In June of 1998, a coworker's purebred Siamese had a litter of kittens. I had to put down a stray I adopted that year due to feline leukemia and wanted another kitty. When my coworker told me about the litter, I immediately laid claim to the runt of the litter. I didn't care about the appearance, I didn't care about the sex, I just wanted the runt and I was going to name it Rascal. When August came and the kittens were ready to go to their new homes, I went to meet and pick up Rascal. While at my coworker's home, I decided to bring home two kittens. I felt that Rascal needed a playmate since I would be gone 10 hours a day. I knew it wouldn't make my roommate happy as we agreed upon one kitty, but I felt it was the right thing to do.
I remember deciding that I wanted the kitten that looked most like Rascal. Rascal was a classic tuxedo kitty and there happened to be another tuxie in the litter just like her. On the spot, I decided the other kitten, a female, would be Rascal's companion. As I was shooting the breeze with my coworker, I felt an itch on my foot. I looked down to see that the as yet unnamed kitten had scratched my foot and was staring with great fascination at the blood dripping down my foot. I should have known then exactly what I was getting myself into.
I brought the kittens home and predictably, my roommate wasn't happy. However, she helped me pick out a name for the kitten. Since she looked like she had dipped her nose in paint, her name from that day forward would be Mischief. It kind of fit with Rascal. What also fit with Rascal was Mischief. They were inseparable. Wherever one was, the other was not far behind. Getting two kittens that day was the best decision I've ever made.
Through the years, Mischief was a constant companion for Rascal and I. Mischief put up with a lot of crap from Rascal and had no problems letting us know it. Mischief was true to her part Siamese nature. She was talkative, she was inquisitive and she was a lover. She put up with a rotation of foster dogs and foster cats and only asked for a warm body to sleep on at night. She greeted visitors with a litany of complaints, but made them feel right at home when she slept with them. She was the first kitty to accept KIC and even slept with KIC in her pack and play. I had no reason to believe that our time with Mischief would be so short.
On February 14th, I had to make the difficult decision to have Mischief euthanized. During the previous week, she had one last go round with the foster dogs and inexplicably, her health started to decline after that. Less than one week after the incident, she started suffering from congestive heart failure. It seems that her heart wasn't as strong and healthy as it should have been, though we couldn't have known as she never showed any outward signs. I took her into the vet first thing but knew that by the end of the day, it would be her last day with us. I hope she felt my love for her when she took her last breath.
I wish that I had been more appreciative of my time with her. She always seemed to know when I needed her most and gave me comfort in my times of need. Her sister and I miss her very much and not a day goes by that I don't feel a twinge in my heart for the kitty she was. I know that when it's your time to cross over, there's a reason you're needed on the other side and I know someday I'll know what that reason is, but until then, I'll miss her something fierce.
Rest in Peace, Miss Mischief Hughes Shoup. You are gone too soon, but you'll never be forgotten.
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