My 2 Black Angels and Other Habibati

Cats are a present from heaven, their purring so relaxing. Felicia and Lily, my black ladies with shiny soft fur, like velvet, are real gentle angels, never fighting with other cats, welcoming all new comers. Every cat around enjoys their company. And so do we! Approx. 3 years ago I discovered my cute Felicitas, only a few weeks old, climbing behind the barrier, very sportive. She used to be very fit and lively, a bundle of joy. We let her sleep in the bedroom whenever she wants to, as she in particular likes to cuddle with me and lately also with my husband. When she started to loose weight I discovered that my little darling sometimes just pretends to eat, she puts food in her mouth, then spits it out again. The vet advised me that cats only eat food they can smell and this they can't do when their nose is blocked. What helps is Physiol Drops and when it gets real bad inhalation at the vet's. Felicitas is very special for me, unfortunately she suffers from a chronic cold, therefore can't be vaccinated. Though I actually can't afford to pay for all my little darlings to be vaccinated which would require 2 injections every year. This medical protection is very much more expensive for them  then for us. Justified? Or is the pharmacy industry once more just taking what they can get? By the way,  in a documentary about an island with a poor population, it was mentioned that vaccination against rabies only cost 25 CT (there offered for free). Cats' immun system in Tunisia appears to be much weaker than in Europe. Sudden death in particular among very young kittens is rather common, in addition several get run over while crossing streets, life hasn't got much to offer them, so sad. Lily used to look like Felicita's twin sister, but now is much fitter and weighs more. Children discovered her 18 months ago, sitting on my cement strip, large bump on her head and another injury, under shock (biten by a dog, hit by a hooligan). She has a great character, much like Felicita. Strange some folks don't like black cats, most of them are superstitious, the ignorant believe any nonsense. Gloria, Alice and Esperanza almost gave birth to their kittens in front of my entrance door. In each case I was there just in time to rush them in and make use of the make-shift shelter I managed to provide for them. Gloria's babies were the fittest. This loving mum never stopped caring for her kittens even when they got older. Gloria is the most beautiful cat I have ever seen (black, red, brown and a bit of white), so gentle. Unfortunately she disappeared 3 weeks ago, as I had her operated she can't have started a new family, I can only hope she is still alive. Some of her little ones died, the others are fine. All were old enough to cope without their mummy, when she disappeared. I am also missing Cinderella, white fur, blue eyes, gentile and sweet. Hopefully she is living with a new good family now, she would have returned if she could. Tunisian folks prefer very young kittens, if they intend to have a cat, but in view of her beauty someone may have made an exception. I asked around and checked the streets in the neighbourhood, these 2 little habibties are nowhere in sight. Esperanza and Alice had their kittens within the same week. When these 2 dedicated mummies go outside for a few minutes, they walk together briefly and seem to exchange their experiences. Babies calling, they quickly want to return, usually. Sometimes Alice has a bit of a rest underneath my yucca plant. One evening she went out and I couldn't trace her anywhere. She was nowhere in sight, I tried again and again to find her. Something must have happened to her, I knew she wouldn't desert her kittens. Early in the morning, feeding time - no Alice, I checked the neighbourhood area. All in vain, until finally later in the morning she returned and waited underneath my yucca plant. She was bleeding from her mouth and nose, a poor sight. So this was the cause either an accident or an attack from a dog maybe. The vet thought an accident, broken jaw. Now I have 2 cats that had a broken jaw and I know my vet can operate it well. The other one, Myriam is doing fine and Alice is quickly recovering. I am so happy and so were her kittens (only 2 survived, 2 were already born dead) which adored their mum. Unfortunately later on another kitten died, so she is left with only one now and so is Alice who has a very lively little darling with black and red fur, not at all looking like her golden coloured mother. There are so many things in life we don't really need but cats are essential - at least for me. Thank heaven for these little treasures.