Thank You, Veronica!

Last week, my next door neighbor showed up at my door with beautiful flowers; the delivery person could not drive down my snow-covered driveway, so she asked him to give me the bouquet. Well, my first thought was that these flowers were sent because I had lost Yoda, but I couldn't imagine who would have sent them. What a nice surprise to receive flowers, totally unexpected, from a person I'd spoken to briefly, cancelling Yoda's prescription cat food delivery. It really made my day! Thank you, Veronica, for your thoughtfulness.

Good-bye, Yoda

Two weeks ago, on January 24, 2019, I said good-bye to my black cat Yoda, who left me with many wonderful memories. Three days earlier, the vet had given Yoda 1-4 months, which, needless to say, was heartbreaking. But I never expected Yoda to decline so very rapidly, especially since he had been eating well and was active until the end. There's an emptiness in the house without Yoda, my friendly boy, who was usually the first to welcome other cats into our household through the years.

Good-bye, Merlot

On September 27, 2018, I said good-bye to Merlot, a black-and-white tuxedo cat. She was the sweetest cat imaginable. Not once did I ever hear her hiss. And she was the only cat I've ever been able to bathe without fear of being scratched; in fact, she took great care not to scratch me, even though, like most cats, she disliked water. She was a real sweetheart, brought here by her best feline friend, Striper.

Good-bye, Rebel

My beloved dog, Rebel, passed away peacefully at home on November 11, 2017. Rebel was my loyal companion for nearly 14 years. There are no words to describe my grief.

Good-bye, Oprah

My sweet tortoiseshell cat, Oprah, died from a poisonous spider bite on Columbus Day, Oct. 9, 2017. I managed to kill the widow spider, but my Oprah was already gone. She just happened to pick the wrong spot to sleep for the night; apparently, Oprah was in the spider's way, when the arachnid decided she wanted out of the floor vent. What terrible luck for my sweet girl! I was simply horrified.

Good-bye, Locksley

On the morning of August, 16, 2017, I was shocked to discover Locksley's lifeless body on the floor, apparently the victim of a heart attack during the night. I still can't believe my Locksley, formerly a feral cat, is gone, especially so soon after Harry's death. It's been rough. Nevertheless, I am grateful that I just happened to take an interesting photo of Rebel and Locksley together on the last morning of my tuxedo cat's life. One thing for certain, Locksley left me with many good memories.

Good-bye, Harry

My elderly cat Harry passed away on July 23, 2017. I'd been trying to prepare myself for his inevitable demise since December 6, 2016, when he gave me a scare. But Harry must've had more than nine lives--or else he simply loved his life and stayed as long as he possibly could physically. He had been a great tree climber in his younger days, and he was my dog's favorite cat, his buddy since the day he arrived in our yard years ago. With one exception, the occasional black bear visitor, Harry was always fearless; he never allowed the neighbors' dogs to chase him off his own deck and, when it came to other cats, our yard was his domain. By the last year of his life, Harry had even overcome his fear of black bears, treating them with total indifference. Harry was most certainly a cool cat.