Sleep In Heavenly Trees, Sweet Georgia Kitten

In memory of Georgia Louise Smith, born approximately 2016, died June 19, 2026

Georgia Louise was found in a cardboard box with her litter mates on the side of a central Pennsylvania highway. It was obvious from the start that God had a plan for Georgia, as he always does. The abandoned kittens were rescued by a member of the Lancaster Theological Seminary community.

The seminarian put out an email to all the community asking who would like to adopt a kitten. Jean, our landlady on the Christmas tree farm and dear friend, was in seminary at Lancaster at the time and wrote, "Yes, I’d love a kitten!” So she and my mom, who had moved in not too long before, went off to pick up Georgia Kitten.

Everyone fell in love with Georgia, especially Sunny the Golden Retriever, pictured above. Sunny took care of Georgia, chasing Tom cats away and making sure she was safe and loved. Miss Kitty, the previous farm cat and excellent mouser, taught Georgia how to climb trees so she could escape the farm fox, whom Jean named Alfred.

When I lived on the farm, I got up at five and fed the cats before my mom woke up. I’d make Georgia’s Fancy Feast mixed with water, put it in the bowl on the kitchen table, and say, “Airlift to breakfast?” She always wanted to be picked up and placed on the table in front of her dish, even though she was an excellent jumper.

When we had to leave the beautiful farm in 2020 after Jean died suddenly, Mom took Georgia. Jean made it explicitly clear that the animals were to go to my mom. Sunny died at a ripe old age of almost 18 just after Jean did, while we were still on the farm. But Georgia came to Pottstown with Mom.

Mom got her a playmate right away. Elliott, a giant sweet orange tabby boy, came from the Pottstown SPCA. He was thin and scrawny but he bulked up. He and Georgia loved each other and played all the time. She liked to try to put his head in her mouth.

Today my mother texted me that Georgia was sick. Within a few hours it became clear that she had to go to the emergency vet. Mom’s friend in town came to get the cat and Mom to the vet and I jumped in the car and drove the hour thirteen minutes to meet them at the emergency vet.

By the time I got there they knew that she had a serious infection in her eyes and mouth and far gone cancer in her stomach. You could easily feel the lumps.

It was obvious that Georgia was ready to cross the Rainbow Bridge and go to the giant Christmas tree farm in the sky.

She let my mom and Jean put bunny ears on her one Easter.

Georgia loved to be outside on the farm. She came in and out all day while Mom obediently opened the door. I imagine that she is on the heavenly farm now, with Sunny and Jean.

Georgia’s life was not as long as we would have wanted it to be, but it was a beautiful life. She was always with the people and animals she loved. She never lacked for anything that she needed or wanted, including almost constant brushing from my mom. She was a talkative, playful, loving little girl who enjoyed her life.

Her death was sudden. I’m sure she had been getting sick for a while, but cats hide it until it gets bad. I am so grateful that I was able to be there with her and my mom at the end.

I was telling Mom last night that life feels fragile and precious to me. I have almost died before (due to a serious medical error) and I live in a place where real physical danger is always close by. I try to live my days fully, to relish life as it is. Today was sad, and hard. But I try to put myself back into the space of gratitude. Georgia had a happy life. She brought joy to my mom, me, our neighbors, Jean, and Elliott and Sunny and Miss Kitty and even Gabby cat, my mom’s cat who died shortly after she moved to the farm.

Here she was as a baby.

And as a supermodel in a basket.

Georgia lived her fluffy life to the fullest, whether on the farm sniffing the daisies or chasing Elliott or meowing at Mom to be brushed at all hours of the day and night.

She passed peacefully today at about 6:30 pm. I got Mom settled back at her house and then headed home to Fluffy. Mom’s neighbors, who were so kind to us today and came to be with Mom and take her to the vet since I couldn’t get there right away, are burying Georgia in their backyard, next to one of their cats.

Sleep in heavenly trees, sweet little sister. We will meet again someday on the great Christmas tree farm in the sky.