Kitty Caicos

In 2004 we were on a family vacation with our four young children. As we often do, we took some time to visit a local veterinary clinic. While we were comparing notes with the clinic staff, our children had discovered a little kitten separate from it’s purring litter mates in the next cage. Having been raised at our clinic, even the youngest of our children knew what the sign on the lone kitten’s cage meant. It seemed to be blind in one eye, not able to walk or even stand and hardly “adoptable”.

They were allowed to hold her and as they loved her she began to purr and rub on them. All their “why” and “why not” questions became pretty hard to answer about this kitten who was now so happy only because it was being held and loved. And yes, they were right, we could help her IF she was at our clinic.

Well……. after procuring the appropriate kitty passport and airline carrier, she did end up at our clinic. Not that there weren’t many at home that we could have been able to help, this time it was “Kitty Caicos”, the official name given on her passport.

Our beloved Kitty Caico has taught us so many lessons. The very first one is that one action is worth a thousand sermons. Our children had heard the talk and knew it by heart. They knew that although we couldn’t save them all, we could save this one.

Caicos is now almost 14 years old. She has shown us what happy looks like even though she only sees well with her right eye. Although she did learn to walk, she has some neurological issues which slow her down but have never stopped her from getting where she wants to go. She doesn’t mind baths because she could never groom her back half so she has had them since we got her home.

Kitty Caicos has shown us that neurological damage may be at least partially overcome if given enough time. She has shown us many little medical screts as we have had to tweak her care over the years. Perhaps most of all, Caicos has shown us what resilience, courage and optimism look like. She has given us great love and endless purrs.

  Thank you Caicos, and I thank our 4 children for pushing us to walk our talk.