Kalice

Kalice Camille Coral Catbo

 

 

 

Kalice was a gift from a friend at college who had visions of being a Himalayan breeder, but her queen had gotten out and met a neighborhood Romeo before she could mate her with a certified stud cat, so she was looking for homes for the kittens. I heard the words "Himalayan" and "Calico" and said "I'll take her!" without a moment's hesitation. I met the little fluff-ball the next day, where the whole class adored her. Her little nose was only about half as squished as most Himalayans', giving her a cute little button, which, combined with her fluffy coat and big eyes, made her "pin-up" gorgeous.

I brought her home, where she soon became accepted by Tigra and Dietrich. She was full of fun, which, combined with her fluffy little body, made her seem like a little wind-up toy. She did all the normal kitten things: chasing after bugs, spooking at nothing, dancing sideways with her fur on end, and bombarding the older cats. Of course, we had to come up with her additional names, after deciding on Kalice as a dressed up form of Kali. So we went for alliteration, with Camille, then Coral to reflect her coloring. The character name presented itself, as we watched her acting like a little "Rambo" kitty, ambushing Tigra and growling at Dietrich. So we created "Catbo".

Kalice soon showed a knack for getting into impossibly small spots, like under the china hutch in the livingroom, or THROUGH the center of a cinder block. Her size was masked by the fluffy fur, making her seem bigger than she really was. Before Mishon joined our family, Tigra had begun to "mother" Kalice, bathing her and curling up with her for naps. In turn, Kalice did normal kitten things to Tigra, like playing with the always-swishing tail, or jumping on her for a wrestle. This coziness stopped, however, when Mishon joined our family. It seemed Tigra couldn't accept this interloper, and when Kalice started getting along with her, it took Tigra's "baby" away. We felt sad about this, but had no idea how to change it for her.

Kalice and Mishon got along famously, though; you can read more about it in Mishon's Story. In addition to the adventure of being lost together, they were mama kitties together. Kalice had her babies two weeks exactly after Mishon's; this time we were home to witness the births. I had just awakened on that Sunday morning, and headed toward the kitchen to start breakfast. Passing a chair on my way, I heard little mews coming from underneath, where we had put a birthing box for Kalice. (I hadn't known if she would use it, since she barely took note of it when I showed it to her, but I guess it was sufficient!) Peeking into the box, I saw Kalice purring, and some tiny little squirmy shapes, moving about in a haphazard way. Eager to know how many kittens she had, I began a headcount, slightly lifting each one as I counted. I apparently helped finish the delivery of number 5 ~ but Kalice didn't seem to mind! I excitedly called to Doug, and our boarder Mark, to come see the kittens. Then I called our pastor, to tell her we wouldn't be in church that morning, and why. Next, I called my parents, and told them how many kittens were already born. I said we figured she was probably done, since five was a good sized first litter. Whether he was joking, or foresighted, I'll never know, but my Dad said she would have two more. I laughed and thought, yeah, right. Well ~ two hours later Kalice started grunting, and sort of stretching. Pretty soon, she began to lick and we became aware there was another little head appearing. Not long after that kitten was fully birthed, another few grunts and stretches and the last one came out. So Dad was right! Kalice, as I've written before, was a laid-back kitty mama; none of this fussing and moving the kittens around for her. She wasn't all that quick to respond to their hungry cries, either... although she did eventually climb in and let them eat. She eventually shared nursing with Mishon, although I think Mishon truly enjoyed feeding all ten kittens. As they grew, we found homes for all but one of Kalice's seven kittens, Luke; so we kept him We still keep tabs on some of her other babies, although some have already passed over the Rainbow Bridge, like Panzer, who was my parents' cat.

Since our return from France, Kalice is the reigning "Princess" of the house, ruling with a velvet paw. She has a "laissez-faire" attitude toward the others, essentially not concerned with them as long as they don't bother her. But watch out if they get in her way! She is, as of April 3, 2001, a thirteen year old. She's gotten a little chubby as she's aged, so we're trying to help her return to her ideal weight. (It's no longer just "fluff"!) We're having some success in this department, with her weight dropping slowly from an all-time high of 17 lbs to a current 16 lbs. She is, of course, less than impressed with our strict control of food, but I think she's beginning to realize the benefits of less bulk to carry around, feeling more energetic and playful almost daily.

Her current loves are: being brushed and combed, playing with any string-like toys, and cuddling with us on occasion. She likes to lie flat out on her back, belly skyward, and paws up in the air; all the better to get tummy rubs that way! She 'grunt-meows' at us, sounding almost like a -- ahem!-- bark. We love our little princess girl, and cherish our time with her.

Kalice Camille Coral Catbo suddenly crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Monday, July 15th, 2002.

It's hard to belive she's gone. We miss our Princess Kalicey-boo

Kalitsu & Co Poetry Anna's Ancestors