Goodbye my Sweet "Ojitos"

16 years ago,  a friend of mine by the name of Laura Irene convinced me to take a ride across the border to Tijuana to "peak" at some kittens she and her family had rescued.  Reluctantly, I went. Hours later, I came home with, not one, but two, beautiful kittens.  They were sisters from the same litter.  Laura had already given one of them a name.  She called her "Ojitos" because her big eyes were too big for her little head.

When they arrived, I changed their names.   "Ojitos" the grey and white kitty, became "Sirena" (Mermaid) because she was so calm.   The black and white kitty was a little frisky girl, so I called her "Xena" (as in the princess warrior.)  The sisters were covered in fleas from spending time with other cats outside behind Laura's house.   Before taking them back to the U.S. I had to get their shots from a Mexican Veterinarian and bring their little passports with me when crossing back into the U.S.

Once at home, I dipped the girls in buckets of flea shampoo out on the patio, and picked out each flea one by one.  I brushed them, fluffed them, and bought them their own dishes and toys.  They quickly learned English (my first language) but it was evident that they understood Spanish too.  For the next four years, they were spoiled rotten.  They slept with me side by side, and got all my love and attention.

In 2004, everything changed for my babies.  I got married into a blended family with three children, and soon thereafter, a brand new baby boy arrived.   Hard as it was,  I tried to continue to give them the love and attention they so deserved.    They eventually got used to our new life and busy home.   The kids took to the kitties as well,  and loved them right back.   Our busy life came to a screeching halt recently when we discovered that Sirena has an aggressive form of cancer.   No operation would save her.   With broken hearts, tonight we laid Sirena to rest.  This beautiful gata left a permanent paw print in our hearts.

We worry about how Xena will cope.  She doesn't know life without her sister.   With tears streaming down my face,  I look back at the many photos we have of Sirena, and I try to find peace in

the wonderful memories she brought to our lives.