"Mittens" Isola

When Mittens came into our lives, the only things we knew about her were that she had white paws, the longest white whiskers, a dapper mustache, and the cutest high pitched meow. But I was hooked from the moment I met her. She was so young, then...only 4 or 5 weeks old. 

In March of this year, just a month after her adopted older sister was taken from us suddenly, we found out she had cancer. She stopped eating the food she loved most (Kit-n-Kaboodle) and we could tell she was experiencing discomfort. When we took her to the vet, we hoped it was something simple. But it wasn't. In the months that followed, she fought so hard for us.  She was such a fighter.  She endured weekly vet visits and car rides, being poked and prodded, shaved, and more, as we tried to figure out exactly what cancer she had and how to fight it back. She went through months of chemo, which were very up and down times for her.  Unfortunately, none of the chemo was effective enough for her. 

We made many precious memories in the months between then and now.  I'm so grateful for the extra time we got...but she deserved more time.  She put up with so much so that we could give her a fighting chance...but in the end it wasn't fair to make her keep fighting and suffering. She also deserved to be at peace. 

We've had just about 8 years of cherished memories with her since she first arrived. She loved fiercely, and she was violently territorial. She had her favorites and she cared about them deeply. For every moment of stress she put us through (I don't count the stress of cancer among those moments, to be clear), there's a thousand moments of joy and laughter she gave us in exchange. We love her cuddles and her loud, easy purr, the way she burrowed into sheets and pillows. We loved making forts for her, but then we'd randomly find her somehow in our closet in a pile of laundry or a bin of clothes, where she'd sit, content, for hours. 

She loved boxes and doing somersaults at our feet, and she loved watching the birds and insects through the window. She was also great at hunting any insects that she found in the house. She could be a terror to her sisters for sure, even though she was always the one visiting the vet after those fights (she ripped a nail two different times!). She was so kind and gentle with people, especially when she trusted them. She loved sitting on my computer keys while I needed to work, and she loved bathing in the sun. 

Even though our original draw to her was her looks and her meow, I love every bit of the person she grew up to be. She had a precious soul and a wonderful personality that brought endless joy and love into our lives.

As I'm sure anyone who is going through this or has gone through this knows, words and photos can't do her justice. She was a whole being full of life and personality, unique and beautiful in her uniqueness. I hate so much that she was robbed of more time to express that uniqueness.  

"Loved you then, love you still. Always have, always will."

I love you so much Mittens. It was my privilege to be with you in this life. I will long for the rainbow bridge every day until the day I die.