Cheryl Cory’s Cat Kalli ~ September 2007.

Kalli meowed early this morning and woke me out of a sound sleep. This is the third time in the last month that this has happened. On the surface this may not seem unusual except for the fact that she died on August 2, 2007 after a long battle with failing kidneys.

Just over six years ago, during a routine examination and blood tests, I was told that she would only live about six months. This was especially devastating due to the fact that Kalli’s human Mom had died just a few months earlier. Kalli had been on medication for an arthritic condition and now she was to go on a cat food prescription diet. In 2001 there was only one flavor of prescription cat food, so she was none to happy. Little by little she got used to the new diet and eventually other flavors came on the market. On special occasions she would still get her small cans of favorite Fancy Feast cat food.

To tell her story I must go back to 1983 when I met and fell in love with Kalli’s human Mom. Back then Cheryl had two cats named Tom and Fritz. Tom was a fat lazy friendly guy who stayed close by and mostly ate and slept. Fritz was a skinny calico character who roamed the neighborhood at night and at times would disappear for days. In 1984 we purchased a mini motor home, quit our jobs and began traveling the U.S. Neither Tom nor Fritz was very happy about traveling in an RV and being cooped up. When we were camped the two cats were allowed out of the RV and were okay for a while. Soon they would start disappearing for hours on end and then longer periods of time. A couple of instances we had to wait for a few days for Fritz to return to the camp spots. Tom, being the fat cuddly fellow he was, would usually not stay gone near as long. To make a long story short, they finally disappeared for good. Cheryl decided for us not to wait any longer for them and that they would find good homes. It was a sad time for us, leaving them behind.

Fast forward to 1990. After me returning to work and us purchasing a larger RV for travel to construction projects, it was decided a new kitty was in order. As luck would have it, a friend found the perfect little feline for us.

Kalli was purchased at a pet store in Boone, NC and thus became Kalli Cory. She was a combination of Tom and Fritz and fast became dear to our hearts. She was raised in the RV and only allowed out with a harness and leash on. Not knowing any better, she was fine with that. One particular fond memory of her happened one evening while we were eating supper. We were camped along the Blue Ridge parkway and as usual Kalli was outside exploring. Hearing several small meows I looked outside and discovered the leash trailing up a very large pine tree. Kalli, in her harness was dangling from a limb and every time she meowed she would be lowered ever so slightly. Unbelievably she was about twenty feet up the tree. Of course I climbed to rescue her and had a good laugh.

That same year we were headed to California for vacation when the RV broke down with a bad fuel pump. It was along highway 40 near Jackson TN and very warm weather. The RV was scorching inside and Kalli got very hot as we waited for a tow truck. Luckily her Mom knew to put cold compresses on her head to cool her down. Kalli was panting and not looking so good, but the cold compress did the trick. When we arrived at a local motel that evening I’ve never seen such a happy kitty. Kalli zoomed up and down the motel room until she was exhausted and fell a sleep.

Over the years Kalli traveled all over the United States. At every stop she would insist on getting out of the RV and exploring. Unlike a lot of animals, she did not like to ride on the dash. Instead she would ride comfortably beside the driver’s seat tucked in and safe. A few years ago I calculated how many campgrounds we had stayed at and the number 300 astounded me. So, Kalli got to do a lot of exploring. One season I worked in Pennsylvania and camped in the Pocono Mountains. A few RV spaces down some folks had a rottweiler named Zeus, a very husky dog. Kalli was known for chasing dogs from our yard. One day while being walked she saw Zeus and very quickly began backing up toward our RV. The funny part is that Zeus was never on a leash and well mannered. He just looked at Kalli and paid her no never mind. That is one of the only times I saw her back down from a dog.

Most of the projects I worked on were in or near national parks or wilderness areas. Kalli was a great watch cat, growling anytime some creature was near the motor home. One particular project in Oregon was on the west side of the Klamath Lake, a beautiful area. There were all sorts of wild birds and animals near the lake. Kalli was curious as usual and one evening she became agitated and seemed afraid. Hearing strange noises, we peered outside to discover a mother raccoon with babies eating from our bird feeders. We knew then and there that Kalli would not be going out much at night. The mother raccoon was missing one of her front paws but was still very protective of her young. All my barbeque stuff was kept in one of the RV side bins. After leaving one of the side bins open while barbequing and returning to close it, out jumped two of the baby raccoons, scaring the devil out of me. The bird seed was kept in the next compartment so that’s what they were looking for.

Kalli lived in the same motor home for fifteen years. When I remarried in 2005 I was very concerned that she could not adjust to a real home. Boy was I wrong! Not only did she love the new house and her own room, she also warmed to her human step mom, Jo Ann. Kalli loved the yard and all the trees and flowers. She especially loved the small pond that we had constructed. Of course, with a fenced yard, she no longer had to wear the harness and leash.

Anyone who has had an animal companion can well understand the love that exists between that animal and the human involved. I have never had an animal as long as Kalli nor cared so deeply. Friends and relatives can attest to the fact that Kalli was not a sociable cat. And yet, I knew that she loved me. The first priority for her was to be petted and talked to before being fed. Whether it was before work or at the end of a long day. It is hard to put into words, just how much that I miss her.

Yes, Kalli’s last trip was on Route 66. This is fitting as she spent many a day living and traveling along the great old road. True, she got very sick toward the end of the trip to the annual Route 66 Festival in Oklahoma. What I will remember most about that trip for her, was our first night out on the road. We dry camped at a scenic overlook between Banner and Story, Wyoming. There were no other folks around so Kalli went out to enjoy all the flowers and bushes surrounding the RV. There was even a waterfall near this beautiful overlook. It was difficult to get her back in the RV at nightfall, but I’m so glad she enjoyed this part of the trip.