Kiara

Well it's been MONTHS since I've last posted.  There are so many things going on in my life right now...I just don't know where to begin.

Let's start with Kiara.  Kiara is my baby.  She has been my puurrrfect friend ;-) since 2001.  A little background...when my family and I moved to Hawai'i I was home schooled and my siblings went to public school.  The jr/sr highs were NOT good and both my mom and I agreed that homeschooling was by far the wiser choice.  The only problem was...I didn't have the outlet to make friends.  There was an on base homeschooling program where kids like me took classes with other home schoolers such as choir, drama, speech/debate and standardized tests.  I just didn't fit in.  I had begged both my parents for a cat for YEARS prior to our move but my dad's position in the military made it difficult for us to give me that dream.  UNTIL...the cunning mind of Erin used the FACT that we had MICE (only 2 were ever seen) to convince my dad it was a wise investment.  I of course had to do research on the pros of having a cat.  To make the story better my mom and I looked around the island for cat adoptions..Nada, why?  cause the oriental EAT CATS! EW! We went to a few houses on base and saw a few but none picked me.  I was feeling quite disheartened when we recieved a call from a lady who worked at the on base animal shelter/vet.  She was nursing a less than 2 week old kitten that had been found with her eyes still closed, on base in a gutter by the MPs.  She said I could come look at her in a weeks time.  I did.  I walked through that door and there were about 5 cats around and out of no where this adorable kitten comes right up to me and climbs up my leg purring.  She picked me!  My mom and I stayed for over an hour just chatting and I played with MY new kitten.  I can't believe that this creature chose me and how she did it.  I had to wait till she was weened from the bottle a few weeks but that moment I signed the papers saying I would take this animal off the island of Hawai'i I knew she was my best friend.  She has been my companion from Hawai'i to Oklahoma to Utah and now back to Oklahoma.

I will purr you to sleep

Just snuggling like old times

"I love you but this is MY PILLOW"

"Mom, it's time for bed!"

This is my kissy face

Her new collar

The day my sister brought her to me from Utah

The reason I give this background story is because 12 years have passed and I still have my Kiara.  Once I graduated college and found a job my sister flew Kiara down with her in August and I have had my baby ever since.  I thank God for the timing.  Kiara is sick and apparently has been for years but no one ever caught onto it...not even the vets which she has seen REGULARLY her entire life.  I will keep the story short.  I don't know how much time I have left with her but I am making every day count.  The steroids I have to give her every night are giving her "quality of life" and that's the best I can hope for.  She may have anywhere from a few months or a few years.  I am so sad about that BUT I have her with me and I am doing the best that I can for my best friend.  She purrs ALL the time, she lays on my stomach, back and head every night when I go to bed, she kneads my face and shoulders.  She is hilarious to watch and she still thinks that she's a kitten.  I love Kiara...she will always be my popok'i (Hawaiian for Cat, the islanders didn't have "R's" or "S's" in their alphabet and when the European missionaries came to the islands they would say Poor Pussy so the islanders said PoPoki!  and it stuck)

I'm praying that God allows me to have this creature in my life for several more years.  I am am truly blessed to have had this cat in my life for 12 years though, she is my first pet and nothing could ever replace her.  I just hope that when the time comes I will be strong enough to do what I must...I know I will just hate thinking about when that day will come.  ENOUGH OF THAT!!  I have her in my arms right now and that is ALL that matters :-)  I will be happy with that :-)

She was shaved for her ultrasound :-(

My beautiful girl

She is watching me as I type this blog :-)

I love my baby and I know that in the back of my mind I am always worried about her and it's causing a little extra stress.  I just can't help it.  I've shed a lot of tears and money for her the past several months but I don't regret any of it!

Update on her though: She had her teeth cleaning yesterday and she did very well.  Her blood work came back great so the prednisone isn't affecting her liver and kidneys (at least not yet).