Maggie Kay Klosterman/Stevens

Maggie Kay Klosterman/Stevens 1993-2012

Maggie was born the summer of 1993 and at the age of 2-3 weeks rode in on a truck heading to Williston, ND. Her Mom must have decided that Laurel and DeEtta would eventually find her to give her a good home. At 1:00 in the morning we could hear the crying of a kitten at the end of the block. Eventually….we found her, only to see that she was the size of a mouse with obvious trauma to her poor tiny body. We scooped her up and the next morning headed straight to the vet. She was burned on one side of her face, one eye was infected shut and she had 2 maggots (that’s how she got her name) infested into her back. Of course the vet tried talking us out of spending the money on a kitten that probably wouldn’t live long….we did it anyway. The maggots were removed and her eyes had to take a little time to heal. Two weeks later, the maggots were eating her in the back again, back to surgery, only this time she had a seizure. Laurel had to give her shots for a few days to control them and before we knew it, she was a healthy kitten. We, of course, have to give Sparkie (huge black tom-cat) the credit for her healing so quickly. He bathed her daily and she nursed from him like he was her Mom. He was the best thing that could have happened for her.

During the summer of 1995, we packed up the family and moved to Nebraska. Maggie was always scared of people being what she had gone thru so this was a challenge to work with her to get her to come outside with Sparkie and us into the fenced in yard. Ahhhh….she is finally coming out by herself now but when we started to rake the fall leaves zooooommmm she was gone!! She somehow fit thru that small space in the fence and disappeared. We knew Maggie would not survive by herself but left the garage door cracked a bit anyway. In the middle of the night, “meow, me-out, meow”….she found her way home! From that day on, Maggie would follow us outside but always sit right by the same door she went out, never ventured anywhere.

In 2004 Sparkie fell ill and was sent to Kitty Heaven, Maggie was lost without her companion but that put even more attention on her from everyone. She learned to love everybody and was no longer scared of people. She had her routine of morning breakfast & dinner when we got home from work (even though she had free-flow food while we were gone), she loved the “special treats”! In the past 1 ½ years, Maggie started slowing down a bit and needed a warmer bed, yes…..$100.00 for a blanket for her to keep her warm wasn’t even questionable. After 10 hours, it would shut off and she would stare you down until you turned it back on. We turned our living room into a hospice room for her, with the litter box being of easy access. Her daily meals lately were baby food beef gravy and rice with warm water; of course the others thought they had to eat it too!

In 2006, Maggie welcomed Kali Lynn into our house; in 2010….Beau Armand joined us; 3 months ago Rudy Olden needed a place to call home. Maggie knew her bed and blanket was hers and so did they! Maggie passed away March 4, 2012 in her sleep, we held and comforted her until we put her to bed that night.

She leaves behind Laurel and DeEtta; her catbearers Kali, Beau and Rudy; we will always miss her reminding us of how life should be. She was so easy going…..We Love You Maggie and Will Miss You.

Sparkie and Maggie are together again!