MY CATS I've been fortunate to have received many blessings in my lifetime, but none have brought me more joy and contentment than these treasured, four-pawed companions.     KITTLING December 20, 1992 – November 4, 2009 Rescued: Feb. 7, 1993 On February 7, 1993, I was playing a band job with Ed Hause at the Cedar Creek Inn (later renamed the Country Keg) which is north of Milwaukee, just outside of Cedarburg. Ed walked into the hall from the parking lot mentioning that there was a cat outside, and that it was sitting on his truck's bumper. I went outside, and what I found was a tiny, stray, black and white kitten sitting on top of the rear tire of his truck, inside the wheel well. I was drawn to the kitten because it was so small trying to meow. I had absolutely no experience with cats, so I was too afraid to pick it up, but I still wanted to help it. Hoping it wouldn't scurry away, I slowly approached and stooped down by the tire, talked in a soothing voice, and thought maybe the kitten would walk onto my back. And it did! I then opened the back door of my car, leaned in, and the kitten jumped from my back onto the back seat. After the job, I drove around to the two or three houses that were nearby. (It is a rural area.) No one claimed the kitten, so that is when I decided it would become mine. I drove home to my parents' house, and showed the kitten to my mom and my brother. When I held it, in an instant, it fell asleep in the warmth of my hands, especially when I rubbed underneath its chin. Since my house was not very safe for a cat, I gave the kitten to my friend, Michele, who took it home and cared for it for a few days while I got the house kitten-ready. Nobody knew what gender the cat was. Michele guessed it was a male, and I was fine with that, so for the first few days, I referred to the cat as a he and gave him the name Arthur. Needless to say, the vet's office set me straight about her gender right away. Now that I had her gender correct, I needed to know her age. Again, looking at her first vet bill, her age was listed as three months, which would put her estimated birth date at November 11th.  I also remember another person, possibly another veterinarian, estimating that she was as young as six weeks old. Judging by her young looks, I subscribed to the latter estimate, figuring she was six to nine weeks old, and established her birth date as December 20, 1992. Michele came up with the name Kittling. I and everyone else liked the name, so that's what it became, although most of us called her Kitty Kitty. On August 13th, 2009, Kittling was diagnosed with chronic renal failure and admitted to the hospital. Although the news was devastating, it helped me to prepare for that final day when we'd have to say good-bye. That day came far too soon on November 4th, 2009. Kittling remained by my side for nearly seventeen years, and when it was time to go, she left my world the same way she came into it ─ falling fast asleep in the warmth and comfort of my arms. First photo With Butchie With Michele With Meg 15th birthday Failing health Last photo A few weeks after Kittling passed away, on what would have been her 17th birthday, my mom and I each donated fifty dollars to a local cat adoption rescue in West Allis, WI, in memory of Kittling. After learning of what my mom and I did, several friends and co-workers expressed an interest in contributing additional donations, so the following year I started the Kittling Brusky Memorial Fundraiser. From 2009 to 2013, the annual fundraiser raised $2,375.00 for local cat rescues.     UNNAMED Known only as "Little Black Kitten" September 21, 1998 – November 17, 1998 Rescued: November 13, 1998 In 1999, a friend of mine who knew I liked cats mentioned that on her parents' property, there were some young farm cats who would likely not survive the winter. I offered to take one in, so I drove down to their house in Lena, IL and came back with a tiny black feral kitten. Three days later after coming home from work one night, I noticed he had lost fluids and was extremely lethargic. I rushed him to the emergency vet, but they couldn't save him. I only had him for a few days, but I know in my heart I would have loved him for a lifetime if I had been given that chance. For that reason, I regard him as family the same as Kittling, Snickers, and Arthur.     SNICKERS FREDERIC PEPPERTON August 10, 2009 – December 20, 2021 Rescued: December 20, 2009 I met my first cat, Kittling, in a snow-covered parking lot of a rural Wisconsin dance hall on a cold winter day. Roughly six weeks after she passed away, on December 20 (her birthday) I happened to be standing in a snow-covered parking lot of a rural Wisconsin dance hall when a young black, stray cat came sauntering along. "What are the odds?" I thought to myself. I was still recovering from the pain of losing Kittling, but knew this must have been a divine gift from her. I inquired about the cat. Clyde Olson of Prairie Lanes in Markesan said the cat started hanging around the property about a month earlier. He made an impromptu heated shelter in a shed for the cat. Since it was Kittling's birthday that day, and since the circumstances of finding both cats were eerily similar, I took it as a sign from Kittling that this cat needed me and I needed him. Clyde plopped the cat into my arms, and Snickers (already named by a young family member of Clyde's) came home with me. Snickers was an exceptionally intelligent and inquisitive cat. Unfortunately he was also prone to illness and racked up just under $24,000 in medical expenses over his lifetime. He was a financial burden, but he more than made up for it with his love and affection for me and devotion to his brother, Arthur. As Snickers started experiencing health issues, the bond between us grew stronger. It eventually became as strong as the bond I had with Kittling. I never thought that could happen, but it did. I have no doubt that's exactly why Kittling chose Snickers for me. In 2021 when Snickers suffered a terrifying seizure and the doctor and I had a sobering discussion about his options and bleak outlook, I knew in my heart it was best to end his suffering right then and there. It also happened to be December 20. It was time to say good-bye to my sweet boy and send him home to reunite with his beloved guardian angel, Kittling. First photo First birthday Last photo Snickers was a truly special cat. He gave more affection than he took, treated Arthur with compassion, was appreciative of everything he received, and was remarkably intelligent and resourceful. Even though his later years were a challenge for both of us, we hung in there together through all the veterinary treatments and sleepless nights. He was worth it. To honor Snickers, I reignited the Kittling Brusky Memorial Fundraiser, renamed it after Snickers, and ran it from 2021 to 2024, raising a total of $3,150 for local cat adoption shelters.     ARTHUR DUDLEY SOLOMON March 21, 2012 – June 8, 2025 Rescued: December 20, 2012 In December of 2012, I got a call out of the blue from a former customer from my days as a picture framer. She found a stray cat hanging around the nativity scene on her mom's property in Oak Creek. She remembered I was fond of cats and called me to ask if I could help. The following day, which happened to be December 20, I went to the house and took possession of the cat. I placed lost cat ads and took the cat to the vet to see if they could find a microchip. After a couple weeks went by with no one claiming the cat, I took it as a sign from Kittling to adopt the cat myself. I named him Arthur. It was the right decision, because Snickers and Arthur immediately became the best of friends. In August of 2021, Arthur was diagnosed with diabetes. It was a diagnosis that changed my life because I was no longer just a cat owner, but a caregiver to a special-needs cat who needed insulin twice a day. My schedule was no longer my own because I could not schedule anything that conflicted with Arthur's insulin regimen. It wasn't easy taking care of a diabetic cat, let alone two sick cats. Although losing Snickers four months later was an unexpected and heartbreaking tragedy, I believe he selflessly willed that sacrifice to make it easier for me to focus on Arthur. For the next 3 1/2 years, Arthur and I managed his diabetes with unwavering conviction, enabling him to live a fulfilling life as the apple of my eye. First photo First birthday   Last photo In May of 2025, Arthur's health declined as a large, undetected mass had formed in his abdomen. Given his age and the complexity of the mass, it was inoperable. Like Snickers and Kittling before him, Arthur fell fast asleep in the warmth and comfort of my arms, and jumped into the peaceful, radiant meadows of heaven where God had prepared a place for him to reunite with his feline family. Arthur's personality was as sweet as could be. He was my Pumpkin Pie.     VIOLA KITTLING Born: January 20, 2012 Rescued: January 15, 2014 On a frigid 17-degree day in January of 2014, my neighbor informed me there had been a cat residing underneath the front porch for a couple days. She said she couldn't coax it out, so I grabbed a few treats and gave it a try. Emerging from the darkness, a tiny black cat popped out through the lattice and offered no resistance as I scooped it up in my arms. I went through the standard steps of trying to locate the owner, but no one claimed the cat. I could not see a connection to Kittling, but decided to give adoption a try anyway. Unlike Snickers and Arthur who quickly took to each other, this cat would have nothing to do with her two brothers. She made it very clear she would not tolerate cohabiting with other cats, so I took the cat over to my mom's house to become a companion for my mom, who had lost her beloved dog three years earlier. We named her Viola (vee-O-la) after one of the musical instruments my mom played in school. Soon it became clear to me that everything was going to Kittling's plan. Kittling never intended Viola to be another cat for me; she intended Viola to be a companion for my mom – her cherished grandma — who always took care of her whenever I was away. That's why Kittling picked out a cat who would not get along with my two cats. Due to having been outside in the cold prior to being rescued, her ears suffered frostbite. Within a couple weeks of being rescued, the damaged tissue painlessly fell off, leaving her with cropped ears. Today, Viola is a happy, healthy, 13-year-old cat living in my mom's spacious, historic farmhouse.