Something I wanted to do last week, but couldn't get to then, was to take note of a special date, the 3rd of October. The 3rd is special for two things, it was the last day of life for the sweetest kitty I ever knew, and my designated birthday for Mini-Me.
Like nearly all of my cats, I have no idea when Mr. Me was born. They show up, they stay, and they become a part of the family, so I designate birthdays. Usually it is somewhat related to the date of their first visit to the vet. Mr. Me showed up in 2017. The doctor at his first visit estimated that he was about two, so I figured 2015. It was fall. Mr. Me's fur is medium length and oh so soft! Just like Cali's. So I decided to give him as his birthday, the date that she passed, Oct 3, 2015. So last Friday was the 10th anniversary of both!

Cali was someone's throw away who, until she was captured, had multiple litters while living behind the local Walmart. Eventually she was trapped and her days as a mother ended. Through a series of events I wound up with her. At that point she was still terrified of humans. I paired her with another kitty that she doted upon, and she transitioned from living outside and free to living in a cage, and then a bedroom, and finally the house. Unfortunately, her companion died. It was a big loss to her. But once that happened, she was able to overcome her fear of people and become a loving companion. Her purr was a constant, audible from anywhere, and her love filled the house as well. For me there will never be another kitty like Cali.

Mr. Me is quite the opposite. He does not sit in my lap all day and get his fur under the keys of the keyboard. He is his own man who has better things to do with his time than spend it with me! He likes to rule his home and everything surrounding it. At night though he likes to be near, and until all his recent troubles, would get on the bed every night once the lamp was turned off. Now he sleeps in his own bed in the room. The collar he had to wear for so long, and the difficulty jumping up now, seem to have left him to choose this option. Maybe once everything is stabilized and he is not having to adjust to constant changes, he'll improve on his navigation and get up on the bed again. Nothing though is stopping him from getting up to the top of his favorite cat tree! This image was taken this past Tuesday, by which time he was already confirmed to be blind.
So, while it this was a terrible 10th birthday for Mr. Me, I hope that there will be better ones ahead for him.