My Princess Bitty!

This is my Princess Bitty. In reality, she is probably the queen. She rules my heart and the apartment. I have raised her since she was 2 weeks old. When she was brought to me, she was a little runt that fit in my hand, covered in pet lice and eyes glued shut. She was not well, could barely breathe. Her siblings, Koko a tabby tom, and sister Yummy were both healthy and rambunctious. I wrapped the poor baby up in a blanket and put her in a box, put her in an isolated place for the night so that she could pass on in peace. I had raised enough strays to know it was what would come.

The next morning, I went to the box and the blanket was empty, and this little black creature crawled up from the corner of the box and started mewing and then she continued her crawl up my arm, to my face and nuzzled it and at that moment crawled into my heart. I called a vet who specialized in feral cats. I took her in and a dousing of lice killer, and given drops for eyes and nose, I was sent on my way. That was nearly ten years ago.

My youngest about 5 years ago and Bitty.

 She was always a shared cat between my youngest and myself. She would put up with anything my daughter would do to her. The photo above is evidence of that. My daughter taught her to play fetch, drink out of a glass and I believe taught her that she did indeed rule all us humans and her siblings. We all seem to bow down to her. My daughter has moved out, and now Bitty has attached herself to me. I do mean attached. When I sit on the couch, she is as close to me as she can get, I often even have to adjust how I sit because she has left me little to no room to move. When I sleep, her place is right next to my head ( hubby has own room because of snoring, so she took his place) , she has her own blanket and pillow and uses it too! She reaches out and always puts one paw on my arm. I wake a lot and if she sees me get up, she will get up with me and follow me...even to the bathroom....she does not let me out of her site. Heaven forbid she senses that I am not doing well, she is then on top of me and nuzzling and trying to comfort me.

This is what I see when I come out of the shower. She is there waiting for me.

Bitty now more than ever is often my strength to get through the day, to grasp onto happiness and joy. She makes me smile, she makes me laugh and well the love I feel from her to me and the love I feel towards her is soul filling. She keeps me company, when the hours run into each other and brings me pain dulling comfort when it is needed most. Right now that is a plus. My teeth, with the weather hurt so bad that it has been almost the kind the can drop one to their knees and make you cry out. Won't mention what the wet, cold weather and not being able to walk does to my fibro and arthritis symptoms....she is right there, purring, cuddling and her body warmth against my legs is like having a natural heating pad.

I worry over her health, we can not afford to take her to the vet, and she is gaining weight with age, drinking more and not really eating more, so worry she has diabetes or something. But to her never give up or in will, something she has taught me ( yes you can learn from your animals) is evident as she has become more sociable, loving, and devoted to me than ever before. We had to part with Yummy a couple years back when we were moving to an apartment, and Yummy had become my cat after my oldest daughter moved out and away,( sorry no photo...dunno why. Wish I did, she was a beautiful Koon breed cat, long tabby striped hair in shades of gray and white and beautiful green eyes.)  and Princess Bitty has certainly filled that void. 

This is Koko a few years back, he is much more scraggly now. But still so cute!

He is Rebecca's cat, she raised him and adores him so, but now lives with her BF Jared and they have a shared love in a dog named Robbie...but she visits.

 I have always been close with her brother Koko (sharing that with my daughter Rebecca and my husband Robert who Koko adores and whose bed he sleeps on all day and night), but she has not been allowing that to happen quite as much, always giving the death stare...the "she is mine look". I feel bad for Koko,but am honored Bitty has taken a claim to me. Koko  is just the biggest, um not the sharpest tool in the shed, lovable cat in the world, but he too is not doing well...we believe he is nearing the end, possible kidney issues. He sleeps all day and rarely comes out to socialize. Bitty and him have never gotten along...but now Bitty even has been kinder to him, showing compassion and understanding....though on his good days she still goes after him for a good butt whipping romp...she does rule the space after all and guess she wants to remind him.

You may wonder why I am doing a love post to my cat(s). Well as I started the week out with a love post, wanted to keep the theme going. I have not been at all well this week, as mentioned, and there has been a few things adding stress to my bad health, but I have to express my gratitude to the sweet , now very pudgy with age, devoted and lovable cat named Bitty that has brought me so much comfort. I hope you did not mind. Now it is play time w/Princess Bitty!