When my son was a toddler, he would stand up and say, "Once atawna pine, " and continue his fairy tale. It was about this time that an acquaintance at work rescued a part-Siamese kitty from a home where the disabled owner had died...leaving a litter of kitties to fend for themselves...until the owner's body was discovered. Even then, the workers ignored the kittens until rescue day. The ironic part is that besides the kittens, my acquaintance needed rescuing something bad. She was part crazy, part wonderfully kind-hearted, and part perfect victim--always gravitating towards bizarre situations...and ultimately a bizarre marriage to a guy I worked with who seemed perfectly normal (but wasn't). Anyway, that's how I got my very snuggly cat, Atawna 12 years ago. She might have been a year old, perhaps younger. Though I had an older cat (Cuddles--who was NOT cuddly, mind you), it was Tawny who became the "mother" of cats in our household. A few years later we took on a brother and sister cat (2002, when the Angels played the Giants for the World Series and won) and named them Angel and Giant. Tawny was certainly their "mother". And then, when Cuddles (15 years old) left a few months ago and didn't come back, it was Tawny who suffered--suddenly becoming diabetic, and losing control of some of her bodily functions. This morning, the day after Thanksgiving, while preparing to cook a large turkey dinner for just four people, it was apparent that the right thing to do was to put Tawny "to sleep". So...I called around, got the best price (sounds disgustingly cold, doesn't it?), and took her in. It was the right thing--at least that's what I'm telling myself. My precious 3-year old wanted to go "watch her die"--not morbid like it seems, but sweet, because this little girl has a direct line to the BIG GUY up there, and I'm sure she would have offered her prayers...
And so now I am cooking The Big Dinner, and if there is a silver lining on this sad day, it is that I am taking solace in preparing this meal. I feel no stress, just thankfulness to have something to do that requires little brain power, much love, and repetitive tasks (chopping onions, apples, celery and the like). Perhaps I will finally become a good cook, and I can dedicate my first cookbook to "Tawny". May you rest in peace sweet kitty. Happy Thanksgiving...thanks for all the love and snuggles.
