As some of you may recall from my previous article, our cat of nearly fourteen years, Tiger, passed away. We were going to wait a while until we welcomed another furbaby into our home, but I couldn't stand being alone so much during the day. I missed Tiger keeping me company between calls, his playfulness, his unconditional love. In my forty years, I've never lived alone, and I've hardly ever have been alone for more than an hour, and the silence was deafening. It made the pain of loss that much worse.

So a few days before Mother's Day while scanning PetFinder (a site that features rescues), I came across a beautiful little girl born March 12th whose description matched all of our needs down to the letter. I talked to my husband Ron, and we agreed for me to put in an application online. We were approved right away, and on Sunday, Mother's Day itself, we went to go meet that sweet little girl named Holly. We fell in love and took her home!

It's been a couple of weeks now. Holly became Iris, and she has already warmed up to us very well. She is rambunctious and yet incredibly sweet - always purring, she has the sweetest mew, and she has these large, soulful eyes that just melt our hearts. She's so much like Tiger, a little crazy and acts like a dog more than a cat, but she definitely has her own personality, too. At least when she paws and bites us, she holds back!

I wanted to make this clear, too: We didn't want a mere replacement. We wanted a companion - a buddy, as Ron says. Dr. Roman was surprised we opened our home again so soon, but when he gave her the initial exam away from the shelter, he said he could see how easy it was for us to say yes. It's like I said to him - hey, she needed a home, we had a home to offer, we seem compatible, so why not. He smiled and said there's a reason why Wright-Way Rescue approved us so easily. The vet assistant said Iris has big shoes to fill, but we don't see it that way. She's her own special kitty.

I'm preparing to attend Pagan Spirit Gathering next week Sunday, and I already know it's going to be hard to leave without my little girl. Ron and our son Ryan aren't going, so at least she'll be in her new and already familiar surroundings while I am away. Ryan said he might pop in during the week as well (he has his own apartment not too far away), just to make sure Iris isn't alone for too many hours.

And yes, in preparation for my art booth at PSG, I found a way to incorporate her into one of my paintings. I'm working on a few Modern Gods themes, and I thought of what Isis would look like if she walked among us today. I figure being the Queen of Egypt and all, she would be a celebrity, and she would live in a major, modern city like she she's already accustomed. So, I gave her a blowout hair style, a red pea coat (instead of wings), holding her baby Horus, and no socialite would be complete without a large, fancy purse and prized pet. And, because Iris has so many traits of an Egyptian Mau (the spots, the eyes, and her long hind legs granting her extra speed and agility), it was easy to pop her in there.

I'm sure she'll find her way into other projects in the future as well. Of course, it's up to her if she wants to be a familiar as well, as we all have to choose our workings. But for now, she is being honored here. Iris is very special to us, and we have blessed her with a long and happy life.