"Sali"
(2002-2006)
Sali was put to sleep on August 16, 2006, she was only four years old

My friend Nancy and I found Sali wandering around outside our office building back on July 18, 2003. She was a beautiful "tuxedo" kitty with large white paws - especially her hind paws - and gorgeous, long white whiskers. We just had to help this girl out. She was approximately one years old when we took her in off the streets. We got her spayed and vaccinated. Unfortunately she tested positive for the Feline Leukemia Virus which is contagious to other cats.

So Dad and I decided to keep this sweet yet endearingly independent gal our office. We named her "Sali" because it's the first part of our company's name, Salinon. Dad got a real kick out of her - as did Nancy, Kylen, Stan & Rick. Sali would let you know - either through "love bites" or "talking" to you - when she wanted you to do something (e.g. love on her or acknowledge her or play with her). She was independent yet headstrong; affectionate yet not sappy. Each morning she joined Dad and Rick as they chatted over their morning coffee. Dad loved how graceful she was when she jumped on top of desks and tables. She was creatively playful; constantly coming up with new ways of having fun (playing with balls, sliding on my papers causing her to crash into the blinds, etc.). When Nancy would come over to my office for a visit, Sali would often quietly creep behind Nancy's chair and then leap up to swat Nancy's pony tail, scaring the heck out of Nancy. LOL. Folks who were normally "dog people" fell for this gal. She was big and beautiful and playful and communicative - she had a presence you could not ignore.

Unfortunately, in early August 2006 Sali suddenly became very ill. It was discovered that she had Acute Myeloid Leukemia - a terribly fast moving form of bone marrow cancer. The cancer prevented her red blood cells from maturing; leaving this young, normally-energetic gal suddenly weak and lethargic. She quickly declined over the next two weeks (as most FeLeuk cats unfortunately do) and she was put down on August 16 2006.

Below are some pictures of Sali, followed by several short video clips.


Nancy holding Sali back in March 2004. Sali was roughly one and a half years old.


Sali often lounged on my desk - right on top of my work, of course. She's was a fairly head strong kitty - when she got something in her mind, there wasn't much that would stop her. She could be in the middle of playing with a ball and then suddenly decide it was time to eat. If you held her back, you could expect a little "love nip" to let you know she had something else on her mind :)


Sali often groomed my head and beard, LOL. I think Sali viewed me as a feline friend, so I was more than happy to let her to do it. She also liked to groom my arm while I worked at the computer; sometimes she would groom one spot on my arm for so long that her rough tongue made my skin sore :)


   
Sali - July 12, 2006 - nearly 4 years old
My mom only got to meet Sali a few times but got such a kick out of her that she came by my office one day to snap these pictures of her. They were the last pictures taken of Sali before she fell ill. I remember mom remarking that day how big and "fluffy" and healthy Sali looked. Sali did seem to be the picture of health. I got her to play fairly aggressively that day on her carpeted cat tower (left picture). She loved swatting at the end of the feather stick while up there and she would often get so tickled that she'd leap off the tower and sprint into dad's office. What a toot. Just three weeks after these pictures were taken, Sali showed the first signs of her leukemia. Two weeks after that she was gone.


Windows Media Player Video Clips
If you don't have the latest version of the Windows Media Player you can get the free version by clicking here.

Sali's first video (roughly 1 years old) - August 2003
Sali learning to play with feather - August 2003
Sali sleeping with tongue hanging out - August 2003
Sali playing with track-ball & feather - August 2003
Sali pouncing inside Coors Light box - October 2003
Sali playing in my office - March 2004
Sali grooming Brad's head & beard (bad audio) - March 2004
Sali excited after using litter box - March 2004
Sali chasing tail on carpeted tower Part I - May 2005
Sali chasing tail on carpeted tower, Part II - May 2005
Sali's third birthday - August 2005
Sali playing "soccer" - August 2005
Sali investigating new, large cat tower (age 3 and a half) - May 27, 2006
Note that the May 27, 2006 video was taken only a little over two months before Sali showed signs of her leukemia. And two weeks after that, she was gone. So Sali only got to play on that large cat tower for roughly two months - but she played on it hard. It was quite a sight. She would often get on it and meow at me to let me know that she wanted me to come play with the feather there. I was always happy to oblige.



Other Related Links On My Site:
My Cats' Home Page
The Catrun
The Large Cat Enclosure
Catwalks Inside My House


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