Meesi. Bud. Buddy Pal. Meesa. Meesins. Siamese; these are all nicknames I’ve come up with in the last year of having Leila in my life. I think “Bud” is probably the most used, simply because my baby Siamese has transformed into my serious buddy. She’s my pal. I can’t believe it’s been a year since this girl blessed me with her presence. Over the span of this past year, I’ve come to believe that perhaps Leila was put in my life by way of my heart cat, Edison.
My Incredible Bond With Leila
Almost exactly four years ago, my heart cat Edison ran away. I admit that I still haven’t fully gotten over the loss, and I’m not sure I ever will. But last year I finally found myself searching for another cat. I wanted to throw a kitten into the mix so I could raise him or her around my other animals. For a while I contemplated adopting a kitten from AAWL, my favorite animal rescue organization. Then one random Wednesday afternoon I saw a Facebook post from my friend Stephanie. A friend of hers had found a baby Siamese kitten (who had been rescued from a car engine bay) that needed a home. When I saw the photos, I knew she was the one. She was what I had been waiting so long for. Not even five hours later, Leila was home with me, and I fell in love instantly.
From Strays to Sisters: The Heartwarming Bond Between McKenzie Rae & Leila
Matt and I rescued McKenzie Rae from the county euthanasia list in November 2015. She came into the shelter as a stray, then she came home to us as a fearful, malnourished angel. Although McKenzie Rae (her name means “hope for a new beginning”) became ill and almost passed away in the first month we had her, she’s now super healthy, active and friendly. We’re still working on fear issues but that’s a work in progress.
We adopted Leila in October 2016. She was also a stray. Leila was actually stuck in the engine bay of a car and it took rescuers an hour to retrieve her. After about two days of being with us, Leila began to show us her playful, spunky personality. It resembles that of McKenzie. Before we knew it, Leila was attached to McKenzie Rae. I fully believe that animals can sense what each other has been through, and my two beautiful girls connected immediately.
