Pixie's Place

This is the story of how Pixie came to live with us 9 years ago. It does not start off "Once upon a time", but it does end happily. She has not had an easy life.

It all began 9 years ago in the barn at Meadowbrook, where my husband Ed worked. They had found a mother cat and 3 kittens living in the barn amongst the greens' mowers. Being a big cat lover, it took me very little time to pack a basket of cat food and head for the barn. From the moment I saw Pixie, I LOVED her. She was so little and so affectionate. She stole my heart and I knew instantly that she was coming home with me.

Ed, and the guys would feed her in the morning and I would go every night to feed and cuddle her. It took me 6 weeks, but I found homes for all 3 kittens. On October 18th, 1992, Pixie came home with me. She weighed 3 pounds!

Before Pixie came home with me, we made 2 visits to the vet. One for mother and kittens to have their shots, the second for Pixie to be spayed. This is when we found out she had both tape and round worms. When we brought her home, her mammary glands were badly swollen. The vet told us this was normal, as she was underweight and had worms. We were also informed that Pixie had been abused. Her tail drooped at the top because it had been deliberately broken and she had a large scar on her belly where someone had cut her.

Pixie, was always very affectionate and loving towards Ed and I. She loved my Dad, but was very cautious around my Mum, which makes us think it was a woman who abused her. She is leery of strangers and rarely stays visible when we have company in the house. She often crouches or backs away if someone she is not familiar with tries to pet her. If you move suddenly and she is not prepared, she will jump and cower in the nearest corner. No animal should have to endure what Pixie did. Owning a pet is a privilege, not a right. They deserve better than what Pixie had.

Unfortunately, Pixie's plight does not end here. By the spring of 1993, Pixie was spending about 8 days every month roaming the house and letting out the most mournful cries you can ever imagine. Back to the vet we went. He informed us that what she had was psychological and prescribed valum. I gave this to her once! She was so dizzy she couldn't stand up. I flushed the valum down the toilet and began scouring the yellow pages.

Enter Dr. Sara Tiller, of The Cat Hospital: Veterinary Services Exclusively For Cats. They don't do dogs! We started to keep track of the meowing , to see if we could establish a pattern. We did, every 3 weeks the cycle began. Dr. Tiller told us to watch and see if Pixie started "nesting". She did, in the attic. This is where she liked to venture to every morning during this time. Our attic is huge and has a 6ft ceiling and plenty of ventilation, so she was all set.

We informed Dr. Tiller of this and she performed a blood test to determine the amount of Estrogen that Pixie was producing. The test showed 7 times the normal amount of a spayed cat. Something was very wrong!

We knew Pixie couldn't go on this way. We agreed to let Dr. Tiller perform exploratory surgery. Sure enough, the surgery revealed a section of ovary that had never been removed. The piece had managed to attach to the abdomen wall and establish a blood flow The large amount of Estrogen had caused a tumor to form on Pixie's abdomen. We didn't even know it was there until the surgery. It was removed at the same time and thank goodness did not have any lasting effects.

The surgery was a success. Our screeching night owl, became a very quite kitty. Now she meows so quietly, you can barely hear her. It is more like a meew. We are grateful to Dr. Tiller for all of the love and excellent care that she provided. Needless to say, she has been our regular vet for the past 5 years. Caring for animals is not just a job to her, it is her life, and she puts her heart and soul into it every day. God Bless You Sara.

Pixie, is a beautiful, loving cat. She has a thick, shiny coat of fur, and eyes that sparkle when she looks at you. When I am home, she is my shadow. Wherever I go, Pixie is right on my heels. She meets me at the door and sleeps in our bed every night, and she know weighs 11 pounds!

So, that is the story of how Pixie came to live with us. I love her with all my heart and hope and pray everyday that she will be with us for a very long time to come.

Thank you for caring enough to read all of this. I appreciate your time and your caring heart.

Awarded on March 4th, 1999

By:Marie

Thank you so much Marie for this wonderful award. Pixie is purring with delight!

Awarded on June 28th, 2001

Thank you so much Eleanor for this wonderful award. Pixie is purring with delight!

Special thanks to,