A Week With Maxxie : How She Captured But Broke Our Hearts

Where Do I Start?

So I think I would like to begin by saying "Hello!" to all pet lovers of Hive. I am here to talk about a special fur baby -- Maxxie. I've been wanting to come here and share about her since last week but I kept on delaying it. Actually, I was thinking of perhaps making a Hive account exclusive for her (as if I really could accommodate handling another account)...

Two Little Kitties!

About ten days ago, the husband came home from work and I noticed a small bag hanging from the handle of his bicycle. I ignored it and proceeded to chat with him about how his day and ours had gone by. Suddenly, there was a small head that poked out of the plastic bag!

I almost jumped out of my skin to find two tiny kittens inside the bag!

Apparently, he passed by his friend's house and out of the blue adopted these little furballs. Hmmm, pets. I am not sure how to react about this. My children had been asking for a pet - a dog in particular, but living in a tiny apartment, we felt that we were not equipped for a dog. We had a chance to take care of several kittens before but only up to the extent of giving them food right out of the gate of our house. Then they eventually disappeared - one died, another one strayed away, and the last one also just didn't come back again several weeks after the last one left.

I was a bit apprehensive. Honestly, I did not want to get attached to another pet. I don't want to invest my emotions in a cat(s) and then they will just eventually leave (or die).

But this one is different...

Just how can you say "no" to those adorable eyes?

This one melted my heart straight away.

On the first night though, we still left them outside of the house. That was a big mistake because one kitten did not survive the night and was attacked by another big cat from the neighborhood.

So we decided that the remaining kitty had to stay indoors or else she would suffer the same fate as her sibling.

We named her Maxxie.

It was only after 3 days that I agreed to give her a name. I did not want to name her because by giving her a name already felt like she was a part of our family and it would break my/our heart if we lose her.

My daughter named her Maxxie, after my first cat, Max. Max was my cat here in the UAE which we had to eventually bring home to the Philippines because our landlord at that time did not allow pets in the apartment. He lived with my parents and sister for about 8 years until she died in 2016.

Every day was a #caturday with Maxxie since then. We had lots of cuddle time and my children played with her a lot. She slept inside our house since then and already got a spot at the foot of our bed.

I never had an issue with toilet-training her. She was a pro from the start. I only had to teach her how to use her litter box once and she was good.

At times within the day, she would go to the door which meant she wanted to go outside. She would sleep on the shelf near our laundry area and then she would again peek at the door when she wakes up. My kids would let her in and she would run all the way to the kitchen.

Sleep.

Eat.

Poop.

repeat

She was literally like a baby.

_{Snuggled inside a shoe.}

Just another day.

Today was just another day. She was snuggled with me as I had my morning coffee. She had breakfast, played with the kids...

It was mid-day when I looked for her. She was not inside the house and I presumed she was on her usual spot on the shelf outside. She was not there.

I went looking for her in another spot in our garden where she used to hang out. Sure enough, she was there. I called for her but she was hesitant to come.

She still came out of her hiding place but would not follow me inside the house.

Something was wrong. She was not her playful self and I realized she had not eaten again since that first meal she had in the morning. That was very unlikely.

I noticed that she was breathing heavily. I thought she was just tired...

Later on, we saw her looking afar - we thought she was just eyeing on the bird that was playing nearby. You know, maybe already calculating her predatory skills...

A couple of hours later, my daughter said that something was wrong with Maxxie - she seemed to have gotten "suffocated by the smoke" from the barbecue our neighbor was cooking.

Noooo It can't be! I went outside and saw her struggling to breathe even more. My husband and I tried to give her water with sugar but she was just too weak.

Maxxie did not make it. She died regardless of our efforts...

Sad Day

I could not look while my husband was trying to massage Maxxie's chest, hoping to revive her.

"This is why I do not like pets," I said. It breaks my heart when I lose them.

But among all of us, it was my youngest kid who got broken-hearted the most.

Little Man had a love-hate relationship with Maxxie. Well, he adored her and always looked for her to play but he got jealous all the time he hears me talk affectionately to her or whenever I cuddle her.

"You're not a cat-mom!" he would say.

But this afternoon, as he watched his dad bury Maxxie, he cried.

He was broken because Maxxie did not stay with us for a long time. She left us too soon.

I tried to comfort him - told him that it was okay to feel sad. Death is unavoidable. It will happen to any living being. It was just a matter of time. But what is important is how we live.

Maxxie, during the very short time she was with us, was a happy kitten and she made us happy too. It is unfortunate she had to go too soon but we will always remember her.

Little Man asked to stay outside for a little more time. He did not want to come inside the house. He said he wants to stay outside first until it's night. We cried together and both went again to the site where Maxxie was buried and said "goodbye"...