By Caroline

I am sometimes misunderstood, but not when it comes to my love for all cats. This story is about a cat named Makita (Kita for term of Endearment).

Kita was eight weeks old when she came into my life. The most inquisitive fluffball with blue eyes and a good, long nose for a blue point Himmie (Himalayan) (I do not believe in breeding Persians with that type that is so standard in the breed).

I did not breed for show, but for a sweet, well-mannered, healthy cat, without the inbreeding that seems so inherent in the cat breeders standards for Persians. My Kita was a purrsian blue-point. I adopted a male with the typical confirmation for the breed. His name was Yeti. He used to lurk behind corners, waiting for Kita to approach. She ended up having one litter, two kittens, before I had him neutered. I helped her while she was giving birth, as she looked to me, frightened as to what was happening, I ran and got a strong spool of thread and tied off the cords. She took over from there with each in turn, licking off the sac and ingesting it for nourishment; then I tied off the second, as she gave birth to the sibling, the second kitten. After that, it was good and she took over like a confident mother cat.

Kita and I, she was my buddha kitty, by the way–always watchful, serene and inquisitive, never so much as harming a moth. My daughter was still in a tiny carseat when I first carried her and Kita, in her carrier, to the veterinarian, Dr. Becky Arnold. That was twenty yrs ago.

Madeline is now twenty-one, and the best daughter any mother could ask for. Kita, my buddha kitty, passed away at age fourteen. She died in my arms. She was buried in my best basket, and given a special stone above where I dug her grave and put her in to her final resting place. The stone is engraved with, “My little Makita. I love you with all my heart. Rest gently, little one.”

It makes the tears roll, but they are grateful, happy, sad tears.

To all of you out there, know that I had a very difficult time with watching that video tonight on the page Michael put up for the poor, abused Tiger [what is the tiger’s name?] That tiger needs to be rescued immediately by several countries working together. I cry for that poor, dear tiger that never deserved to be treated so.

Caroline