My Queen, Lil’ Mamie

Some time in October 2006, I was busy at work. I was just getting over the loss of my kitten, Hathor, when a co-worker sent out an email offering a free kitten to anyone who wanted it. I gave it some thought and felt, that Hathor†s brother, Horus, needed a companion while I was away at work. I had had other cats before and they were the only ones left alone in the home while I went off to work everyday. I felt bad since those cats where extremely lonely and at time became vengeful (i.e. spraying my clothes, etc.). I didn’t want the same thing to happen again. So without delaying any longer, I answered my co-worker back and said I would be happy to take the kitten. I asked if it was a boy or a girl and was told that the sex was unknown. I asked about the circumstances as to how the kitten came to be in her possession. My co-worker then began to spin the tale. Her mother works for Gardnerville, NV sheriff’s department. A call was made to the department about a mysterious box left at the door of an old lady’s home. The old lady was naturally apprehensive about touching the box. So she called a sheriff to come and investigate if it was a bomb of some sort. The officers arrived and discovered a small pitiful little kitten inside, starved, and dehydrated beyond belief. Why the animal wasn’t taken to a doctor is unknown to me. So after many hours of anticipatory waiting, my co-worker’s mother finally arrived with the thing. I immediately went about the work of finding the sex of the animal and discovered it was a girl. Looked at the teeth and discovered she was extremely young. She, of course was very, very, small. I guesstimated her age at barely 3 months. She was in horrific shape. Her whiskers appeared to have been cut and melted off. She had a little scab on her nose. Over one eye, the whiskers where completely gone. The whites of her eyes were halfway over them. But she meowed loudly and still does! My heart just went out to this little one! How could I possibly say no? She had a horrible smell as well. Poor thing. So, after work, I carefully tucked her in my coat, to prepare for the short walk home. It was a little windy. We finally made it inside my house without incident. Whew! It was now time for the introductions with Horus, my male. For about the first 5 minutes, I would have to say he actually growled at her. Then he calmed down and accepted her. He is a very accepting animal and has had a good life with me. The little kitten curled right up next to him and went to sleep after some good warm food in her belly. Probably the first food she had had in a long time. Then the crapping started. Not sure why, but she would go between my dresser and computer desk, under my computer desk, anywhere she felt on the floor in front of my dresser, behind the toilet, pee at the corner of the refrigerator and on my brand new bathroom rug! The first 3 months where like a war zone in my tiny studio apartment! I finally took her to the vet and got her checked for worms to pinpoint the problem. No worms. So her behavior was behavioral. She was still dealing with the trauma from before she came to my home and was unleashing it all over my house! I came up with a name I had been calling her from the start, Lil’ Mamie. I thought a better name could be given to her but got really no feedback on the issue. So Lil’ Mamie it is!
She has always known where to go and how to use a litter box. So that wasn’t the problem. I really keep it clean and I keep my bathroom rug draped over the shower rod so girlfriend doesn’t get it again. She still will if given an opportunity to do so! The crapping has stopped, but I have to always be watchful of her. Once she pissed my favorite jeans! I was horrified as I had just taken them off to have a shower and left them on the floor. I missed the laundry basket. No basketball career for me! She gets a lot of affection on a daily basis. I brush both cats’ teeth, which is a new thing for both them and me. Lil’ Mamie is expecting little ones. Still being a little one herself, I am worried if she will be o.k. giving birth. Then I tell myself, of course she will. I have helped two other litters into the world at my mother’s home when her cat at litters. So I know what to expect. I am excited and apprehensive about the whole thing. Horus is a calico who exhibits a recessed gene. He is basically white with a few black spots on him. His sister was full on calico. Lil’ Mamie has big ears like a bat and a tiny little pointy nose. If she wore a hat, she would look just like a little Yoda cat! She has become my little shadow and is constantly near me these days. I think the time is getting close for the birth. I have made a little spot for her nursery. I hope she will feel comfortable enough to give birth and not have problems. We are still working out our trust issues with each other. It makes me angry that someone would be so vile to mistreat and animal in the way she was mistreated. I can only guess as time goes by the horrors she experienced. I somehow feel it was a lady that hurt her. Not sure why, but I do feel it coming from her. She has totally bitten a landline phone cord in half. I don’t use it anyway, but I discovered that my brand new cell phone cord was bitten to the point that it has a bad short in it. I keep the wire tucked between my mattresses. Lil’ Mamie eats like she has a tapeworm or something. I guess the feeling of being hungry and starving has affected that too. There is always food out for both animals. Maybe, in time, she will learn to walk on a leash like Horus does. All we have is time!