July 2004

Good-bye Sweet Pixel

Musings by Beth Weiss, Region 3 WebSpinner

15 years ago this fall, after settling into our apartment in Tucson, Dean and I went to the Humane Society and adopted two kittens. There were three kittens from the litter--two black and white ones and one black one. We took the black one and one of the black and white ones. A couple with a little girl took home the other black and white one. The kittens were three months old.

We named them Index and Pixel and we brought them home to our apartment. They raced up the stairs and sat on the edge of the loft overlooking the living room. Once we couldn't find them, after looking everywhere. I looked under the bed (again) and saw a small head peering at me--the kittens had climbed up inside the boxspring!

They were crazy, both of them, for a long time--chasing motes of dust, jumping off the wall at nothing at all. We called Index our little rabbit--and Pixel was a panther. I called them "the Indexalated one" (made up word) and "the Pixelated one"--which I thought was a made-up word, until I looked it up and learned that it meant possessed by pixies.

Pixel was always fast and social—she ran everywhere and she wanted to be with people. Index was shy around strangers but always there when it was just the family. People would come to parties and ask how many cats I had. "Two", I'd say, "but you'll only see one."

Two years later, we moved to a house. Index cried all night the first night--she didn't like the change. Pixel caught a baby lizard--it was clear--we never saw another one in the house--if she caught any more, I guess she didn't bring them to us. The kitties found the "high places" in this house, too, and settled in. They slept on our bed, sat with us when we watched TV or read, and knew that it was really *their* house--we were just the staff.

When Jordan came along, the cats weren't too sure about the new creature—Pixel always wanted to lay on top of him when he was nursing. The cats were somewhat indignant each time he became more mobile—they discovered they weren't "safe" after all and they learned new rules for keeping away from the little human in the house.

When we moved to Ohio 9 years ago, we had to kennel them for almost 2 months—but they came along. It took them a long time to forgive each other for the kennel—but they didn't blame their people. Index took to sitting on the refrigerator..she liked to be on top of things. Pixel preferred the couch and chairs, where the people were. The kids learned to treat the kitties with the Adoration they were due. And still, everyone who came to my house only met Pixel. She'd walk near their feet, jump onto their laps, and curl up.

When my ex moved out, we didn't even talk about it—Index and Pixel stayed with me. Kitties age, and Pixel and Index aged. Index came out to socialize with people she knew well. She liked small and intimate quiet parties. Pixel was still a socialite--if there were people, she was there to see what was going on.

Last fall, we lost Index to kidney failure and diabetes, and we were all heartbroken. Pixel had been deteriorating for quite some time, but she still jumped on laps and insisted on being Petted and Adored, which was her Right as a Cat.

Marcia called Pixel a dancer. Skinner just wanted her to quit jumping on him :-). She insisted on sitting on Sandy all the time. Karl spoiled her with swiss cheese and pieces of chicken. During parties, she'd come out and say hello to people and join them on the couch. She was my sweetest kitty.

But even the sweetest kitty can give up the fight. And she's chasing lizards somewhere else now. And my house seems very empty without my sweet Pixel.

©2004, Beth Weiss, all rights reserved