Kita (real name: Paquita) was five weeks old when Rox got her in the Spring of 1989. She came from a feed store in Iowa City that took in strays and tried to place them. The notice said that her mother had been a good mouser. We don't know anything else about her origins.

True to her origins, Kita was an efficient hunter. She was very good at finding and stomping the occasional bugs that get into the house. We never gave her a try at a mouse or rat, but the fervor with which she went after thrown bits of tinfoil suggests that they wouldn't have had much of a chance.

Kita did not like to cuddle, but she was a very social cat. Whenever we had guests she would come out to greet them. She liked to perch up high where she could keep an eye on everything. At night she would curl up next to Rox's pillow.

Willow appeared to be Kita's long-term "project". Kita groomed her and cared for her as if Willow were one of her kittens. Willow seemed to accept this as normal and clearly adored Kita.

Kita passed away on July 10, 2005 in the arms of her loved ones. We will always love and remember her.