6/16/2014
Dear Diane, Here is our precious Skye on her 17th birthday, May 20, 2014. For the occasion, we put a tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream in one of our crystal champagne glasses (a gift at our wedding almost 60 years ago) and placed Skye on the table near it. I had to be quick with my picture taking because Skye knows she shouldn't be either be on our dining table or helping herself to our food. A couple of celebratory licks, and down she jumped.
I can't believe that -as of August 23- it will be 17 years since we carried a tiny kitten from your home and decided on her name before we even reached our car. She would be "Skye,"' because her eyes matched the blue of the San Diego sky that day.
Skye has been a perfect kitten and cat. She has never scratched anything but her scratching posts, has never missed her litter box, and even adapted to sharing her favorite sleeping spots, her litter box, and her food dish with an older cat that we "inherited"' when Skye had been our "only"' for 5 years.
Although she seems fine now, she had a serious health problem. You may remember because I wrote to you for advice. Skye had developed severe asthma, and her vet was talking inhalers and a reduced life span. You suggested that we change our household cleaning agents to the Seventh Generation brand. We did so and guess who soon showed no further sign of asthma!
We three octogenarians (me, my husband, and "equivalently' Skye) enjoy the sunshine on our deck. We used to walk her on a leash, but these days we humans are too creaky to keep up with her. As a young cat, she would repeatedly jump up into my arms. Now, the touch of the soft tip of her tongue on a bare leg or the gentle tap of a paw means "Please pick me up for a cuddle."'
Skye may have slowed down as she has aged. However, some of us remember how a young Skye would catch us unawares by flushing the toilet while it was in use.
She was a beloved, rascally young cat! Now, she is a beloved, gentle elderly one!
Regards, Coralyn