a VERY tiny little baby. All of the neighbors laughed and laughed because they were so happy that they didn’t feed the Orphan kitty and now have a Mama Kitty and kitten.

It was sad, but the baby kitten wasn’t big enough to live, however the orphan tiger kitty who was now known as Mama Kitty was becoming a beloved new pet to the three people kittens. Susie liked her and Timmy loved to play with her, but the littlest people kitten of them all talked with her, sat with her, played with her and most of all loved her! In the future the little girl would pet her head when she had her kittens. Both the Kristen and Mama loved being together at that time!

Mama Kitty (or MK for short) lived up to her name and had litters of kittens several times a year. She was a terrific mother and all of the people kittens loved playing with her kittens. One of her kittens fell into the storm sewer, but Mama Kitten made it clear to her people kittens that she needed help. The township trustee was called and came to assist in the emergency. Kristen was the brave little girl that was lowered down into the storm sewer through lots of spider webs to retrieve an adorable little boy black kitten. Because Timmy loved the Ninja Turtles so much the black kitten was named Ninja and became the newest declawed and neutered house cat. The family loved playing with the kittens and giving them away to cousins and friends. After nearly four years the family ran out of friends and cousins who wanted a kitten. The last litter of kittens before Mama had THE surgery became happy barn cats for a Farmer that needed good mousers.

Mama Kitty had a grey M on her forehead. The family knew that was for Mouser. She was an excellent hunter of the troublemaking mice and chipmunks that lived in the wooded neighborhood. To her there was nothing better than a mouse or chipmunk snack. She would catch her prey for her kittens and teach them to hunt. The neighbors realized that Mama Kitty was beneficial when hunting the mice and chipmunks, however……she also liked to watch the neighbor’s birdfeeders for a feathered treat. The neighbors didn’t like their birds being hunted down but were patient feeling that all cats eventually quit being such avid hunters. They didn’t know MK’s determination.
An occasional squirrel meal was also part of MK’s diet even though her family provided Meow Mix and lots of treats. Mama became the inside/outside cat when Ninja became ill and wasn’t around anymore. One winter she surprised her family by bringing a large rabbit to the patio door. Before her family could deal with the rabbit, MK ate everybite, every bone and all the fir except the bunny tail. Her family didn’t know she was craving rabbit. Unfortunately rabbit didn’t digest well and it became clear that MK was very sick.
Dr. Hulme had to take care of her for three days and could not believe that such a small cat was capable of eating such a large rabbit!

When the family became “dog” people, MK made it known that she had no love for the teacup Chihuahua named Minnie. Experienced pet owners said that dogs and cats get along famously, but MK never wanted a friendly relationship with a dog….even one with the intelligence of a hamster! The parents actually worried that she might decide that the Taco Bell dog might be tasty, so they made a decision to make the aging Mama Kitty a permanent inside cat who would live in basement family room. Mama Kitty lived the life of luxury and catnip on the beige couch of the family room downstairs, but after about a year and half her health deteriorated. She was now 10 people Years old. She started walking into walls, had no appetite and the family seriously worried she might be very sick. After a visit to Dr. Hulme it was determined that maybe she
needed to be outside again. She moved back out to the garage with free roaming of the neighborhood and became an avid hunter again. She perked up and was so healthy many people guessed her to be much younger than her years.

One day Mama Kitty noticed an enclosed moving trailer pulled up to her garage. She heard her oldest people kitten, Susie was being married and now she heard the parents talk about moving furniture and wedding gifts to Little Rock, Arkansas. How excited she was to see her big beige couch get loaded onto the trailer with lots of wedding gifts! The parents drove for two days down to Arkansas. It was a hot place in May. It was 102 degrees even at 10 PM when they pulled into the apartment parking lot to unload the trailer. As the door came open the father said to the mother, “Why did you bring this cat?” No one knew that MK wanted to travel to Arkansas andbreak the rules by being
sneaked into the Hampton Inn during her girl’s college graduation from Harding University! No one knew that she wanted to travel with her boy Tim in his pick-up truck back from Freed-Hardeman University. No one knew that when Tim’s pick-up truck was broken into during the night in Mt. Vernon, Illinois that the burglers only wanted Tim’s computer equipment and TV, not a well, traveled, excellent hunter Mama Kitty that was also in the truck!

Through all the years Mama remained street wise. She patrolled the woods across the street and had people friends at the next couple of houses. Neighbors seemed to grow to tolerate her and were also amazed at her ability to grow old gracefully. In the winter her family provided her a heating pad in the garage….which was MK’s preference to living with the indoor Miniature Schnauzer named Buddy. (The Chihuahua was a quick bit of pet history for her family.) During the last several winters Mama began to long for household living on her terms. At bedtime or when she could sense her people kitten Kristen was home from High School, she would meow to be left in Kristen’s
bedroom window. Likewise she meowed to be left out the window in the mornings. Kristen loved her, talked with her, slept with her and helped her to know she was the most loved cat in the world.

Because Mama Kitty was an orphan that was adopted as a young adult, it is difficult to know how old she actually became. Dr. Hulme cared for her, and gave her shots, surgeries and unmentionable help getting rid of rabbits from the digestive system for 17 people years.

As MK’s loving people kitten, Kristen, said good-bye before leaving for college both really seemed to know that the time had come for a final good-bye.
MK walked with difficulty and by October was having trouble doing the things she loved as well as doing what she needed to stay healthy. It was time to say goodbye. The parents cried. The phone calls to the people kittens were sad, especially to Kristen who has MK’s picture on her cell phone screen.

Its time to focus on all the fun memories MK has provided her family! What a smart idea it was to rescue a hungry kitty and give her a home!