It was a lonely Valentine's Day in 1992 and I decided to get myself a kitten. So on February 15, 1992 I went to the Defenders of Animal Rights and asked for a kitten. At that moment there were none in the building. As I sat there in a huge room trying to get to know the adult cats that were there two little old ladies knocked on the glass and said that someone was bringing in a kitten. As I went to the front of the building a lady comes in bringing this adorable little kitten. She handed the kitty to me with tears, real tears streaming down her face. Rachel came with her name, all of her kitty shots, Kitten chow, kitty litter and a kitty tray. Defenders gave me the pooper scooper. Rachel's feet never touched a surface at the Defenders of Animal Rights. She has been with me ever since.
Once, when we were semi homeless, Rachel and I was driving around in my Bronco II (she never did like going for rides) as usual she threw up (on my brown leather jacket and her stuffed blue cat toy). So as I cleaned up the mess with a few napkins that I had handy and I put that stuffed blue cat in a plastic bag so I could wash it later. However, I ended up throwing that toy away in a dumpster on a nightclub parking lot. I realized my mistake around midnight that night and new that I had to get up very early in the morning and go dumpster diving for that toy. When I arrived at the site, and to this day I still don't know how this happened, I found that blue stuffed cat toy on the ground outside of the dumpster. I guess this was a blessing from God things were hard for me at that time but I still would not get rid of my Rachel. If I had two dollars and we had nothing to eat I made sure that Rachel had cat food. As I would look for an apartment, you just don't know how many people say "no animals allowed" well who needed to live there anyway I knew I would find a pet friendly place somewhere, and I did. So time goes on and Rachel and I are doing better.
Mademoiselle LeCat was never a large cat 6 pounds is the most she ever weighed. But she was finicky. Christmas of 1995 my mother bought Rachel a case of Fancy Feast "Salmon and Ocean Whitefish" moist food. As that box sat on the floor under our Christmas tree Rachel would lay on it and scratch at the plastic. I come home one day and there are 24 cans all over our living room floor. Obviously she could not wait to have this smelly treat. And on Christmas day she got her wish. Well I guess you can tell that she has been eating that ever since. Like I said she is finicky and didn't like any of the other flavors that I would occasionally bring home for her.
Did I mention that she sleeps on my bed with me, still. Oh how happy this cat has made me.
When I thought that Rachel might be lonely I tried introducing her to another cat. We had Robin for 6 months before Rachel said "it's me or the (other) cat". Well, Rachel won. I have tried on several other occasions but Rachel insists that she is an only CAT.
On mother's day of 2009 I brought my mother, Shirley, home (she lives in a nursing home) to spend the weekend. So I fix her fried chicken and potato salad for dinner (it's one of her favorites). And as my mother was sitting there eating her dinner she screamed (not really) "Valerie, Fluffy's on the table" (Fluffy was my cat from when I was 14 -- 28 years old) I turn around and Rachel is jumping off of the dining room table. This is all new behavior she never did that before but I guess she saw a victim, ohhh I smell good food, turned out to be too irresistible for the cat to ignore. So as a good daughter I gave my mother some more food that the cat was not sharing with her. I don't know how long Rachel was on that table sharing my mother's food. Did I mention that my mother cannot see very well at all. Anyway Rachel realized that she had done something naughty because she jumped down off of that table. But she continued to beg. Now here is the kicker, Sunday morning Mike (my husband, Rachel's adopted dad) cooked breakfast for the three of us. He fixed mom's plate and sat it on the dining room table (what was he thinking). It took both of us to get mom to the table so while we had our back to that table Ms. LeCat decided to help herself to some of mother's scrapple. This time she was smart enough to take it and eat it under the table. Mike said "she did it again; she was up on the table". Shirley found this absolutely hilarious she couldn't stop laughing, but this time she ate the food.
Well now here it is July 8, 2009 and my Rachel is not doing so well. She is so thin she won't eat and is very wobbly on her legs. She sleeps all of the time. I know that I am losing my Rachel. I love her I have had her for 17 years and 5 months. She has had a good life. She doesn't even know what the word "no" means, she doesn't understand being screamed at or spanked she doesn't even know what a flea is. Rachel has been a very good cat since the day I brought her home. The only two things that I can remember Rachel doing that she wasn't suppose to do was sniff a candle and singe her fur and drinking both my ice tea and hot tea straight from my cup she was only about 6 months old when she did this. She doesn't drink tea anymore but up until lately she still like the very tip of a Doritos and an occasional raisin. She still, however, likes to eat off of our plates if we let her (and you know we let her). I love my Rachel I will miss her so much. She has been a constant joy in my life the child that I never had and it is too soon for her to leave me.

On July 14, 2009 I came home from work to find my Rachel dying. She died peacefully at home with both her mom and dad there with her. I will miss you Rachel. You were my gift of love to me.

Love Momma