"By associating with the cat one only risks becoming richer." ~ Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, French Novelist

On a balmy Thursday April evening in 2005, Craig and I went to visit my father's grave site located at Forest Park West Cemetery in Shreveport. As we were pulling back grass from his foot stone, a tiny flash of orange darted past. Craig jumped up and said, "Suse, did you see THAT?" Honestly, I didn't. He kept assuring me that he'd seen a little orange kitten.
We wandered the entire area where Daddy is located, but heard nor saw a single thing. As we were getting into the car, I glanced out my side's window and saw a teeny-tiny little orange face peeping from behind a headstone on the opposite side of the lane where my Daddy rests. Quietly and slowly we got out of the car, leaving only my passenger door open. He started toward the little kitten in one direction, I started in another. Sure enough, the little cat tore off straight toward the car, leaped and scampered into the back seat. We managed to sneak into the car before he realized he was trapped inside with us.
Not one time did we look back at him, not once did we raise our voices. We heard him get into the empty wicker basket that I had brought fresh flowers from our yard for Daddy. Nary a peep did he make the 35 minute drive to our home in Keithville. Once we arrived home, Craig ran inside to grab one of our old towels that we keep on hand for our rescue work; I stayed inside with the kitten and made small rustling noises every now and again digging around in my tote - just enough noise to keep him thinking he would be safer in the basket.
Quick-thinking Craig brought a small worn-out blanket instead of a towel. He threw it over the basket, then he grabbed the basket with both arms, keeping the blanket tight around it. We kept in our guestroom two medium-sized dog crates for newly rescued kittens and cats. Once the kitten was placed inside a crate, we stood back to look at him. Craig said his many shades of orange fur reminded him of the color of a Cheerio. So, Cheerio the kitten became.
Cheerio didn't look very thin. After a few minutes of quiet time, he came toward us. Through the bars of the crate, we scritched his wee head and beneath his chin. Craig stayed with him while I went into the kitchen to prepare a bowl of kitten food. At first he was much, much more interested in the bowl of water I'd also brought, but once he'd drank his fill, he attacked the food with gusto.
After he ate, I gave him a nice warm bath with a good flea shampoo. That's when I realized that our former cemetery kitten wasn't a male but a female. After her bath, she snuggled into the little cat bed in the crate and fell promptly to sleep.
The next morning, April 8th, I took her into Dr Steve. She had intestinal parasites and was a little underweight, but otherwise in good health. He guesstimated her age at four weeks, so we gave her the birth date of March 8th, 2005.
I called the cemetery office when she and I got back from the vet to tell them that I'd found a very young kitten out there. Well, three others had been found and already promised to good homes, so we kept our Cheerio.
Not long after her series of kitten shots, she was spayed. Cheerio had already filled out to be a beautiful little orange girl.
She, typical of orange tabbies, was very mellow and always good-natured. She got along exceedingly well with our dogs and both our resident and sanctuary cats. She made friends easily with all the rescue-es we brought in. She stayed a house cat until Craig became so ill that we had to place some of them into our "cat house" located in our back yard - it's a well-insulated 16'x16' building that my parents had built to use as a laundry room and storage building. The back wall has four sixteen foot built-in shelves. During ugly weather, Cheerio could always be found on the top shelf. She had a bird's eye view to the outside with two windows and the door. After Craig built a cat run for them in the spring of 2008, she loved staying in the run more, for she could bask in the sun or shade, depending on the time of day, and climb to a few high places. Her Daddy CraigCat had built little shelves and ramps for them to lay and climb around on in the run. [Click on second photo for additional info about the run.]
Since the beginning of the year, she didn't act as though she felt too well. I had taken her to Dr Steve the week before I'd lost Puglena. Her blood work came back fine, so I brought her home, monitoring her closely. Yesterday she didn't seem too interested in her food at feeding time. This morning when I checked on her, she was dozing beneath one of the chairs, arching her back and lifting her head for scritches. At 4pm this afternoon when I went to clean up and feed the cat house crew, she was still laying beneath the chair. I called to her, but she didn't move. I bent to give her ear scritches and realized that she had already slipped to the Bridge. I don't know why I lost this normally healthy baby at such a young age. She would have been nine years old a month from today. How I miss this little orange girl. ❤

My heart and home has a huge hole without you, Baby Girl. Give your beloved Daddy CraigCat all the snuggles I'm missing today. I love and miss you so very much. ❤❤

Dear Friend
A tiny creature, eyes still shut
Small body all a-tremble
I looked down and I knew
I had a friend.
Soon your blue eyes, so laser sharp,
Peered out of your sweet face.
I understood each plaintive cry,
And knew in my deepest heart
We were friends.
You purred and nestled in my arms.
Your devotion beamed up at me
As I whispered in your ear,
My dreams, my hopes, my fears.
Friends forever would we be.
But fate gave us just a few short years.
Your time too short did end.
I held you close, my heart too full,
As I begged you not to leave.
As death drew the final curtain
I cried, "Farewell, my sweet, dear friend!"
You are in my heart forever.
~ Author: Doris M Kneppel ~

With so very much love and appreciation to Vikki for her generosity, thoughtfulness, and love by sponsoring my little Cheerio. Thank you so much, Hon! ❤❤