Opal and Onyx

Sara and I were only seven and nine years old and had been begging for kittens for quite a while. Only a few months ago, we had to put our favorite stray cat Kitty to sleep after he was diagnosed with feline AIDS and leukemia. We were heart broken to learn that we wouldn't be able to keep him, but knew it was the best thing for him. Now a few months later, we were ready to adopt a couple of kittens! After several phone calls, Dad located a couple that was giving away several kittens. We were excited at the idea of finally getting a couple of kitties to look after! Obviously, Mom told us that kittens were lots of work but that didn't diminish our enthusiasm one bit. ;-) An hour or so later, Dad returned home with two adorable kittens. Mom named them Opal and Onyx. When they joined our family, Opal was six weeks old. She was the kitty with the white bib and little white "socks". She had (and still has!) a feisty attitude and was reluctant to be held. Apparently, her mother was somewhat feral and she inherited a wild nature.

Somewhat opposite to Opal, Onyx was two weeks younger. He was smaller than his sister and had a timid personality and loved to be cuddled.  Dad and Mom gave one cat to each of us to take responsibility for, raise, and nurture. :-) I'll always remember those first few weeks of being a cat-owner to Onyx. Raising kittens was harder than either of us anticipated. It was particularly challenging trying to "litter train" them; they had more than a few accidents. ;-) Even though it was hard work, I'll always treasure those memories of placing Onyx in a shoe box and carrying him up to my bunk bed. He particularly enjoyed curling up in one of my pockets and loved being pampered with warm dinners and lots of treats!

Soon after we adopted them, they were both diagnosed with ringworm which is a contagious, but treatable skin condition that causes kitties' fur to fall out. Unfortunately, the veterinarian recommended that we put them to sleep because the only remedy was to bathe them twice a week in a medicated shampoo. We couldn't imagine putting them down because of this treatable disease so Dad dedicated a couple of hours a week to carefully bathing each kitten. Bathing two, somewhat feral, kittens twice a week proved much easier said than done! The little kitties absolutely hated their baths and it was a struggle to get them to cooperate. However, after several weeks, Dad's hard work paid off. We were delighted to see that the treatment worked and their fur coats regained their luxurious texture!

Both kitties grew quickly and the years have flown by fast. As they've grown older, they've only endeared themselves to us more and more. Both kitties have become more relaxed and enjoy curling up in our beds to snooze. Truly, they're counted as part of our family!

~Here are just a few photos that we've taken of the kitties~

Click on any image to enlarge.

My little friend! (Taken Oct. '08)

Sara and Opal the kitty (Around Jan.'04)

Hey there! Did you say something about a treat? 

Onyx loves to hang out on top of Dad's printer.

Where did that lizard go?!?

There it is!

Do you have any special pets? Please share a little bit about the animals around your home in a comment below!

Hope you all have a blessed week!

Blessings,