"Eby" was a spectacular kitten, and in limited showing was an easy Regional Kitten Winner. Judges raved over her wonderful round doming, her tiny, tiny ears, her short cobby body and her adorable expression and playful personality. She was just a doll.

But just as Eby was nearing the end of her kitten career, she became very ill.

While my vet tested her for everything under the sun, Eby continued to deteriorate and eventually was paralyzed down her right side. She couldn't even blink. She couldn't walk. She couldn't eat. She was dying!

Test after test proved negative. We were at a loss of how to treat her. We made phone calls and emails to vets and breeders around the world seeking advice.

At the same time, we began a shotgun approach to treating her - working through a series of antibiotics hoping that the next one would be the one that would work.

14 days after she first began her first symptoms, and after 8 days of high fever, we tried Chloremphanical - and it saved her life.

Although we never confirmed exactly what was wrong we suspect she had an infection that migrated into her spinal fluids.

She lost all her coat right down to bare skin. In fact, once the crisis was past, Eby became known affectionately as my "beautiful bare butted bald baby".

It took a year and a lot of physical therapy for Eby to completely recover - but recover she did, including a magnificent flowing coat. And eventually she went on to obtain her Grand Championship in just 3 shows.

I thank Charmayne Phillips for allowing me the honor of calling this little darling my own.