Doors …

On 5 May 2025, the KittyCatS community lost one of its most wonderful members, KittyKat Pawprint.  Kat, as most knew her, or sometimes Miss Kitty, was a vibrant, knowledgeable, compassionate, joyful member of our community, whose sense of humor, infectious laugh, and warmth will truly be missed.  And some of us have truly been left with massive holes in our hearts. We’ve lost a partner, a mother, an aunt, a sister… and the world is that much less vivid and beautiful because of it.

Kat left us very unexpectedly.  Of course, who is really ever prepared for loss – even if, somewhere rattling around in your brain, the knowledge that time is short is there.  I woke to a phone call in the wee hours of the morning that day, and though I couldn’t answer in time, when I called right back, I was greeted with a sentence that shook me to my core, and left me far too stunned to respond.  My sister Tuney had called to tell me that our beloved sister Kat had passed in the night. That memory of that moment is seared into my brain, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.  We didn’t see it coming – but even so, I don’t think it would have been better, or easier, if we had.

Some may know that once upon a time, I was co-owner of another KittyCats related market in Second Life.  The market was very dear to my heart, and I invested so very much time, effort, and pieces of my soul into it.  Sometimes, though, things just don’t work out in the long term the way that you hope they will, and factoring in real life medical concerns and other circumstances, I felt there was no choice but to step away.  I didn’t really want that endeavor to come to an end for me (and I’m pleased to say that that market still exists, and thrives, and is run by some truly exceptional people), but sometimes, a door must close.

In more recent times, more fully able to be present in SL, I jumped at the chance to be part of Realm Breedables, which was Kat’s multi-breedable project.  I began hosting KittyCatS auctions at Realm when it started, and was thrilled to be part in any way that I was asked. I helped where I could, and I hosted my auctions, and I thought how wonderful it was to be involved once again.  Again, though, sometimes a door must close.  After a series of events Kat decided to scale back Realm, and make it auctions only.  Still, I was so happy to be involved with my sister in her project, in whatever way it evolved.  I continued to host my auctions at Realm, but decided that perhaps I would also open an intimate little place for cats-related shop rentals.  Thus, Pawsitive Vibes came to exist.

In its beginnings, Pawsitive Vibes was meant to be shops-only, and only a quarter sim. Small, but ridiculously cute.  I hoped to provide a space where other KittyCatS breeders like me, who loved everything cat, everything cute, and everything rainbow might find a place to sell their cats.  And then, not so very long ago, in one of the last conversations I got to share with Kat, I mentioned that I thought that it might be wise to help drive traffic to PV by hosting at least one auction there.  Kat agreed, and encouraged me to move my Sunday (Sundae) Sweet Treats auction to PV.   I had been so worried that I might inadvertently hurt her feelings, or make her sad that I wanted to “take away” an auction from Realm, and I was so foolish to worry.  One of the last serious conversations that my beloved sister and I had, after confessing that I was worried I would hurt her feelings by moving Sweet Treats, was,  “I love you lots, and I think it’s time to work on your dream of having a market again.”  That conversation took place just over a week before the call came from Tuney to tell me that Kat was gone.  Another door closed – but this time, closed on the earthly life of someone it’s almost too difficult to bear losing.

But a door opened, too.  It opened wide, and swiftly, and caused more than a little damage when it did.  I would happily close this door – slam it shut and never look back at it, if it meant that I could have Kat back – but I can’t.  Kat’s auction time slots have been released in light of her passing, and with Kat being the owner of the land that the Realm auctions were hosted at, new places had to be found for those auctions to continue.  Pawsitive Vibes was there, already existent… and though the auctions had to be moved to skyboxes due to physical space, Pizza Party and BellaB’s Kindle of Kittens have new homes now.

I want to see PV succeed.  I want to see that now, more than ever, because in a way it feels like that was my last set of instructions from my sister.  I just wish she were still here with me. With us.