How We Met

October, 2005, I began hearing a very loud kitten crying outside my window at night but I couldn't get even a glimpse of it. This went on for about 2 weeks. Since most all of my neighbors do not speak English and I speak little Chinese, I couldn't ask if anyone was missing a kitten. Finally, as it was obvious no one was finding it, I got the idea to let my 2 year old cat Mimi out the next time I heard it. That is what I did. Mimi was the lure. We worked for an hour trying to get the kitten into the apartment. She would come into our courtyard but she was determined to stay away from me! When I thought I had her cornered so I could get her, she would get away and out of the courtyard. Time after time I was ready to quit, but Mimi refused to quit and the kitten kept coming back. Finally, I left the door and the screendoor to my apartment open and in the kitten went and in we went. She still was a little wild thing. She was a golden tiger-striped cat about 2 months old. The 2nd day after chasing her around the apartment, catching her and taming her down once again, I noticed she had what looked like the beginning of mange on one of her ears. I doctored her for 2 weeks. I had not planned on keeping the kitten as I had a very small apartment then and I hoped I would find her home and she kept crying for and looking for mama. But after 2 weeks it was very clear that she was a part of the household and eventually the family. Here was a playmate for Mimi, an abandoned kitten that she took in and I just helped out(though 2 months later, Mimi received another playmate -- Cleo). Now KouKi has her own babies and hopefully can deal with her abandonment issues. She is a very good mama.