SKEETER January 2012
This is a story about our special kitty Skeeter. We received her on a hot July Sunday in the summer of 1999. Courtney had left to live in San Francisco and we were feeling lonely, again. She was a half sister to our oldest cat Mitzi. I wanted to name her Xena the Princess Warrior, but she was such a busy little kitty, that my kids named her Skeeter like a mosquito—she never stopped moving. Her nickname was Skeeter Bug.
She was so tiny that we had to bottle feed her for a couple of weeks. We were going on vacation to St. George right after we received her so we had to take her with us! What an adventure! She was so funny. She sat on the back seat on a pillow with Chelsea. We put a shoebox full of kitty litter on the floor and she would use it whenever she needed to go. She drank water from the lids of our water bottles.
We had to wait a few hours when we got to St. George before we could check into our condo. So we stopped at the park and she immediately ran into the bushes. She loved to hide in bushes and climb trees! We found out later that her mom would put her in a tree to keep her safe.
In the condo she loved running up and down the hanging vertical shades on the windows. Her most favorite thing to do was to attack and bite Casey’s toes when she was asleep. We all thought that was pretty hysterical. She was a great little traveler.
She was our third cat and was pretty much ignored by our other cats Mitzi and Sadie. She immediately bonded with us humans. She was always around. Wherever we were, she was there. Here are some examples of Skeeter’s habits:
Her Baby Mouses-She had two favorite toy mice that she would carry in her mouth meowing this weird meow and she would bring them to me. She would start at the top of the stairs and find me and drop the mouse. Then I would praise her and tell her thank you. She would be so proud and would rub up against me and purr and meow.
Bath Time-Whenever I took a bath, she had to sit on the counter with her back to me. Then I would reach up and gently pull her tail and she would meow. We played this game everytime I took a bath. Recently, she had to have a drink from the black bath cup before she would sit on the counter!
Her Pencil-She had a special pencil that we played with whenever I was on the computer. I would make her chase it and she would chew on it. She would sit under the lamp by my computer and play with and chew on that pencil.
Calling Somebody’s Name-If Skeeter was sitting by you and you had to yell for somebody in the house, she would go crazy meowing and rubbing against you. We would do it on purpose just to see her being so funny.
Music-She loved my music and would sit under my bed and watch me exercise and listen to my music.
Her favorite places to sit were by me on the bed or couch. She wasn’t a lap cat, but she had to sit and sleep right next to you. And when she was real content, she would knead you and start drooling. She loved being under the covers with me and I would have to be touching her somewhere, usually on her paws. It was very soothing to me. Sometimes it was a pain as she was a heavy cat and she wouldn’t budge when you needed to get up. She hung out under our bed most of the time. That was her domain.
Skeeter was an anxious cat. She was always real worried when I cleaned their food and water dishes and whenever I cleaned their catboxes! She had her own special water dish in our bathroom and she would sit on my bed and watch me clean that bathroom until her water dish was put back in its place.
She loved kitty treats and tuna fish. Anytime I used the can opener she would come running to the kitchen checking it out. She loved chewing and playing with sticks and she would go in circles playing with the stick. She loved chewing the grass plant in the backyard and hiding in the bushes. But she would only go outside if the screendoor was open. As soon as I would close the screen door she would pop up at the door and start meowing.
Skeeter was a perfect cat. She was never sick. She never ever had an accident on the floor. She didn’t throw up hairballs. She didn’t shed. She just loved being with us. She would follow me around the house watching me vacuuming, cleaning, etc. She was always there watching me. She was the only cat that greeted us when we got home every day.
The spring of 2010 she had lost two pounds when she had her annual checkup. We ran tests on her and she was diagnosed with kidney disease. She was put on a special food and we hoped for the best. She had a great last year and seemed to be very healthy and happy. Then recently she started to lose weight again and her last week she stopped eating. She wasn’t playing any of her games and she wasn’t purring anymore. My last nap with her on that Monday as she was laying with me on the bed, she wasn’t purring! I knew she was in bad shape. And she had started sitting right on top of our heat vent like she couldn’t get warm enough.
It was time for her annual checkup. I had a really bad feeling about it. I felt so badly as she really fought me getting her into the cat carrier—like she knew. When Dr. Kanda ran tests on her, it was confirmed that she was a very sick kitty. I could have put her in the hospital for IV fluids, but I knew she would be so scared and anxious in the hospital without us there with her. No amount of money or medication would have healed her.
Once a cat is diagnosed with kidney disease, there really is nothing that can be done to save their lives. You can prolong their lives, but it wouldn’t be a happy life doing the things they like.
We made the decision to have her put to sleep. It was the hardest decision I have ever had to make. Holding her and watching her slip away was so painful. Just before she died, she lifted her head up and licked my cheek. I will treasure that lick forever as she never licked me before.
She had a good life and was very much loved. We miss her everyday. It is very lonely and quiet in the house without her. I never realized what a comfort she was to me and how much love and joy she brought into our house.
We miss her and love her.
Skeeter - I hope you are having fun running in heaven and hiding in trees again!
Skeeter Bug
1999 - 2012
