The Hailey Chronicles

She looks so innocent here. But she’s actually a vampire. Really.

I first met Hailey when my husband, who was at the time my boyfriend, brought me home to his apartment. Sitting there was a black cat with green-yellow eyes. She was just two years old.

And i fell in love with her on the spot (I also fell in love with her daddy, but that took slightly longer). She used to love play-biting me. And screwing with my husband’s Christmas tree. This little thing made a move to our apartment ten years ago and followed me out of it when I was signing for a UPS shipment. I’d walked in, shut and locked the door, and ate dinner. About a half hour later, I hear her crying and realize, oh crap! She’s outside.

I spent at least fifteen minutes apologizing for leaving her out there, alone and scared.

Once she darted out of the apartment and up the stairs. I thank God for the outer door being closed. She might have left us, never to return again.

She made the move to where we live now, an actual house to roam in. She has her favorite places: on top of the recliner (she has amazing balance), on the bed, on the couch in the evenings, my office sometimes. On the couch in the basement in the mornings with hubby.

She’s looking up at something.;)

Hailey’s not a cuddler or lap cat, and holding her usually results in panicked yowls and wiggling until she’s set free. However, when I was recovering from ankle surgery, she actually got up on my lap! And didn’t leave my side until I was better. If there was any question about her love for her adopted mother, there wasn’t anymore. She loved me and accepted me.

She’s always been healthy. But she’s fourteen and now a “senior cat” and I’ve been slowly trying to wrap my head around her maybe being sick, maybe even…leaving us. But I always shove it off to the back of my head and try to think about the fact that cats live long lives. Surely we’d have her for a really long time, right?

Yeah. Until this past weekend. She got sicker than we’d ever seen her. Throwing up hairballs and food. Constantly. We were terrified that something was seriously wrong. Yesterday, we just couldn’t take it anymore and got her to the vet.

She has a UTI. And, quite possibly the signs of kidney disease. If you haven’t dealt with an animal with kidney issues…let’s just say that things start to get real. Special diet, IV fluids at some point, the possibility of kidney failure someday…

We’ve been walking around like zombies since then. She’s not dying, thank the Lord, but it’s something we’ve never had to face. We love her so much, and she’s always been there, and she’s part of the family. She’s one of us. Hell, I even put her into one of my books (Reaper Girl, as a hellcat from the Underworld. It’s Hailey through and through). And the idea of her being sick…terrifies me.

She’s doing much better now. Our biggest issue is getting antibiotics into her. We’ve made it work, and she has voiced her displeasure every single time.

I thank God that she’s okay and not leaving us. I hope she has a long life still ahead of her. After all, we have to care for her in her old age. Safe, protected, surrounded by those she loves and those who love her.

You are my first cat, officially, and you’ll always have a special place in my heart, sweet child.