Recovery Progress: Hard Day, Mia's gone

This is more a therapy post. There's only been two cats that I've really, really connected with and Mia was one of them. The other was Chinny (he had a white spot on his chin but was other's wise pretty much a black cat) when I was a teenager. Mia was always my cat. She'd get up in the chair when I was cross stitching and would just lay down with my fabric draped over her and she wouldn't care. Sometimes we'd spend several hours that way. When I told her up, she'd get off my lap; when I told her to lay down she'd just curl up. Sometimes she'd pretend she didn't hear but after a couple of times, with ears back, she'd lay down. I think there was only a couple of times that she scratched furniture but other then that that's something I've never had to worry about with either one of my cats. She loved her scratching posts. She also didn't mind her nails being clipped. I'd lay her on her back in my lap and clip them. Sometimes she even purred through the clipping! Very occasionally she wasn't so thrilled but typically it was a walk in the park. She loved to give 'hugs' as well. I'm truly going to miss those hugs. She'd cuddle up next to my face and dip her head into my chin and hold her head there for several seconds. She did it occasionally with Christina but I always got my 'hugs' from her. And her belly, oh did she love her belly to be scratched! Several pictures show her belly up. After giving a hug she'd worm her way around in my arms and end up with me holding her belly up. This next one goes for both cats too. They've never (and I do mean never!) eaten anything off the counter. I can leave chicken, hamburger etc out and it isn't touched! I've truly been spoiled with my kitties and that's one reason when Pippy goes I won't get another cat. I don't see how I could get so lucky again. Another reason is there are so many people with cat allergies (Christina included) that it's just better to try and make it a cat free house. I'll dearly miss having cats since I've literally had them all my life but it'd also mean I don't have to have someone feeding them when I'm gone. Just plants will need cared for. ;)

Mia was also a HUGE help after Dave left. She was always there. I could pick her up and hug her and love on her for comfort and she'd put up with it. That was huge during that first year. I went from no kitties sleeping on my bed to both of them spending most nights on my bed over the last 8 1/2 years. I'm hoping that Pippy will be okay. Him and Mia would often sleep together in a chair or on the bed. And licking each other's heads; Pippy liked his head being licked and he'd dip it in front of Mia. Sometimes she did lick it for him but other times he got hissed at!! But yesterday it was very sweet. When she was laying on my bed he went over to her and gave her head some licks and didn't try and get any back. I ended up with them at the same time from the humane society. When they were out together it was obvious they'd be great friends so in 2005 we adopted them. Mia was 9 months and Pippy was around a year and a half. This last month Pippy's rebounded to the point he was racing around the house yesterday and playing. I was expecting to lose him a month ago and ended losing Mia. The curves that life throws at us!