Vira

Vira was a cat, my first. Around mid June, 1999, she began showing up on Trebeck Lane. She would hang around the back door, making cat sounds, and then took to lying on the 4-foot-high brick wall that creates a small garden space on each side of our front door. Being small, we thought that she was a kitten. On the third day, I started leaving food and water by the back door. She would come and go during the day and, I suppose, during the night.

She is a small, dainty feline with striking colors. Her tummy and three legs are white; the fourth leg has a large black spot. The back of her body is beige, while her tail is mostly black and beige. Her eyes are remarkable; they are bright blue.

Since she seemed friendly and well-cared for, we checked with the neighbors to be sure she wasn't lost. No one claimed her. So, on Monday, July 5, 1999, we let her in. On Wednesday, I took her (at the time we didn't know her gender) to see Dr. Barry Schmitt at the Steubner Airline Veterinary Hospital. He examined her thoroughly, administered shots, and checked her blood for diseases.

Dr. Schmitt said that it was a spayed female weighing 6.8 lbs. He estimated that she was between three and five years old. He asked what I wanted to name her. (Fran and I had agreed to call it, if it were male, Percy, and Vira if female.) We thought either name, derived from perseverance, would be appropriate.

Vira didn't act like any cat I've ever seen. She followed us around the house and came when called. She slept at the foot of our bed and woke me up every morning about 5:00 AM. She prefered dry Purina cat food, although she would nibble on a can of Fancy Feast meats.

We placed her litter box in the upstairs bathroom. She found it and made use of it on her own. What a difference from dogs who have to go through a long potty-training period!

We feel so lucky that Vira chose us. She's not just any cat; she's truly one of a kind.