Boots

In the summer of 1993 I stayed at my grandma's a lot.  Down the street a stray cat, that made a home for itself in someone's garage, had a litter of kittens.  I fell in love with one of the kittens.  It was black and white and my friend and I intended to keep it as our own.  A man walking by said the kitten looked like it was wearing boots, so we called her Boots.  I begged my mom to let me keep her but my mom didn't want a cat born in the wild and said no.

About a month later, we saw a posting outside our local pet store that someone was giving away free kittens.  So we went to check it out.  Low and behold there was a little gray and white kitten that had the exact markings as the kitten I had wanted on my grandma's street.  I wanted her and named her Boots.  My mom fell in love with her brother (whom we named Sneaker) and decided we'd take both so they'd keep each other company.

Turns out they both were loaded with fleas.  We went out to get flea bath and bathed them.  As we took Boots out of the water to dry her off, she went limp in our hands and we thought we were losing her.  But she was just fine and came around. 

We later found out that they had worms too.  So both were taken to the vet to be dewormed and defleaed. 

Growing up the two of them loved to sit on my lap together and chase each other around the apartment and climb up the scratching post. They were very good cats.

When Boots was about 1 she started to limp and the vet didn't know why.  It went away on its own so it was decided she must have twisted it.  That was the last time Boots ever went to the vet.  She was always healthy and full of life.  She was an indoor cat so we didn't see any need to take her if she wasn't sick.

As Boots grew so did her personality.  Boots did not like strangers.  She would hide when people came over.  But when it was just us with her, she was always around.  She was always watching and observing us.  We always joked that she was learning everything about being human so she'd come back as one in her next life. :)  When I'd be fixing my hair, using the blow dryer, brushing my teeth, Boots would be sitting on the toilet seat watching my every move.  When I'd be changing in my room, she'd push open my door and come rubbing up against my legs while I was trying to get dressed.  When Mom was doing the dishes or cooking, Boots was sitting by the kitchen watching everything.  This continued all the way till the last few months of her life.

Boots also always liked to sleep with either Mom or I.  Whichever one of us went to bed first that's who she'd sleep with.  Or she'd sleep with one person half the night and the other person the other half of the night...to be fair of course.  When in my room, if I had my glitter lava lamp on, Boots would chase the glitter on my walls and floor and pounce on them.  Or if the lights were out and a car went by outside and cast a shadow or light on my wall, she'd jump at it.  Sometimes she'd case my feet too so I'd move them around on purpose for her to play with.  Most times she'd sleep in the crease of my knees and if I wanted to roll over I'd have to lift my legs around her so as not to disturb her.  She was definitely spoiled. 

Boots was a prissy cat too.  Everything had to be on her terms and she always kept herself in tip-top prim condition.  Most of her days were spent cleaning and grooming herself and making sure every hair was in place.  Sometimes we'd tease her.  After a long cleaning session we'd intentionally make her fur stick up and she'd give us the dirtiest look as if to say "How dare you!" then she'd lick it down.  Because of her cleaning habits, her fur was always soft and shiny and felt like velvet.  Very soft fur which we loved to pet.  She would also always sit very straight and pretty or sit with her paws crossed.  Her ears were always perky.  Her eyes were big and bright.  Her tail was always in the air and we called it her radar!  The white markings on her cheeks gave her the nick name "Puffer cheeks."  We'd often gently pinch them or make her smile.  Sometimes Boots would get a stinky bum so we'd put a puff of powder on her butt and when she'd walk away her bum would be white and she'd walk with a wiggle.  The V of white around her neck reminded us of a rich fur collar.  She was definitely a princess.  In her older years she didn't even want to bury anything in the kitty litter for fear of messing up her paws.

Boots liked very unusual toys.  Not your typical cat toys.  She really took to this little plastic angel Christmas tree ornament her first Christmas.  When we weren't looking, she'd snatch it off the tree and carry it in her mouth down the hall.  She'd talk to it and bat it around.  We always knew by her meow that she had the angel.  Every year we purposely put it at the bottom of the tree to see if she remembered it and she always did.  Boots also liked yarn, string, nail files and straws.  She also took to chasing water squirted from a syringe in a circle around our bathtub.  She would run until she got dizzy.  She also occasionally liked to play with water bottle caps as well.  Later in life she liked to watch me make friendship bracelets with embroidery floss and try to catch the strings as they dangled over the side of the couch and she liked chasing the laser pointer in circles.  But what Boots loved the most was the remains of a pom pom snake.  Two pom poms sewn together.  She played with it like she did the angel.  She would walk with it in her mouth and meow at the same time.  She'd drop it and just talk to it really loudly.  All different meows coming from her.  Then she'd bat it all around and chase it and stop to talk to it some more.  Unfortunately, a few months before she passed away she lost the toy and we searched high and low for it and just could not find it. :(

Boots loved her Temptations treats, cheese, ham, salmon, cheesies, and chips.  While her brother practically takes our hand off when taking food from us, Boots was very particular.  Tilting her head this way and that trying to take it just so and chewing it good before swallowing.  She was often a messy eater too.  Boots also liked to lick unusual things.  Plastic bags, photos, Bengay when we'd put it on our legs (she'd even lick right through our pant legs), and earwax (she loved to dig out q-tips from the wastebaskets).  She also went nuts for catnip.  Eating it or playing with a sock filled with it.  She'd lick the sock till it was all wet and slobbery.

Boots was also very silly.  Whether it be hiding in a plastic bag, chasing down a fly and eating it (gross), jumping halfway up the wall or running all over the apartment all crazy before or after going poop, she made us laugh.

Boots was very interactive.  She was always chattering and talking with us.  Sometimes all we had to do was look at her and she'd go nuts meowing.  She'd cackle too.  She would even meow when we'd be trying to take pictures.  We'd say, "Say cheese" and she'd answer.  Boots always knew how to give one heck of a hiss if we teased her too much.  Wrinkling her nose up and everything. 

Lastly, Boots loved to be around us.  Not just to sleep but to sit on the couch while we watched TV.  If we happened to be sitting in a position where she could not get on our lap, she'd paw our leg or bum until we moved and let her on our lap.  If we chose not to move she'd sit on our butt or drape her paws over our leg.  Quite often I'd put my hand in front of her nose and say, "Kisses Boots." and she'd lick my hand or fingers.

Around the 23rd of July, 2007 Boots stopped eating and a few days later stopped drinking.  She grew skinny and frail looking and growled or cried when we'd pick her up.  Her breathing seemed to become rapid.  Her fur no longer looked healthy and clean.

We took her into the vet on the 31st and she was dehydrated.  Stayed overnight for an IV and tests and x-rays.  The vet told us she had fluid on her lungs, a stone in her bladder and possibly a tumor on her lungs.  We had the option of further testing but we didn't have the money nor did we want to put our Boots through anymore since we knew in our hearts it was not good news.  We brought her home and took very good care of her.  She slept all the time.  While she was sleeping we searched one more time for her pom pom toy and actually found it.  Her eyes lit up when she saw it but all she could do was put her paw over it.

On August 7th, her 14th birthday, she took a turn for the worse and we knew at that point she was suffering and we needed to end that.  We put her down in the comfort of her home and she looked so peaceful that we know we did the right thing.

We sure miss her affection and talks and chatter.  It's so quiet now.  But at least she's not suffering anymore.

You entered the world on August 7th and left this world 14 years later on August 7th.  We love you and miss you Boots.  Your brother misses you too.  You brought us 14 years of joy, laughter, entertainment, comfort and love.  We will meet again at the Rainbow Bridge in time.  Until then rest in peace and watch over us Angel girl.  xoxoxo

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