I am surprised by how sad I still feel about the loss of our cat, although each day gets a little bit easier.  I think the morning’s are the hardest.  There was usually a soft, then more insistent meow coaxing me out of bed after I snoozed for the second time and the shuffle of blinds as she tried to look out the back door into the darkness as I walked downstairs for breakfast.  Coming home is tough too because she was our little greeter. I am so grateful for the kindness of my coworkers and friends.  Many of them are pet owners, and they understand more about my feelings than I did.  I now truly comprehend the grief that follows the loss of your furry friend.

The BOY says that our house is boring now and he is right.  He says that he feels emotionally drained as he tries to work through his law homework. He is used to having a cheerleader and distraction close by.

This is one of my favorite pictures.  I call it Baby Emmy. 

It still hurts a bit to see pictures because she is was so alive and vibrant.  I can’t imagine not having her wonderful (and sometimes annoying) energy running through my house.  Speaking of running, did you know we used to chase each other up and down the stairs and throughout the house.  Usually ending in the office (which was really HER room) with her perched on the back of the chair.  One time in my old apartment we were playing this game of peek-a-boo around a chair, I quickly dodged to one side and was met with a paw in my eye.  She was just trying to reach me, had anticipated my move, and got me.  It was a total KO and I still joke about the time Emmy punched me in the eye.

Having never had a furry pet or spent much time around cats, I found Emmy’s antics to be hilarious.  The BOY, who was raised in a household of cats often wondered about my wonder.  But she would seriously just crack me up.  I always had my camera ready to catch the next funny thing that she did.  Because even through there were times when she drove me nuts, she brought me so many smiles and giggles.

In this past year, I nick named her Kitten Schmitten (still have no idea why?!) which was often shortened to just Schmitten.  I also called her Baby Kitty because I used to hold her in my arms for a cuddle, usually right when I got home from work. It was a good way to prevent her from jumping on my back in between pedicures when her nails were too long.  One time I tried to tap her bum, like you would a real baby, but she yelled at me and ran away.

The first time I pulled out my popcorn maker, the cat was seriously in awe.  She sat over it watching each kernel pop and fly out of the machine.  I think there is a future cat toy in there somewhere.  She could turn anything into her toy, a bowl of cherries, the ribbon on a gift, rubber bands, a piece of string hanging from your clothes, or a pen.

One of Emmy’s favorite places was the window. She loved to peer out into the world, even when it was pitch black.  I’d wake up some mornings and find her head slipped between two panels at the back door as she sat there quietly.  In the day light you would know when she saw a bird, bunny, or snow flake because the panels would rustle and their would be a flurry of activity followed by a low pitched meow.

Ever since my winter break, we started the habit of Emmy coming up to bed with me while I read.  We would play this footsie game where I would wiggle my toes or move my foot under the blankets and she would try to catch it, usually with her mouth.  Eventually, she’d give up and curl into a ball on the softest part of the blanket, and we’d both fall asleep until the BOY came up and escorted her from the room.

I had mixed feelings about Emmy’s assistance in the kitchen.  Typically it involved her just laying her body across my recipes, which was not so helpful.  Unless of course the can opener was involved and then she was right there hoping for tuna.  No matter where in the house she was, she always found herself on the counter by the time the can was open.  She would even cross the sink to get to me and was often disappointed to find black beans or pumpkin.  Although sometimes, it was tuna and as I drained it and put some in a bowl, she’d meow at me, screaming hurray up!

I feel lucky that the she built time into her nap schedule to guest blog while I was away at my parents, giving you some insight into her life.

But the main thing that everyone remembers about Emmy is her LOVE obsession with bags.  The first time I discovered this was in my old apartment.  She turned the inside of a GAP bag into her main hangout, peering out into the world with just her eyes.  Although if she was really unhappy with you, then she’d face inside the bag leaving you with just her back end.  Since then, she would turn every bag, box, or container into a favorite home or bed.  It always made me smile to see her new locations, especially the time that I spotted her little tail sticking out of a suitcase.

In honor of Emmy, the BOY and I have been lighting a candle each night, laughing about the time she accidently burned a few hairs sliding past a candle trying to get closer to us.  We pick a theme, last night was the funniest stories, tonight a dedication to her bag obsession.  It makes us laugh to share the memory, which makes our house seem a little less quiet.

If you are looking for more Emmy antics, I have shared plenty of stories over this past year of blogging.

I thought starting a blog would help me practice my writing skills, but I never would have anticipated how therapeutic it feels to be able to express my thoughts and emotions in writing. I thank you for reading, commenting, listening, and helping me remember Emmy.  Your kindness and patience are much appreciated by the BOY and I!

We miss you Baby Kitty!

I had planned on posting a workout post two nights ago. Instead, I came home from a long day at work, made some dinner, heated up some tea, and then curled up in bed with our sick kitten to finish MockingJay, the last book of the Hunger Games trilogy.  I didn’t even check my email! 

My next plan was to post the workout post last night, but yesterday turned into a different kind of day than expected.  As I mentioned, our cat hasn’t been feeling well.  Technically, she is the BOY’s cat.  He rescued her 8 years ago as a new born kitten when he was in college and they have had a strong connection ever since.  He named her Emerald because of her beautiful green eyes and called her Emmy for short.  Two and a half years ago when the BOY put his house on the market, Emmy moved into my one bedroom apartment with me.  This was an interesting situation for a few reasons.  Number one, I really wasn’t much of a cat person and the only pet that I ever had growing up was Tommy, the goldfish.  And number two, up until that point, Emmy and I weren’t exactly what you’d call friends.  She loved the BOY, she liked boys in general, and she was not a fan of the girl who was hanging around.  She used to go through my purse and nibble on my shoes.  Moving in together, was a BIG step for us. 

In the end, we made it work.  After living with me for 2 weeks, most of which she just ignored me, stared out the windows, and tried to escape to the elevators in the apartment complex, I came home from work with a hurt back.  Instead of heading to the floor for my typical hello, I went straight to the couch and collapsed, barely able to move.  This time, instead of ignoring me, she climbed right up to my chest, where she stayed for the rest of the night.  After that, we were friends and even when both of us moved back into the BOY’s house, he continued to give me some love and attention (even though she saved the best of it for the BOY).  Over the last two years, we’ve formed a tight little family, which is why seeing her so sick and without her usual spunk has been hard on me.  Yesterday, the BOY brought her to the vet, thinking maybe she had an infected tooth or needed an IV.  Instead he was given the worst news possible. An ER visit and ultrasound confirmed that our little kitten had chronic kidney failure.

It was not an easy decision, but the right one to make. So I left work as soon as I could to go and say my goodbyes.  I planned to be the rock the BOY needed during this challenging time, but instead arrived at the animal hospital with blood shot eyes and tears streaming down my cheeks. I was shocked by the intense sadness I felt and constant ache in my stomach.  Although it was hard, I was happy that I was able to see her and kiss her head one last time.  Emmy was my first pet and her loss has floored me.  Worse than the hospital was arriving back at our house last night.  Around every corner, I expect to see her bounding up to see me when I walk in the door, trying to crawl into my lunch bag when I get home, nudging her head in between the BOY and I when I kiss him hello, or sitting on my lap computer as I type a blog post.  Since she has been such a special part of my life and a funny part of this blog, I thought it would be okay to share my sadness with you.  I ask you to bare with me as I share some of my favorite photos and silly kitten stories over the next week.

The BOY and I are having a tough time coming to grips with the fact that she is really gone.  Our house sounds way too quiet this morning.  If any of you know him, then you know Emmy’s unwavering love and trust in him.  But you also know that he was head over heals for her.  If you are not a cat person, trust me I totally get it, but she is cute enough for even a dog person to appreciate!