14 years ago my next-door neighbor heard kittens mewing beneath her home and asked me to rescue and feed them when the mother cat did not return.  Their feral father guarded over them in their box on the porch every night with a heat lamp for warmth and we bottle fed all three round the clock.  The smallest was only about twice the size of a deck of playing cards as shown here!

A friend adopted the middle kitten of the Maine Coon litter when they were old enough, and my then-husband and I kept the oldest whom we named Loki and the runt whom we named Lil Girl.  What a great decision!  They’ve brought us years of joy and companionship, and I have become a huge fan of this delightfully playful, affectionate breed of cats.

When they were kittens, Loki was the loving, protective big brother as they napped together and turned the house into a playground.  After a year or two, Loki earned the nickname “Butthead” by chasing his lil’ sister away from her food bowl, favorite hiding place, or warm seat with us.

Both have enjoyed the outdoors most of their lives, and in my home they now have a dog door (to accommodate Loki) cut within my front door to come and go as they please.  Living on a quiet dead-end street in a semi-rural area, this works well.

Outside Lil Girl has really come into her own.  This timid cat has actually taught me a lot about the power of true feminine energy!  She chooses when to retreat and rest, always taking excellent care of herself.  She also chooses when to stand her ground, matching Loki’s size with her speed and agility.  As for the food bullying situation, which can quickly become a matter of survival, she has become a skilled hunter!  I see the slyest look in her eye as she struts past her brother with a tiny mouse ‘gift’ for me, too.

Last Sunday Lil Girl went outside and has not returned.  A typical ‘worried mom’, I’m still learning lessons from my Lil Goddess.  Intuition tells me she’s OK but then my head chatter frets.  I FEEL she’s ok out there enjoying the woods, so I’m learning to better distinguish between mind chatter and intuition.

Likewise, I consider going out to look for her, and I have a little bit, yet I’m reminded of the many, many times I called her name (even looking right at her) and she didn’t answer.  In fact, she almost never answers!  What I know is that she’ll come home if and when she’s ready.

What if she doesn’t come home?  What if I don’t see her again?  I don’t feed that energy much, but it’s a possibility.  Cats often disappear and reappear, yet the truth that I know is that she’s never really been ‘mine’.  She is her own cat, a very capable strong woman who can choose to live anywhere she wishes in the world.  Isn’t that the age old challenge of love: when to hold on and when to let go?

Every day, twice a day, I put down food and water for her when I feed her brother.  Lil Girl and I have a strong telepathic connection so I continue visualizing her return and nap in a warm, soft bed with a full belly.  I listen for her to fly through that pet door as she has so many times before to have a drive-by snack and get some human affection before heading back out to that ‘jungle’ behind my house.

Ah yes, the jungle!  A jungle just like the one I’m preparing to return to in Peru in a couple of weeks!   Yes, she is her mother’s cat after all.  If she wants her own jungle vacation, who can blame her?  Maybe I’ll be fortunate enough to hear her little squeeky ‘mew’ one day soon while I’m in my back yard.  Meanwhile, spirit guides and angels please keep watch over my Lil Girl, my lil goddess. Thank you.

Namaste,

Sheryl Sitts, MPA, BA, ONE-TLC Transformational Life Coach, Reiki Drumming & Toning Practitioner

Founder ~ Journey of Possibilities