Scruffy came to us with her two sisters as abandoned 3 week old kittens in May 2001. We fell in love with them from the start, and bottle fed them until they were old enough to eat on their own. When we took them in for their first exam and shots, they all tested FeLV positive but we had hope that they may be able to fight it off. Then 9 weeks later, they again all tested positive. All three were healthy and we decided to keep them and try to help them to fight this disease, but we did not get much information about any treatments that may help. Scruffy's two sisters both went to sleep in their first year due to complications they developed from this disease. We also had two other older cats who had both tested negative and were vaccinated against FeLV, but Scruffy was still young and needed a playmate. I then volunteered for that job. I began playing regularly with Scruffy. She loved to fetch paper balls and I leash trained her to go for walks. She loved to sit in our outdoor pen and just take in her surroundings and watch the birds fly around. We would go for walks almost every day near the woods behind our house and she would prance with her tail in the air, stopping every few feet taking in all the scents of nature. She taught me to "stop and smell the roses" and move slowly and enjoy all that the earth has given us. She also loved to rub faces and give little kisses. I thought she would be with me forever. She became my "best friend." Then, in June 2003, she developed her first problem...loss of appetite. I thought she may be stressed since I was fostering some kittens in another room, so took her to the vet. They did blood work and put her on antibiotics and she seemed to do fine. Then late in October, she again got sick...losing her appetite, listless, running fevers, etc. She went to the vet four times in three weeks being on various meds, fluids, supplements. Finally, on her fourth visit, they did blood work with very bad results. She was extremely anemic and I was not given much hope for improvement. I would have tried just about anything if I thought it would have helped her but wasn't given any options except to wait and watch. I did watch and all I could see was her suffering for the next two days; she could barely get up and move around. Then I petted her and felt her backbone where it had always been muscular. She stared at me with her big round eyes and didn't even want to be touched. This disease was stealing my baby from me. I just cried and hoped to make the right decision. That's when I decided it was time to say goodby for now...she went to sleep on Nov. 25, 2003. She is waiting for me at the Rainbow Bridge with her sisters and my other beloved kitties who have left me. They continue to live because a piece of my heart and soul goes with them!!