Cheeto's Keeper
Savannah Teenager
In 2014, I picked Cheeto (f5) up at the airport. I was very excited to get a Savannah. I researched the breeder like I was choosing a university. She was a beautiful kitten. Though she never became a “big cat”, she was a wild thing and full of big cat personality. Her energy was impressive. She took a few days to warm up. Her initial greetings were bites. She’d wind up and spring on you. “Pouncing” doesn’t really describe it. We were kind of scared of her. She definitely commanded respect. As the days and months went on, we bonded. Some of the things that I used to find scary were now understood. The biting was actually her way of communicating play and love. It still hurt sometimes, but I knew she was holding back. She seemed to have a little devil on and off switch. You’d be petting her one second and then talk about Sybil. She would go into demon mode and want to take your hand on like prey. As the years went on, her wild spirit remained but she grew more and more loving. She followed us around, slept with us, gave us kitty massages, talked and talked, slapped the dogs often and ultimately filled our home and lives like no other cat ever has. This was a real relationship. It was not one sided. It is why I think this hurts so much. We loved her so much. After many months of trying to figure out her mysterious illness and finally getting the tragic diagnosis of lymphoma, we put her to sleep two days ago. The veterinarian came to our home, the whole family was there. We held her in our arms and let her go. We all cried harder than any of us knew we would. The end of life makes it absolutely clear how much love was there, how much a family member defined your days, filled your heart. We are thankful for the time we had with Cheeto. Our next Savannah kitty will have a wiser and more understanding family thanks to her. The loss is excruciating. Rest in peace Cheeto. We will miss you forever.
