Her name was Nichevo. Russian for 'nothing'. She was anything but.
Her birthday was yesterday. She's been gone now for 17 years. Her little body is out there in the rose garden, with my beloved Ariadne and sweet Emma. It's one of the reasons I can't move from this place - so many, many of my babies lie here.........
She was my 4th cat (in the 'series'. I have adopted cats all my life. Nightie (an incredibly gorgeous black girl). Snowball - yes, you got it... a gorgeous white girl. Bimbi - black and white.... Always girls. And always PREGNANT. Odd, especially since the vast majority of those who have wandered into my life during adulthood have been boys....) It seems - and was - so long ago. The cause of a major dust-up with my Father. A wee Siamese girl. Went to see the kittens knowing I wanted a blue-point male. Came home with her - a Seal-point female........... What can I say? I guess watching her toss her litter mates off the bed told me something of her personality.
She was the first of 'my' Siamese. I grew up with Blue Boy - my Mum's. She got him 6 months after I was born. He left, as did I, 16 years later (me to go to Montreal and University. Him to start his walk over that bridge).
I used to mark the birthdays of all my kids (well, what I called their 'born again' days since almost all have come as strays or from shelters and so I don't know when their real birthdays were!). And the days they died. I don't any longer. But there are some days that just pop into my head unbidden. Yesterday was one.
She was a sweet girl. And I miss her.
And Muff. And Duty. And Hannibal. And Ariadne. And, and, and...............