Kimba, our almost 14 year-old seal point Himalayan cat, was named after Kimba the White Lion, an animated Japanese character. She joined our family when the triplets were 5 1/2 but she really bonded with Tween daughter who was born a year later. Kimba “guarded” the new baby’s room and watched as she learned to crawl, walk and talk. Wherever the new baby was, Kimba was.
Sadly, Kimba died today. Almost 14 years old, she stopped eating and drinking a week ago, developed tumors on her mouth, could barely walk and had an enlarged kidney. Old age caught up with her. Tween Daughter and I comforted her when she died. We cried. She passed on peacefully, but we will miss our sweet, purring ball of fur. I always said when I brushed her that I could get another cat out of the extra fur. She loved to cuddle, snuggle under the covers while Tween Daughter and I read together, play with her ribbon toy, look out of windows and eat dinner when we ate dinner. We figured she wondered when “that barking creature named Lucy” was leaving the house, and we banned Lucy from the basement so Kimba could have her own space. Poor Lucy just wanted to play. Poor Kimba just wanted to nap quietly.
We’ll miss you, Kimba!
Naomi M. Gruer 
