Hi All,

    It was last October that a little, scrawny, smelly kitten came into my
life. It was quite by accident because I wasn't looking for a cat. I
was just worried about finishing my degree and getting out of school
and finding a job. Someone at school found this little thing under
their porch. They could not take care of her.  I don't know why I said
yes when she asked me if I wanted a cat. But the word yes popped out
before I had quite thought about it, and that is how Little Miss came
into my life.
The name seemed to fit her then, and still seems to fit her.  Even
though she was caked in dirt and mud, her nose was runny and she
sneezed all over me, and her eyes goopy with an infection, she still
had a little prissy look about her. After she cleaned herself up, we
discovered a beautiful part Siamese cat. She is either seal point or
lilac point. Sometimes it's hard to tell cause her coloring changes
depending upon what I'm wearing. Her eyes, too seem to change color
as well Sometimes, they are yellow, and sometimes they look blue.  But,
I digress, on to the details.

        So I brought the little thing home, after of course the
obligatory visit to the vet. She was probably about two months old when
she came to live with me, but I don't know her exact birthdate.
Then, every kitten needs a birthday, so I decided August 9th would be
hers.

    At first, she was one sick little kitty. She cried for three days,
only stopping when I would hold her. She was also one scared, angry
little kitten. She scratched and bit and played hard. I once counted
over 100 scratches on my body, before I gave up counting. But, she was
also a loving kitten, especially after those first three days when she
began to get her strength back. She followed me everywhere! She was,
though, very much a feral kitten. I even had to teach her how to eat
from a bowl, because she didn't know.  I think I handfed her for the
first three months, mostly because I had to give her medication and it
was the only way I knew she would get it down.  I also wanted her to
learn to trust me.

    At about three months, I began to teach her to wear a harness. It
probably took about two months before she would wear it for more than
five minutes. She now goes out regularly with her harness and leash. We
not only walk around the yard, but we also go around the neighborhood.
We've also been going to parks as well. She doesn't do as well on a
path she hasn't been on before, as she needs to sniff everything
first. Once she's been to the park and knows it, she's does fairly
well and can sometimes outrun me.  I just recently got a pet stroller
because I'd like to take her to more parks and it's easier for me
to get the exercise I need if we don't stop every minute or so to
smell the grass. She seems to like the pet stroller a lot. She sits and
watches everything. She's a pretty amazing kitty, and I feel so lucky
and blessed to have had her stay with me.

    She's also had a lot of sicknesses as well. Not only did she have a
horrid cold and sneezes for a couple of months, she had a bad reaction
to one of the vaccinations and even after seven months, we are still
fighting inflammation and skin irritation. To prevent her from
scratching and irritating her skin even more, she's had to wear
doggie teeshirts and sweatshirts. Then, that a long, long story, and
I'll tell it another time. She's doing quite well now, and I think
the medication she's on is going to get her through the inflammation
and allow her to just wear her own beautiful coat again soon.

    Suffice it to say that Little Miss is quite the special little kitty,
and I'm glad on that dark and stormy night, she found her way to my
home and heart.

--Little Missy's Mom