More Kitty: Cleocatra & Mouse, and a Tribute to Espirit
Wednesday, July 6, 2011 at 2:17PM 
Two kitty stories for you today, courtesy of Jackie Ward and Mathew and Kimberly March.
First, Cleocatra and Mouse. Jackie Ward writes, "Cleocatra and Mouse came to us in 1999 from a friend of a friend who had adopted them but had to find new homes for them because she was getting married to someone who was allergic to cats. I had recently lost my previous best feline friend, Annie, and was ready to accept new family members.
"Three years later my husband and I moved from the L.A. area to lovely Cambria. It was a long ride for Cleo and Mouse, each in their own carriers in the back seat of our car. Cleo, who is half Siamese and half calico, talked the entire 4 hour trip, while little Mouse hid in the back of her carrier, frightened and silent.
"After the relocation both girls settled into their new environment with ease. Indoor cats, they love lying in the sun that shines through the windows and bird-watching -- sometimes even deer-watching.
"Mouse recently had major surgery for cancer, and Cleo is bravely battling old age. As Richard and I have no human children, we love our Cambria cats and hope to make their final years as comfortable as possible. The joy they've brought to our lives with their playful and sometimes annoying habits can never be measured. As Mark Twain said, 'If man could be crossed with a cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.'"
Agreed!
And now, a sweet but sad tribute, contributed by Kimberly Rambin March and Matthew March. Matt writes, "Esprit found us over 25 years ago near a grocery store in the small town of Mount Plymouth, Florida. We saw that she was hungry so we got her some food and looking over her condition, it showed that she needed a new home, so we brought her to ours. My step-daughter Jaime (from my first marriage) came up with the name from her favorite clothing supplier... lol. Esprit was so smart, you could see it in her eyes. I'd get down on the floor to play with her and she'd look right into my eyes and practically smile. Every day when I got home from work, she would be looking out the front window as I parked the car and then would meet me at the front door, always happy that I was home to play with her.
"After 18 wonderful years she began to lose weight rapidly and a large tumor developed on her underside. The vet told us that she would likely not live through surgery and said to just enjoy her while we still had her. Within a few weeks she weakened and we decided it was time to help her sleep; it was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made. I brought her that day because I was 'the strong one'... and at first I didn't understand why the vet made the appt so late in the afternoon. It was on the way out that I figured it out. Not having a waiting room filled with kittens and puppies was nice when I just had to watch such a wonderful friend pass.
"She will be always be missed."
Thanks so much for sharing these wonderful kitties.
Reader Comments (3)
Catherine,
Thank you for this lovely tribute to my girls. Sadly, Mouse is now rapidly losing the fight against cancer. Soon she will be crossing the Rainbow Bridge and will be with Esprit.
Thank you again.
Jackie Ward
Cambria, CA
Oh, I'm so sorry, Jackie. How sad. For you and those who love her. I'm sure Mouse herself will be fine.
CRH-
While going through old bookmarks I found this past tribute to my two bff's (best feline friends) and wanted to update it, if only for myself. Mouse lost her battle with cancer about two weeks after this post in 2011. She passed over peacefully in our home with the help of Cambria's Dr. O. Cleo developed the same type of cancer about a year later. She had surgery, which bought her and us another year and a half. Then she too crossed over the Rainbow Bridge in September 2013, again at home with a vet's assist. It has been a sad time without our girls, but we are now preparing to adopt two new feline family members. They will not replace our loss, but they will help to fill the emptiness left by it. And hopefully we will fill the emptiness in their lives by giving our love and sharing our home, now in Atascadero.