MY CATS...Sadly HART , PIA, and NADINE crossed the bridge into their next lives.

The very first cat I ever had was a white and yellow spotted cat. HART had a heart shaped yellow spot on her shoulder area. She was the only cat that leaped into my arms, and would always greet me when I arrived. She would stay with me, and come when I called out her name. She had a long life of 15 years and populated my place with at least 54 kittens. HART was the matriarch of the farm. Even our dog, a large Belgian shepherd deferred to HART. In fact, since HART was the elder, the dog respected her and in some odd way, tolerated each other.

HART was both the mother, and the great grandmother to all her kittens who then beget more kittens as the years passed. Two of her most recent kittens I named Nadine and Pia, both looking similar to their mother, but all had sort of brown-yellowish eyes, except Pia that had blue sapphire eyes. I neutered Hart, Pia and Nadine, hoping to keep them and bought them each collars with little bells so the chickens and birds would hear them coming.

I felt very sad to know people can be very mean to cats. I knew there were children in the area that tormented cats and HART being very docile and genuinely affectionate, had been abused by farmhands and street people. I describe street people as those passing by who kick or throw stones at cats wandering outside. I saw scald marks often on some of our cats, and I am assuming that HART and her family of kittens and grown ups had wandered into kitchens and had eaten some food they were not allowed to eat. HART was always polite and did not leap up on counters or tables if I wasn't around. Sometimes she just loved to sleep on our granite counter top since the weather was rather warm, and the granite was cool. I miss her, and mourn her passing. This blog has existed for a long time...the story of my farm and all the animals who have lived and passed on have affected me now that I am a grandmother....I am growing older, and find new animal friends, but I can never forget HART, my first beloved cat....may she come again, and let me know she is back! *wink*