The Itty Bitty Kitty is no longer with us and the world is
smaller place. Itty Bitty lost his fight
against old age and cancer today at the age of 18.
According to my sister, Itty Bitty spoke with the voice of
Darth Vader. In reality, he spoke with a distinctive
half-chirping meow. And a giant
purr. Itty Bitty was not your typical
cat. He loved olives, yogurt, deli ham
and a freshly opened box of Cat Chow. He
had a glorious white coat and luxurious neck fur, a long tail and tufted paws.
Itty Bitty found us when we were living in a ground floor
apartment. We think his previous owner
had abandoned him after a move. My
husband heard him calling at the window and let him in the apartment. Oily and undersized, he walked in like he owned the place and 16
years and two residences later, he was still our cat. I
had tried out several names on the Itty Bitty Kitty. Molly didn’t work when a vet pointed out Itty
Bitty was a boy. Ellis didn’t work (too
stuffy). So we kept calling him the Itty
Bitty Kitty. And it stuck. Even as he grew into his frame and eventually
weighed fifteen pounds, he was always the Itty Bitty Kitty.
Itty Bitty loved sleeping in a warm sunny spot in our back
yard. Not an outdoor cat, Itty Bitty
still spent time in the back yard with us, chewing grass and just hanging out. He supervised every construction project and
house repair, offering advice as needed.
He was a gentle soul and a good friend. Our lives are richer for having him in them,
and we are lucky to have had him so long.
Itty Bitty will be missed beyond words.
And I know, even though I wish he was with me, he is
in a better place, chewing on grass and sleeping in the sun, with an endless
supply of Cat Chow. And olives.
