KiKi hails from Buffalo, New York. She was adopted by my Mom and Dad in 2002 after they discovered her in their vet’s "Adopt Me" cage sponsored by the local SPCA. KiKi had been declawed, and according to her previous owners, her favorite toy was a "crumpled cig pack." Her age was estimated at four years.

In April of 2003, my mother passed away. Shortly thereafter, my Dad was diagnosed with cancer. Our family house was sold, and my Dad moved with KiKi into an apartment at Canterbury Woods, a wonderful senior center that welcomed pets. He never would have moved without KiKi, as she was his pride and joy. KiKi even received a special blessing from my Dad’s priest during one of his special healing ceremonies.

In April of 2005, I went to Buffalo to care for my Dad during the final days of his illness. He passed away in May, and my sister Andrea and I assured him we would provide a loving home for KiKi. It wasn't a difficult promise, as both of us adored this little cat. We agreed that my sister should take KiKi home with her to California, as she had only one other cat and an elderly dog. I had three cats and a dog, but was willing to take KiKi if she didn’t work out at Andrea's.

Unfortunately, Andrea's cat, Will, had a negative "hate-at-first-sight" reaction to KiKi and made it his mission to stalk and terrorize her. For two months, Andrea kept them in separate rooms. Her husband’s uncle offered to take KiKi, and we agreed, thinking it would be a good placement for her, since he was an elderly gentleman living alone, just as my Dad had been. KiKi lived with him for six weeks, and then Andrea received a phone call informing her that KiKi was no longer welcome in his home because she had thrown up twice on his living room carpet.

KiKi then went to live with a friend of Andrea's, where she stayed for another six weeks. Whenever Andrea called to check on KiKi's progress and adjustment, the friend professed to love her very much, and we thought all was well, until out of the blue, she phoned to say that KiKi had become "too high maintenance" and she could no longer care for her.

It was October of 2005, and KiKi had been on the move for five months. A long airplane ride and three totally different environments were some of the traumatic changes she had endured following the death of her dear companion. I had a strong feeling that KiKi had been meant to live with me all along, and I decided it was time to integrate her into our extended feline/canine family. One of my cats had recently passed away, leaving me with only two felines and my gentle dog, Peaches, who adores cats. I flew to Altadena to bring her home.

I was thrilled to reunite with KiKi, as I had fallen completely in love with her during the time I was caring for my Dad. I had high hopes that the bond she and I had formed would triumph, and everything would work out. In our household, there is always a newcomer, and my cats have become so accustomed to this that they paid KiKi no mind whatsoever. Peaches managed to steal her heart right away, and after an initial adjustment period, KiKi no longer cringed and ran off when my cats entered the room. I knew we had passed a critical point when she began to take her meals in the kitchen alongside our other animals. KiKi had the run of our two-story house, and she was integrating nicely into our household routine. I was elated that everything was working out so well. KiKi began to blossom and as she shed her shell, a talkative, curious and very dear little cat emerged. She became my constant shadow, following me everywhere, waiting for me to take a seat so she could jump into my lap and enjoy a grooming session with her favorite brush. Everything seemed to have fallen into place just as I'd hoped.

Unfortunately, after she'd been with us for a few weeks, I began to notice that KiKi was not using her litter box consistently. She'd begun urinating in my husband’s music room, and also in our bedroom. She still used her box occasionally, but more often than not, she began to prefer other forbidden places. We had to remove all area rugs in our bathrooms, front hall, kitchen, as these were some of her favorite spots. I know for certain that KiKi was not exhibiting this type of behavior in my Dad’s apartment, because I lived there for almost two months while I was caring for him, and I definitely would have noticed. I think this radical change must have been triggered by the stress of all the upheaval in her life after my Dad passed away. She had been through so many changes since my parents died. (And who knows how many homes she’d had before my Mom and Dad adopted her!)

I took KiKi to my vet for an exam and a complete blood panel to rule out the possibility of illness, and she was given a clean bill of health. Her problem was strictly behavioral. At my vet's suggestion, I began giving her a small daily dose of Rescue Remedy, a homeopathic stress reliever. I also tried several different litters, including Cat Attract. Each new product brought temporary success, but she would always revert to her bad habits. I tried cleaning her box after every usage, and also tried leaving her urine in the box. Again, both of these solutions worked for a short time only. Meanwhile, my other cats began using KiKi’s box, which further compounded the problem. Even though KiKi would use my other cats' litter box on occasion, she would not use her own box if my other cats had urinated in it. Because KiKi was declawed and had never been outside, offering her the outdoors was not an option. As a last resort, I bought a cat harness and leash and started taking her for walks, hoping I could train her to go to the bathroom outside. This did not work. I hated to give up, because with the exception of her litter box issue, KiKi was a perfect pet and companion, but my husband and I were running out of ideas and solutions. After extensive discussion and consultation with the Sonoma County Humane Society regarding KiKi's problems and prognosis for adoption, with a broken heart I surrendered KiKi to their shelter in January of 2006.

After talking in depth with experts about the problems I had encountered with KiKi, I realized I had made a big mistake in offering her the run of our house right away. It was too much territory for her to deal with. Having been shuffled about so many times, she was desperate for the security of a permanent home, and she was ensuring this in the only way her instincts guided her - by marking her territory throughout the house where she so desperately wanted to belong. Upon her arrival in our home, I should have confined her to a single room with her litter box for several weeks until she got used to her new environment, and then increased her territory in small increments. Had I known this sooner, KiKi would probably still be a member of our family.

The Sonoma County Humane Society is a no-kill shelter which provides a loving environment for all rescues and surrenders until they are adopted. Their staff experts work with many different animal behavior problems. The woman assigned to KiKi's case assured me that KiKi's issue was not a difficult fix. KiKi had many positives in her favor, including her sweet gentle disposition, her soft chinchilla-like fur, and her luminous expressive eyes, and she was deemed highly adoptable.

Might you be KiKi's soulmate? Are you looking for a loyal, loving companion with whom you can share quiet times and special moments? Are you willing to commit the necessary time and effort to integrate this dear little cat into your household? It takes very little to please KiKi. Her idea of heaven is a furry toy mouse, a soft nubby fleece blanket, a daily brushing, and a devoted human companion with a soft lap for quiet bonding times and conversation. KiKi's favorite canned foods are Fancy Feast Grilled Salmon Feast and Grilled Chicken Feast, supplemented with Royal Canin easily digestible dry food. She also loves Whiskas Temptation treats. KiKi would prefer to be your only cat, and since she is declawed and has never been outside, she is strictly an indoor cat. She is approximately 8 years old, spayed, and in good health.

To see more of KiKi, visit her personal photo page. If you have further questions or would like more information about KiKi, please email me. If you decide to adopt this sweet little cat, please let me know so my heart can be at peace. I miss her terribly. I promised my Dad I would provide a home for KiKi, and despite everything I went through with her to make things work, I still feel like I failed her.

UPDATE! As of June, 2006, KiKi has been adopted from the Sonoma County Humane Society! My special thanks to Angie for everything she did to help this dear cat, including featuring KiKi as "Pet of the Week" on our TV news station. I hope with all my heart that KiKi has finally come home!