*Snowflake miraculously comes into our lives

*On a cold snowy day on January 27, 2001, we went to our local animal shelter to adopt a kitty. We found what we wanted, but for some reason, did not adopt the kitty and take her home. I could not sleep that night thinking about her. She was a tiny little 10 week old, black and gold flecked tortoise female. Very early the next morning, we hurried back to the animal shelter to adopt her. We couldn't find her at first because they had moved her cage. When we finally found her, the helpers had placed another small kitten in the same cage with the tortie. The other kitten had just been brought in. She had long white with tan and brown patched fur, a little pink nose and big blue eyes. We decided to go ahead and adopt her, too, so that the little tortie would have a companion.

*The workers told us that the little white female was 13 weeks old and apparently been out in the cold and wet January weather for a couple of days. They hurriedly attempted to give her oral medication, to no success. We signed the adoption papers, paid the fees, wrapped our new little "babies" in two little baby blankets that we had just brought with us and took them home with us. The shelter told us that the little white female was a "siamese," but we both could see that she wasn't.

*Through research, we later discovered that the little white female was a ragdoll, that most beloved of all kitties. We can only speculate how she came to be outside because ragdolls are TOTALLY inside kitties. We think perhaps that she might have been a Christmas pet to a small child, a child that may have held the kitty too closely, and that at first chance, when an outside door was opened, the little white kitten escaped, although it was into a cold and wet January climate.

*Looking back, we have many times commented that this little white ragdoll female, whom we lovingly named "Snowflake," after one of my most favorite things, was a little miracle sent to us by God. And for us, she remained a heavenly little treasure of a pet until she recently passed away on February 4, 2006 at 12:46 p.m., the result of veterinary negligence.

* The indescribable grief and guilt that we have both felt because of our precious little kitty's untimely death, is inconsolable. She was a very healthy, well-cared for little kitty, and we took her to an associate of our regular vet, who checked her over and diagnosed her with an ear infection. She was not given all of the treatment and medication that she should have been given, and as a result, proceeded to get worse rather than better. She had been treated once before for an ear infection, by our own vet, been given all of the treatment and medication necessary and improved within a couple of days. We had had a previous unacceptable experience with the associate vet before, but because he had taken good emergency care of our little tortie, we decided to go ahead and let him see Snowflake. That is a decision that I will feel guilt over and regret for the rest of my life!!!!