RATATOSK MIETTA OF CHINUA

D.O.B. 23 December, 2000

A Dream Come True! 

I am continually amazed at how one little cat can have brought so much joy to so many lives.  One act of a family’s love has created a ripple effect that will last for lifetimes. The ripple effect started with a deep need in me that a loving family saw and acted on. 

When our old moogie Buzz died in my arms I not only lost her but also lost the last living tie to Squiggy, our first Norwegian Forest Cat.  They had been inseparable.  So much so that we feared she would die from a broken heart when Squiggy crossed the Rainbow Bridge since she was grieving for her dearest friend so deeply. Two weeks to the day that Squiggy died we had to take Buzz to the vet.  She was diagnosed with pneumonia and wasn’t eating well either.  The vet gave her a shot, some pills and me the advice to find some kind of food to encourage her to eat again or she would indeed die from her broken heart.  He knew how close Buzz and Squiggy had been and his additional advice was to continue to love her fiercely as he felt that would make her pull through if nothing else worked.  She did slowly start feeling better and eating more.  Maybe she realized we needed her here or maybe Squiggy told her that we needed her more than he did.  Only God knows!  We were thankful she got better and we enjoyed each additional day she blessed our lives.

Buzz & Squiggy 2 halves of a whole...inseparable pals!

Several years later the day came when she was tired and gave up her valiant fight and joined Squiggy.  She had fought to stay with us for much longer than her little body wanted but her determined spirit kept her going. She died in my arms early one morning with my whisper of “we’ll love you always and forever my sweet Buzzy” echoing in her heart.  We still miss her indomitable spirit.  After all, she was the tiny 4-week-old kitten the vet made me take home or he would have put her down because he didn’t have time to fool with her (no we don’t use that vet any longer!).  Her spirit showed even in that tiny bundle of buzz that won our hearts and Squiggy’s devotion. 

Buzzy enjoying her sunbeam.

So, what you may ask, does Buzz dying have to do with Mietta’s story? The ripple effect again.  After Buzz was gone Richard said that he only wanted a Norwegian Forest Cat in the house, no other cat would do.  Even when I rescued a severely dehydrated kitten outside the bank and fell in love with this little one’s brave spirit. – He said NO! Only a Wegie in this house.  Okay, it was now his job to find us one!  But alas, two longs years later and still no cat in the house!  I was more than ready to listen to and feel a wonderful furry kitty purr again! I needed a cat! NOW!  As I often do, I shared my heartache over not having a cat with my sisters and niece.  Yes, I could have found a Wegie on my own, but my hard headedness kept me from searching since Richard said “he” would find one.  Dumb, I know!

Unbeknownst to me the sisters and a niece entreated brother Charlie to search for a perfect kitten and talk to the breeders. Since he is a dog breeder himself he would know the right questions to ask more than just the cat lover sisters would.  Charlie and Susie searched the net one weekend and found Ratatosk Cattery’s site.  Ratatosk had 2 litters of kittens and one of them was a tabby like Squiggy!  They knew Squiggy couldn’t be replaced, but the first picture they saw of this cutie cinched it!  Even though it was just an image on a screen they said you could see her bold yet loving spirit come alive right in front of their eyes.  They found out that her name, Mietta, means “sweet one” which only made her more perfect! 

Mietta at 6 weeks old!

Charlie worked relentlessly with Lara to buy not only Mietta but Thandi also.  Since shipping kittens from South Africa to the US would be such a long journey Lara didn’t want to ship a lone kitten.  I’m so glad she was so adamant about shipping two kittens since Susie now has a Wegie too!

Remember, I didn’t know any of this was taking place!  Our family is spread from Seattle/Tacoma, Washington area to Athens, Georgia!  As May drew closer we made plans for sister Jenifer and her husband Michael to come over for lunch to celebrate my birthday since they live the closest to us of all my siblings.  Our Aunt Sarah & Uncle Boyd would be joining us too since they only live ½ hour away.  As the arranged time to meet at our house for lunch came and went I began to get anxious that there had been an accident.  Sarah and Boyd are never late!  I called and Sarah said they were just leaving with no other explanation…and hung up! 

I asked Richard what was up and he didn’t know either.  I knew I had at least ½ hour before they would get here so I straightened the house some more and even cleaned the storm door windows to keep my mind occupied!  After doing that I went downstairs to check on laundry I had started as Jenifer came in the basement door.  After a big hug we went back in the family room to look at something she had brought with her and all the while “something else” was happening upstairs! 

I heard Mike’s big feet clomping and thought I heard something else too but Jen discounted it saying it was just Michael making his usual noise.  After about 15 minutes of visiting we went upstairs to wait for Sarah and Boyd…or so I thought!  As I got to the top of the stairs I heard something like a giggle (and knew that wasn’t Michael giggling!) and saw someone dash from the living room to the guest bedroom.  Curiosity got the best of me by then! I knew something was up!  Luckily they couldn’t stand the months of suspense either, so the family took pity on me…out stepped Charlie all the way from Seattle with precious Mietta! 

I was stunned speechless!  And for me that takes a lot!  And if that wasn’t enough…out walked Susie all the way from Post Falls, Idaho holding Thandi!  And then we were surrounded by my niece Esther and her 2 kids, Luanna and Benjamin and nephew Blake and his wife Terri!  Sarah & Boyd came in a few minutes later hauling in a feast fit for royalty for all of us to enjoy!  I was WAY too excited to eat though!  I hadn’t seen Charlie or Susie for years especially not at the same time!  AND I had the kitten of my dreams in my arms!  I was certain this was heaven on earth! All I had to do was look around at the faces of my family and see their love and joy shining through…I was and am truly blessed!

The rest of that very special birthday weekend was a blur of enjoying the kittens, visiting, eating and playing…we got very little sleep!  A more perfect weekend couldn’t have been planned!  I called my bosses Saturday afternoon to ask for Monday and Tuesday off since that is when Charlie and Susie would be heading back to the airport.  Funny thing was, both bosses already knew I would be asking off!  Niece Esther had already called ahead to okay the time off!  Yet another surprise and VERY well kept secret!

Mietta and Thandi playing on their first night in Missouri!

And all this fuss over one little kitten!  I learned many lessons that weekend…I was reminded over and over again how important my family is to me.  More importantly that we had been apart for way too long! We made promises that we would make more of an effort to see each other more often and not just keep in touch by phone or email.  I also learned that I’d never again question that I am loved totally and completely, even with my quirks.  Every time I look at Mietta I am reminded.  Every time I cuddle with one of her precious kittens I am reminded.  Every time I get a phone call or email from one of the kitten owners I am reminded.  She is a living symbol of one family’s love.  I was also reminded that individuals could combine many little steps or acts and come together with others to achieve something VERY special.  I’ve asked each family member involved in this weekend surprise to write about what they did to bring Mietta to us.  We’ll be adding those “chapters” to the story as they are written and submitted.  They had a lot of fun surprising me, but I also know that a tremendous amount of work and planning went into making this miracle happen!

Mietta in full fur settled in for a long winter's nap!  Brrr!!!!

Mietta is and always will be cherished for the priceless gift that she is.  My family through Mietta has started a ripple effect that has brought so many wonderful new friends, cats and kittens into my life and the lives of others.  The Chinua family of kitten owners is growing and we have become more than friends, we too are family.   I’ll never be able to find the words to thank my loving family for everything their act of love has brought into my life. Talk about a priceless gift…no amount of money could begin to buy the friendships we have built.  A very special thanks to Lara and Pieter for trusting my family enough to send Mietta (and Thandi for Susie!) so far from home. Lara and Pieter, Mietta has been a blessing to our lives and is loved as any cherished treasure would be.  Totally and completely! As are all the kittens she and Rad have blessed us with!  We very carefully choose homes for these precious kittens and I hope after reading this story you will understand why we are so careful.  Each of these kittens is a gift born out of a family’s love.

Mietta with her 2nd litter...Gracie, Kizzy & TC

Please sit a spell longer and visit our kitten pages and our gallery to see all the amazing fun we have had with Mietta and Rad’s special kittens. 

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 As promised here is my family's part of bringing Mietta to us written for this site.  We'll start with Charlie but first let me introduce you to the family members involved so you can better understand their stories:

Charlie - Annie's brother and the only boy...born next to the youngest

Jenifer - Annie's eldest full sister 

Esther -  Jenifer's daughter and self proclaimed Godmother of the Princesses

Blake & Terri  - Jenifer's son and dauthter-in-law who lives near St Louis

Susan - Annie's 3rd sister and Thandi's mom

Belita & Kelly - Annie's 2nd sister and her daughter who conveniently lives in Atlanta

Sarah & Boyd - Our mom's sister and brother in law...aunt and uncle and so much more!

Charlie's part of the Wegie saga

The Quest for the Elusive Norwegian Forest Cat

Ok, Ok Jenifer has shamed me enough I will tell some of the story.  I am not sure you will really want to know the "Whole" story.  This should be enough for anyone. 

Once upon a time, in a land far far away there lived a family that was incomplete and this made everyone that knew them very sad.  (you asked for it)  The master of the house (ok Richard) had decreed that with the death of their last cat “No More Cats” but as all good masters was swayed by his subservient wife (oh Charlie please give us a break!!!) to allow another Squiggy like cat but that was it.  So an appeal was made to the family to help in the quest for the elusive Norwegian Forest Cat known by mortal man as the Wegie.  So the quest went out to Knights and Lady's fair that this house so full of love not be empty for lack of this treasure fair the Wegie.

Part of this quest fell upon the wife’s brother who with nothing else to do spent countless hours attending Cat shows and surfing the wily world of cyber space in search of the elusive Wegie.  This was not a quest easily finished for it turned out the quarry came with a formidable price tag that the brother was unwilling to pay or the shear lack of availability thwarted the best efforts.  But the diligence and dogged determination prevailed.

It turned out that in a far off land at the other end of the world was a fair maiden who was permitted to live in a house with several of these royal Wegies.  As it turned out she also had a selection of Kittens of the Weggie persuasion also living in the same house.  In a effort to find these princes and princesses a suitable home she had crafted a website that included a trap for the unwary wily web surfer.  This trap was comprised of artistry crafty pictures of faces so sweet to make you stick to your fingers to the website until you had one of them.

After much cajoling, a bargain was struck but not before more were caught in this trap of sugary doom.  For another of the sisters (Susan) who was aiding in the choice was drawn into the web and the sound of “one of them will be so lonely traveling alone for so long…” was heard and “isn’t that one so pretty and love her markings” .  The brother was without recourse to do anything but bow to the pressure.  And so the trek for the kittens began.  One who had captured the brother's fancy for the face he knew meant anything but the angel behind it and the other with the coat the color of night and coffee with cream.

That really turned out to be the easy part of this adventure.  The logistics of getting the kittens from South Africa (yep folks, Norwegian cats from the southern tip of Africa) to America was the first hurdle to be overcome.  Since the cats cannot be transferred from one carrier to another except by the owner and the only flight the kittens could take was from Johannesburg South Africa to Atlanta, GA someone had to make the trip to get them to the at that time secret rendezvous in St Louis MO.  The brother who was in the other end of the country was remiss to be able to make the journey.  So up pops other members of the clan and through the efforts of a couple of nieces the plane was met in Atlanta and the kittens rescued from the wiles of travel … for about an hour.  But that is a story for another to tell.

So ends the first installment in this tail...pun intended...    

Jenifer’s part in the grand scheme

A Wegie for Annie

Esther and I were talking after one our visits with you. We decided to see if we could locate a Wegie for you and see if any of the family would like to go in with us. We did not know how to locate a reputable breeder and I thought of Charlie with his dog connections might know or know how to locate a good breeder.  Good excuse for Esther to talk to Charlie. 

Well, the Bulldog in Charlie got to him and he could not stop... He looked high and low.  Susan became involved also…I have no idea how many cats Charlie looked at.  He went with what we said and described… “Annie wants a Wegie like Squiggy was.”  

Charlie decided Mietta was the cat for you and we all agreed.  He battled, cajoled, and pleaded with Lara. Lara had never sent a kitten so far and was afraid the kitten would not survive the trip.  Susan had been thinking a Wegie sounded good to her also and fell in love with Thandi.  Thus Lara agreed to sell the 2 kittens traveling together.

They could only be sent to Atlanta…thus Kelly (sister Belita’s daughter) became involved since she lives in Atlanta.  Esther (Jenifer’s daughter who lives in Tennessee) was trying to figure out how to pick up the kittens in Atlanta and how to make the flights work.  I suggested she call Kelly to see if she could spend the night before the kittens were to arrive with them and then go to the airport the next day. Kelly was thrilled to have her spend the night and to be able to help.  The rest of that you will have to get from Esther, but it worked out well.

 Now to arrange for you to expect company that Saturday I called Annie to see if she wanted company for her birthday and miracle of miracles you said Yes! (But then why wouldn’t I want your company Jenifer?)

We were planning lunch cooked by you, Sarah and myself.  Problem…I could not bring too much food on the overnight to St. Louis where we were all going to meet up.  So…here enters Aunt Sarah and Uncle Boyd.  I called her and explained what we were planning and she was thrilled to be included.  She said she would bring extra food so we would have enough to eat since there would be triple the people you were expecting! 

I was to get the hotel rooms in St. Louis for all of us and rent a car for Charlie and Susan and do airport pick-ups.  I arranged for the hotel to be the Drury Inn at 270 and Olive Blvd which was far enough from the airport so we were not hearing planes all night long and away from the airport traffic, but convenient enough for Esther to drive to and Blake & Terri to meet up with us.  Mike and I arrived and checked into the hotel rooms Friday night.  Next Esther drove up with the precious cargo of kittens and met us at the hotel.  When it was time to go the airport to pick up Susan, we tucked Mike into bed and headed for the airport. 

We located Susan without any problems and rented the car.   We went back to the hotel as it was quite awhile before Charlie’s flight was due to land.  Susan got to meet her new kitty Thandi and fall in love in person.  She stayed with the kittens while Esther and I went back to the airport to find Charlie.

 Finding Charlie was another story.  We waited and waited and no Charlie. Airport is shutting down.  We went to the airlines office and they would not tell us if he had made the flight, as we did not have his Social Security Number!  We had called and called his cell phone and no answer.  We were afraid he was going to miss his grand surprise!  We tried his cell phone one more time before we were going to leave the airport and he ANSWERED.  He had not seen us and had rented a car and was trying to locate the Drury we were at, as he did not know exactly which one it was.  We were not far apart and set a meeting place…met and went to the hotel.  This was way after midnight!

 The next morning we all packed up, Blake and Terri arrived and we were off in our car convoy to your house.  At the Vets at the end of the street leading to your street (got that?) Mike and I went ahead as you might be looking for us and the rest came following shortly after us.  Sarah and Boyd wanted us to arrive first so they did not tip off the surprise carting in all the extra food.

 Well as I said, I think this is the best surprise our family has ever pulled, as the look on your face was priceless!   It was all so worth it. 

 Charlie insisted on paying for Mietta himself and our parts were the rest that it took to get her to you.   

Esther’s part…

Picking up the Princesses! 

Oh boy am I in trouble.   Mietta and Thandi sent me e-mails telling me that I had better get busy and tell their story because they had things they wanted to say.  For them to tell their story the Godmother (Esther) must work her fingers typing their version of the story and then re-type in human words, which only a Godmother could interpret from their voices. 

First I must say that because of my status as the Godmother, my children and I have been blessed with first Bru and then Lena and Zena because I helped bring Mietta to her new mother and father.   Bru healed my heart at a very crucial time and now Lena and Zena fill my heart. 

My most caring uncle (Charlie) listened to his distressed and lonely sister (Annie) for so long about how her noble husband (Richard) would only have another cat in the house if it was a Norwegian Forest Cat.  I think I was enlisted to help not out of location but rather because I caused my aunt’s noble lord to accept his first rescue cat who I found when staying with them one summer.   Such a blessed family we have for we listen with our hearts to each other and then tried despite our being spread all over this land to help each other. 

I must tell you that this most caring uncle is also a very big game player.  Since he found the requested treasure it was his right to set all the rules for how she would make her grand entrance into the Kingdom of the Warren castle.  As a humble niece I gladly accepted and enjoyed all the tricks required of me. 

I had several phone calls with my aunt who while born an aunt to me but even more like a sister and a friend for my entire life.  To say that animals fill our lives from the moment we are born in this family would not even begin to tell the truth.  So for the fun of knowing how I would make her happy I told her wild tales spun with very little truth.  

You see for me I had the true magic wand.  I would be charged with the wonderful duty of meeting these lovely new ladies at the Atlanta airport and bringing them to their new homes.  My tale to my lovely blonde aunt was one of disappointment at how it was taking so long for everything to be worked out and it kept getting delayed by more and more weeks.  In truth somehow it worked out that Mietta would meet her new Mom and Dad on Mother’s Day weekend.  Since Annie and Richard are the Godparents to my two children this caused my heart much joy.  

But of course, as you guessed she didn’t have a clue and kept being upset by all the delays.  During the course of this grand scheme it got even bigger and better as often happens with this family.  Charlie who loved surprises was flying to St Louis and so was Susie, another aunt.  My mother was meeting us there to embark on this grand journey, which as a family procession would begin where my brother and his wife lived.  The only bad part to this grand family procession would be that we never seem to get very organized at catching everyone at exactly the right moment.  So most of the pick up in St Louis of the different family members went smoothly.  The Grand Duke uncle arrived at strange times and at a different airport.  After many cell phone calls in a deserted airport there he was acting like Chicken Little with the sky falling.  Where was everyone? 

I must somehow backtrack now to my trip to find the little girls.  I made a flight from Memphis to Atlanta where my Aunt Teta and Cousin Kelly gladly let me stay with them for just one night.  This now let everyone in our small but loving family be an active part in the joy we were bringing.   My worst dread, by the way, was about traveling alone, because you see if the truth be told, I can get lost driving home from work!  Now I was driving, flying and taking trains in what for me were foreign lands.  SEE I REALLY DO LOVE ALL MY FAMILY ENOUGH TO HIDE THESE FEARS AND DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. 

So now the plane has arrived and the kittens are waiting for me to get them, but things, of course, didn’t work that easily.   I only have an hour and half before my next flight to get them.  OH NO- the dreaded “pass inspection” words appeared and I went into high gear.    You got it folks  - I went frantic and pathetic to the airport staff and pleaded my desperate plight of woe. How was I ever going to get the kittens from the cargo area to my plane in time to board the plane!   IT WORKED and they cleared the kittens and brought them to me.  Now let me tell you this – those two kittens arrived in a wooden crate bigger than me (okay maybe not quite that big) – but it was BIG and very, very heavy!  

I got a cart, put the crate on it and then opened the doors to inspect both little joys and greet them for our whole family.  Yeah, truth is I wanted to be the first to bond with them and relish my status as Godmother! 

They were perfect and sweet as expected!  It took all my energy to put them back in the crate and just about run for our next flight.  Okay that was in truth the easiest part of my job.  Now the really funny part happens when we get to Memphis.  BY THE WAY DID I TELL THAT FOR MAY IT WAS HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

We arrive in Memphis and I once again get this BIG CRATE with never a thought about how to get to the van in some remote parking lot.  I find a must leave the cart in the airport and board a bus to this remote parking lot.  So here are people (mostly men) watching this rather short lady hoist this HUGE crate into this little shuttle bus.  By the way I do mean they JUST WATCHED!!!!!  Okay so that went pretty well and we got to the parking lot and I even could remember where my van was parked.  IT WAS PARKED WHAT FELT LIKE 500 MILES FROM THE SHUTTLE DROP OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  So overnight bag and purse on my shoulder I talk to Mietta and Thandi as if they are being put upon as I lug them through the parking lot.  Finally I set them down on the ground since I am now sweating in the heat and tell them how sorry I am but to hang on just a little longer and I have air conditioning in the van.  They just lay there looking at me as if nothing is very wrong.  BY THE WAY SOMEONE REMIND ME NEXT TIME THAT THE DUKE UNCLE IS NOT BE TRUSTED WHEN HE SAYS THE QUEST IS EASY! 

Now I have finished my part of the story.  I think my mother can much better tell the tale of sneaking up on Annie with this grand caravan of people and how we straggled in on unsuspecting Annie.   Good thing we opted to tell King Richard the truth or he might have locked the doors. (And of course he denies any knowledge of all this…per Annie!)

  Mietta and Thandi's turn to Meow...

MIETTA and THANDI now want their say about this trip to the new land in the far away kingdom. 

We were told of our grand adventure from our sweet first mom, Lara and were very excited to be going to homes where so many would love us.  We saw our crate and it was nice on the inside and we knew we could talk the whole time about everything through a panel between us.  Everything went well until this strange woman opened the door for the first time in our strange new land. 

She talked kindly and petted each us in turn telling us of the next part of our trip and that very soon she would be placing each of us in the arms of our new mothers.  She seemed like a nice Godmother (okay she did not really make sense).  We thought perhaps this was just her way of saying we were loved so we purred for her and let her hold us.   

She however forgot to explain that she was going to be bouncing us around by her hands in this crate we called home.  Thandi looked and me and we both tried very hard to look at this crazy lady as if everything was fine inside the crate.  She seemed distraught enough for all three of us.  She also promised great things over the long haul to some van.  We got so tired of listening to her chatter we just went to sleep and waited for the new castles to play in.  

So many people all around and so much chatter at this new place.  We heard King Richard talk of how now all those females would be up all night talking so he was going to bed.  We walked into this new castle and found that we needed to explain a few of our rules to these people and THE DOGS.  That Godmother lady forgot to tell us about some really BIG BIG Blonde dog.  Mietta told Thandi to try to put on some good manners and together they would have a little talk with that big thing about how things would be now. 

At the end of the big weekend Thandi and I said our farewells and she left with the Susie for her own castle.  She loves her new home and all it’s inhabitants. 

Now after a short while I found my new castle and all the inhabitants to be very grand and I trained them very well.  They have been so very good to me and found a great guy for me to play with.  Rad and I decided that our King and Queen were such great humans that we would give them a very special thank you gift.  

We knew that they wanted a litter of baby kittens from us.  Since Rad and I spent so much time getting to know each other and be sure of the future we waited what for the Queen seemed forever.  While I was waiting for my baby to be born she was so loving and was so sure of how everything would be perfect and the baby would be perfect as well.  Rad and I spent much time wanting to give her a most precious gift for all the love she not only gives us and the other pets of the house but to others as well.  

Rad and I knew were wanted other children together but for this King and Queen and we hoped for a most PERFECT baby to give her.  The day finally arrived and boy did I get doted on.  To everyone’s surprise Rad and I had but one little baby.  I looked and him and knew in my heart that all my prayers had been answered.  Next to me lay this tiny baby boy who was perfect in every way.  Rad said Annie would be so happy and find a perfect name for this tiny baby.  We agreed she would be the best person to name him.  

So our first baby is our greatest gift to show how wonderful our loving castle is.  Annie naturally found the best name for him, Purry Catsanova.  Rad and I loved it as soon as we heard her say his name for the first time.  We also knew that this child would remain with us and show the world how special this castle is.  

Now Rad and I have had several litters of kittens since Purry was born.  Each has been given the best names by Annie and Richard.  Each baby never lacks for human love and acceptance.  I watch as Annie looks at every family for our little babies and I know that from the love and safety of our castle each baby kitten brings joy to the new mothers and fathers found for them.   Our son Purry and sweet Vincent help us to raise the babies in way only we cats can do.  Annie and Richard help raise our babies as only loving humans can do.  I must however also tell you of that BIG BIG blonde dog, Barkley for I found him to be very sweet so he helps to raise the babies as well.  Who could ask for more than this from life? 

Thank you to this family who brought us together because of the great love they have for each other. 

The ripple effect continues...

Mietta • Maureen • Lucy • Vincent• Rad • Purry • Zander