A New Day: Reflections....

Today is a new day. I woke up not thinking that Cessna has passed but that I had to feed the kitten hiding in the guest bath. Well not hiding, but hanging out by choice. This was not altogether a "bad" feeling but one I felt guilty about.

What are my reasons for adopting a kitten not 3 days after Cessna has passed? Well, mostly because of Uma not having a counterpart in the house. I am a firm believer in the buddy system. I have daddy, Ellie has Sagan, and Uma needed a buddy. Hence the quick adoption.

When Nala passed April 2007 I was so distraught. She was, technically, my very first pet. Fred and I adopted her in December 2005 from the Ft. Lauderdale Humane Society. She was lovely. My first daughter. She had the most wonderful and loving personality. So when she was gone I found myself aching and in terrible pain. My child was gone. I went to the Orlando Humane Society looking for a kitty. None would do. They did not have her face. That is what I missed the most. Not looking at her grey/black tiger face. So lovely. So I came home knowing that I would need to find a nearly identical kitten. That is when I happened upon Candy's Cats here in Orlando. At the time her name was Violet, changed to Uma upon adoption, and though we did not have Nala from 8 weeks old I could tell she would grow up to look like Nala. She did, but with her own lovely personality. We brought Uma home 9 days after Nala passed. It would have been sooner but we were going on the Disney Cruise and I asked if they would hold her for us until our return.

Fred and I are stunned at how much Uma looks like Nala. We walk into a room and there is Uma on our bed in the same place Nala would be. We do a double take. Also, we call her Nala by mistake every now and again. She is our sweet little girl. She did not take the place of Nala in our hearts but she helped to heal that hurt.

Asia is now home and she is a complete love. She is incredibly affectionate and adoring. She is all black like Cessna but has amber eyes, not green. Again she is home (adoption is such a wonderful gift! We get to offer a sweet kitty a loving and caring home.) and she is ours. Fred has yet to meet her but he will tonight after he comes home from Denver. As I mentioned Fred has not yet been home from his business trip. Cessna died the day he left leaving him in limbo, grief wise. He cried at the news but has yet to come to the realization that she is gone. He will come home to see her blankets and bowl gone. It will be a terrible shock. Cessna occupied our bedroom walk in closet (by choice) for the longest time. It was her little home. She was safe from energetic Uma in there. Now its empty of her belongings. That will be hard for Fred as it was hard for me to remove her things.

All dogs and cats go to heaven. That's what I tell Ellie. I tell her that when Daddy or Mommy go to heaven many years from now one of the first things to happen is to reconnect with loved ones who passed before them. I cannot wait to see Nala and Cessna run up to me to greet me. They are as much a part of me and my life as any human.

For now I will have to wait.