On a lighter side

I need to step away from a post about the kittens for today to announce something special...

Today is  
 ♥ ☺ ♥ ☺ ♥ Yoko's Sweet 16th Birthday! ♥ ☺ ♥ ☺ ♥

On April 24th, 1994, Yoko was born to a litter of 6 kittens. 3 Boys and 3 Girls. The boys were Siamese and the girls were Tortoise-Shell Tonkinese. This is because Yoko's mother was a Tortoise-Shell Burmese and her father was a pure-bred Chocolate-Point Siamese. The entire litter and the parents were all just beautiful.

I remember the day we went to pick one of the kittens out. We made the decision to get another cat because my cat Slinky had passed away recently of old age... and it was so sad that we thought a new kitten would help us get through it (and I had been bugging my parents for another cat for a long time). We wanted a Siamese because my Mom loved the breed, so when we heard that a litter had been born down the street from us, we decided to go look. Unfortunately, when we got there, the boys had already been picked by other people... so we couldn't get one of them. But, the Tonk girls were also so cute. All of them were white, so you couldn't really tell what they were going to look like until they got older. We decided we'd get one of the girls after all.

I had fallen in love with the runt (big surprise eh?), who was quietly curled up on the top of the cat tree, minding her own business while the rest tore around the room with each other. As I turned to tell my Mom that that was the kitten I wanted, she was holding up the most rascally, limb-flailing, whining kitten at me and said - This is the one! Much to my disappointment, I let her talk me into it. A kitten was a kitten.

And what a kitten she was. A crazy and feisty cat from birth, she still is as quirky today as she was the day we brought her home. Never have I seen or known a cat with so much personality and life as this girl. She has been by my side for 16 years, and has been through it all with me... my little furry rock, who listens to me when I'm down, snuggles me every night while I sleep, plays and enjoys my and everyone's company. She's just so well rounded and amazing.

She didn't always get along with people, but I've found as she's aged, she has become so much more relaxed and loves to hang out with everyone when we have people over.
She's a VERY smart cookie, and I know she understands every single thing that goes on. I know that she follows our emotions, and her behaviour always mirrors what is going on around her.

Even through all the foster kittens we've had, she quietly observes from a distance and seems to not mind them in her home (as they do have their own foster room). She doesn't like other cats at all, but I think it's just because she's not used to them. We've never got another cat because we respect that she is so wonderful, and we wouldn't ever want to ruin that. She has been so good to me, that I never would want to upset her in any way. Her life is definitely a happy one right now (and oh boy she is SPOILED!) :D

I'm so very glad that my Mom picked her out that day, because I couldn't have ever asked for a better cat. She is still full of life, always a kitten at heart, and she is a companion to any person that she meets.
She is my girl and I love her very very much.

Happy Birthday, my sweet little Yoko. :)