I first met Miami back in February 2008 in a yurt up at Rescue Village – his yurt was called the Kit Kat Club. I was immediately taken by his gorgeous long haired tuxedo coat and regal stature. Cautious and shy, it took some time for him to accept the baby food we offered each of the cats in an effort to give them positive reinforcement, to show them that we could be trusted and to let them enjoy a treat. Miami remained more guarded than some of the cats, but did enjoy the proffered baby food and treats and we built an easy if somewhat guarded friendship.
When the Rescue Village cats were moved down to Cat World, Miami took up residence in Benton’s Room in Benton’s building. Miami found the rafters and withdrew from humans for a while, but he always had a feline friend to give him companionship and comfort.
As the months and years passed he offered glimpses of the once trusting boy he had been in the smaller and somewhat more relaxed atmosphere of Rescue Village. Each time Bob and I would visit, we would enter Benton’s Room and go out onto the patio and call his name. He would consider us with serious eyes, but more often than not he would come down from the rafters and join in the Party Mix and baby food party.
As time passed, Miami’s health deteriorated and he was in acute kidney failure. With his fear of being touched by humans, it would have been extremely difficult to treat him and being handled would have been traumatic for him. When his caregivers came in and found him hanging his head over the water bowl and not moving, they knew it was time to say goodbye. Miami was crossed the week of July 13th and his placement took place on Tuesday, July 28th at 10:30 am.
It hurt terribly that I couldn’t be there to say goodbye or for his placement, but I lit a candle and said my good-byes long distance. Cathy Bosley placed stones for Bob and I and I will bring my own markers to pay tribute to him the next time we are in Kanab.
Visiting Benton’s will not be the same without Miami and I will miss spending time with him. We all have that list of cats in our minds and hearts that we wish we could bring home. For me, Miami was on that list and it saddens me deeply to mark his name off of it…