Poosey - Queen of Hearts

Late one evening, about 10 years ago, on the first cold night of the year, we heard a scratching sound at our front door. I don't remember if David or I opened the door, but I do remember a little orange kitten announcing her presence as if to say, "Hi, I'm home..."

Hannah had been wanting a kitty for a very long time. We had told her that she could have one if we moved to the country. (We're still waiting for that dream to come true...) She quietly decided to pray about it - and she tells us she was very consistent - and see what God would do. I have come to the conclusion that Poosey is a direct answer to that prayer and I am awed at the ways God has used her in our lives.

When Hannah got awake in the morning, this little kitten took one look at her and very effectively said, "She's Mine and I'm Hers!" And that's the way it's been ever since. When Hannah was born her Grandpa Rigel called her his poosey. Loosely translated, that's Rigelish for 'a precious little bundle that melts my heart and makes me smile'. And so, Hannah named her kitten 'Poosey'.

I believe Zach actually met her before Hannah did because he's an early riser. He was losing his hearing at the time and many days were difficult for him. Poosey has a purr that is much bigger than she is. Every morning Zach would get awake very early and sit on the recliner holding Poosey and just enjoy the feeling of her rumble. He says that he could always 'hear' her. I know that physically there were times when he couldn't but his perception is that he always could.

Poosey is part Manx. She has just a little stump of a tail and her back legs are longer than her front ones, putting her rump just a bit in the air when all four feet are on the floor. The Manx traits influence her personality too, causing some rather uncatlike behaviors. She often follows Hannah - to the extent that I've taken to calling her a puppy-cat. She's openly affectionate and isn't moody. It takes only Hannah's presence nearby to start her purring and if Hannah pets her too, she starts this funky purr-squeak, purr-squeak. It seems like she works very hard with all the purring but she can keep it up for long periods of time.

She's never stingy with her love! Here she's giving Jimmy a bath. In case you can't tell from the smashed face, Jimmy is a rabbit - and another whole love story. Jimmy would drive Poosey crazy, following her around Hannah's room begging for attention.

I could go on for a long time about all the things we've learned from living with Poosey. God sometimes answers little girls' prayers with a big 'yes!'. He gives us a glimpse of His unconditional love in the way a companion animal loves her master. God doesn't withhold His creative energy from the lost and the stray - Poosey's eyes are incredibly beautiful, like the most elaborate and delicate green lace imaginable. And most recently, doing good and loving unselfishly doesn't protect you from suffering and pain.

Our Poosey is in severe pain right now. Five years ago she was diagnosed with the beginnings of kidney failure. She's been managed ever since with a low protien diet. She also has degenerative disc disease. Apparently that is also thanks to being part Manx. This past Monday something happened to aggravate the disc problem and is causing some nerve entrapment. She is having pain in her back and she can't control her back left leg properly. Her kidney disease is also worsening. That sounds very bleak but the kidney disease can be managed with sub-q fluids twice weekly for now and she is on pain medication for her back. We're looking into some alternative treatments to help get the inflammation down and hopefully get the nerve function to improve.

We are all feeling the pain. Living together in a homeschool atmosphere allows us to process it, but also keeps it up front in our minds. We've had discussions about the pleasures and the responsibility of pet ownership. We've always taught the kids that having pets means that they depend on you for all their needs - and rising to the challenge of meeting those needs isn't always easy or fun. We've talked about euthanasia - Is it right? Is it our responsibility?
Why is it OK for animals and not for people? What happens to animals when they die? Why is it so easy to see that when a normally loving animal lashes out, it's due to the pain and fear but when a person lashes out, we're often so offended that we don't look for the pain or fear that caused it? How exactly do you get a pill into a cat? Why does God sometimes say 'no'? Why does love have to hurt so much?