Forever in My Heart

I can still feel his warm body sitting on my lap, his gentle purr calming me from the inside. He was always here for me, in every way. He found us 6 years ago, sauntering into our neighborhood and captivating us with his charm.

My youngest son, Cal, “found” him outside. Cal was an avid cat lover at the age of 4, for no reason…he had no exposure to cats, but was obsessed with them. And today I know why. Cal ran into the house and screamed, “Mommy! Mommy! I just tamed a wild cat!”

I went outside to see said cat, and there he was. Beautiful, majestic and friendly, an experience I had never had with a cat. I was a dog person my whole life and thought cats were skittish and fickle. But Kiki changed my perspective on cats forever.

I named him Kiki because that’s what I called him to get him to come to me for the first time, and he did. Of course I had some chicken in-hand, which I think helped. I fed him that one time, and he never left.

I was hesitant to let him inside the house because my entire family is allergic to cats, and I thought no one would come visit me again! But after I got him fixed and microchipped, he officially became ours. After a few months of waking up to him in his cardboard box with a towel on my porch every morning, he was a member of our family.

Kiki came into our lives when Cal was 4, and my oldest son, West, was 6. He adored the boys, was so gentle and tolerant. He was very social and would let anyone come to say hi. He’d sleep with the boys and night, and when he was ready for breakfast, he’d be sure to start licking their hair to let them know.

He would wait outside my bedroom door, patiently waiting for his chef to feed him. He would lead me into the pantry, and then scream at me to pour his kibbles in his bowl. He would devour his food and then spend the rest of his days either outside hunting or inside looking out his window or sleeping. He truly lived a life of luxury.

He was a master protector, too, growling at the deer in our yard or strange noises in the house. He would escort the boys and me on our walk to the bus stop, and when I went on walks, he would accompany me, usually far ahead or far behind me, making sure everything was safe.

He would sit on my keyboard or walk in front of my monitor when I was trying to work, just to let me know he needed to eat. He was curious and a masterful hunter, bringing me everything from live snakes and mice to headless salamanders and chipmunk tails.

Kiki was truly special, coming into my life at a time when I needed him most. His exit was very unexpected and devastating, but he knew his work had been done. It was his time; he had earned his angel wings.

To say that I am heartbroken is an understatement. To say my heart is shattered isn’t accurate enough to describe the sense of loss I feel today. Kiki turned me into a Cat Lady, and I will never forget how lucky we were to have him in our lives.

I will forever keep you in my heart, my handsome boy. We love you.