Zen is a kitten that Eric & I adopted in June 2009 from Wayside Waifs in Kansas City. I had been looking at the animals on Wayside's website for a few weeks but none of them grabbed my attention like Zen did. I immediately texted Eric and told him that I had found "our" kitten. We went that evening to meet him and I loved him even more in person. We put a deposit down and went home to "think about it." It was such a big decision for us, particularly because we hadn't officially decided on getting a pet before this point. We obviously went back the next day to pick up our new baby. Zen was what the shelter had named him and there was no way I was changing such a perfect name.
He was a wonderful little kitten. Very curious and loving. I was the typical first-time mom. Very cautious and camera-happy. He loved his little toy, "Mousey" (which he taught us to play fetch with), would run and meet us when we arrived at home (he listened for the garage door), and liked to be held on his back like a baby while snuggling and burrowing his face into the palm of your hand. I thoroughly entertained my mom each evening with stories of what her grand-kitty had been up to. I was ready for the many years and stories we had ahead of us. Unfortunately, life had other plans.
About 6 weeks after we adopted him, Zen was diagnosed with FIP. FIP is a disease that I had never heard of before. It is very rare, incurable, and fatal. We only had him for 6 days after his initial diagnosis.
Through all the research I did about FIP, I learned about The Bria Fund for FIP Research. This fund was started by Ms. Susan Gingrich (sister of former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich.) Susan and her husband lost their kitten, Bria, to FIP in April 2005. There were parts of Susan & Bria's story that were eerily similar to my story. It was comforting to know that there was someone out there in this big world who understood exactly how I was feeling. The day after we put Zen to sleep, I wrote a letter to Ms. Gingrich. I never expected a response. It was simply therapeutic for me to write the letter. Also, I sincerely hoped that it would reach her so that she would know that there was someone out there that understood her story. I also wanted to tell her how much I appreciated her starting the Bria Fund. Amazingly, Ms. Gingrich wrote me back. Hers is a wonderful letter that I will treasure.
You can read Susan and Bria's story here. http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/Pages/BriaFund.html
This is the letter that I wrote.
Dear Ms. Gingrich:
I hope I have the correct address and this letter reaches Susan Gingrich, mother of Bria. My name is Allison Anders and today is the first day without my beloved kitten, Zen. I adopted Zen from a shelter six weeks ago. I loved him from the moment I saw his little furry face in a picture on the shelter's website. I brought him home about 24 hours after that first sighting and he became an instant part of my family. He was a gorgeous kitten, full of life and personality. I was amazed at how much I loved him.
One week ago I noticed that his abdomen had become somewhat "pot-bellied." Playing the part of the overprotective mother, I took him to the veterinarian. I really thought they might laugh at me and tell me that my baby was just growing up. Instead, I learned of a disease that was too horrible for me to initially comprehend. I have spent the last week holding and talking to my little "snuggle bunny." I chose to end Zen's suffering last night. I missed him instantly. He was only 4 months old.
I am so sorry for your loss of sweet little Bria. I applaud your efforts to raise awareness and funds through the Bria Fund. I will be making monetary donations in the future as a way of honoring my baby who was taken too soon. Please let me know if there is any other way I can help.
Sincerely,
Allison Anders
Our first picture together.
This is right before we brought him home from the shelter on 6/13/09.
Sleeping on the couch.
Saying, "why are you always pointing that camera-thing at me?"
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