A TOILET, SOME KITTENS, A TALE OF LOVE

Twelve years ago… my hubby and I were in the market for a new toilet. Because our rear ends are larger, than the average joe's, we were looking for a style that would accommodate us. The bigger the better. Water saving toilets were all the rage back then. And as you know, they are smaller. We wanted something old fashioned, with an extended bowl. We managed to locate one about an hour north of us. To get there we would have to take back country roads. So off we headed to get our new commode. It was a beautiful day. A glorious drive in the country. Along the way we saw many things. One of them was a sign. It said FREE KITTENS. We are suckers for kitties.Those BIG heads (pardon the pun, since we were talking toilets) and wide eyes. Our own cats had perished several years earlier and we thought stopping for a 'kitty cat break' sounded like a nice distraction. We agreed in advance to not be tempted by this opportunity. We were just LOOKING, nothing more. So we pulled off the road. The scene was chaotic. Kids were running every which way, and so was a great big old dog. There were 3 teeny, tiny kittens nestled in a bed in the garage. One of them ignored us… as we entered the room. But the other two... were all over us. To say they were adorable would be an understatement. We immediately scooped them up in our hands, hugging and kissing them. They mewed and purred. Is there any sound more precious? We were smitten. When it came time to leave, my husband was the first to cave in to his heart's desire.. He said, “Let’s take one of these cuties home.” I told him I could not choose between the two… they were both too sweet. I figured we'd better just walk away, like we agreed to before we stopped. But he would not take NO for an answer. He got the bright idea, to take BOTH of them, instead of just one. He insisted we do this, and not look back with regrets. He knew I wouldn't be able to forget these two little fuzzballs and he also knew... I would always be wondering, what if. At first, I thought he had lost his mind. We were not prepared to do this. I had to wrap my head around the thought of two cats, not one. We had no kitty supplies at home or for that matter in the car. He said we’d be fine. I knew he was right. So I not so reluctantly, gave in... and we adopted them. It was a long, bumpy ride back home, with this pair of kittens in tow... scurrying, climbing and clawing everywhere in the car... with me frantically trying to gather them up, as my husband drove. We headed straight to the pet store and got a litter box in lieu of a new toilet. We named the kitty sisters, Mira and Dara. Dara was mischievous, definitely the troublemaker. And Mira was an old soul. They adapted well to their new surroundings, sleeping together under the coffee table, at first. Then in a couple days... they settled in permanently, on the foot of our bed. Here at our house… they have silently ruled the roost for over a decade, giving us unconditional love, every single day. They are inseparable. We can not imagine one without the other. We have taken for granted… that they will always be here with us. Unfortunately, I recently discovered a lump on Dara’s head. It may just be a cyst or it could be something worse like cancer. I am worried sick, heartbroken at what we might find out. She goes to the vet tomorrow. Please keep her in your prayers. We are not ready to say goodbye. 

IMPORTANT UPDATE:We just got back from vet. It is definitely a tumor. Dara will have surgery on May 11th to remove it. We will find out then if it is benign or malignant. Could you please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. We appreciate your support. Thank you.