[Lulu2]

About fifteen years ago, I adoped a feeble little kitten. She had a terrible intestinal infection and both the vet and I thought she'd probably die.

He gave me some medicine and told me to give it to her every two hours. I sat up all night with her and dilligently dosed her.....her tiny body fit right into my hand and I cuddled her against my body to keep her warm and let her know she was loved.

She lived. AMAZINGLY, she lived! And she got better and she became well and healthy!

And she became the smartest cat I've ever lived with--she could "fetch" and she knew how to open the drawer where her "fetch" toys "lived." My friends would ask to see Skosh "fetch." It was such fun to see her race up & down the hall as people threw the fuzzy toys she loved to "catch" and bring back for another throw.

As the years went by, I brought more rescued cats into our family and Skoshie always taught them how to groom one another and how to play. She was always good for a cuddle and a lap-sit with me.

When my husband was dying, Skosh sat on his lap and would lie on his bed and keep him company, too.

These last weeks, I've been recovering from a knee replacement and didn't pay as much attention to all the animals as I might've. But yesterday, I realized Skoshie had lost a LOT of weight. So, today I took her to the vet.

He found a huge mass in her abdomen, and fluid in her lungs! As animals do, she'd hidden her distress from me...until it was so far gone that she couldn't hide it any more.

There was only one choice to make and so, I did it. I held her little head while the wonderful vet staff injected her with the medicine which sent her into oblivion. Everyone commented on how trusting and patient she was...how she'd obviously never been hurt or mistreated...so she believed to the very last moment that we loved and cared for her.

She was a "tuxedo" cat...smart, funny and loving. And I will miss her forever. So will her loving family...Oliver, MeMe and Lulu.