Cutie

In my last post Anna was pictured with Cutie the Cat and I am so very glad that she was able to meet her ...

You see, Cutie passed away just three days after our visit.  It was bittersweet as it was her time, but selfishly she represented a living tie to my childhood, my Dad's home and oh-so-many memories.  We adopted Cutie my freshman year in high school and she fit in from the moment she arrived home, and like all of our cats developed her own personality that we fell in love with. 

A few years later my parents divorced and Cutie stayed with my Dad and other cat, Duncan (also an awesome pet!).  When my Dad remarried she became quick friends with her new family, which included three small children.  Unlike some cats, she loved all humans and never met a stranger.  Her signature move was licking your hand if you reached down to pet her.  And she'd go to town leaving you clean a whistle and thoroughly exfoliated : )  She loved getting brushed and loved eating the treats she received as her reward even more.  She begged for food at dinner, cuddled in your lap as you watched TV and loved to make kitty biscuits on your belly.  She befriended every child that came through Dad's house and with Anna's visit she even crossed generations. 

She was almost 19 years old, but still looked spry as they come.  We often joked that she was the Jack LaLanne of cats.  Dad noticed she was having issues several months ago and a visit to the Vet confirmed kidney issues.  She was put on special food, but when her eating started to slow down, we knew she was getting worse.  Those final months Dad (who detests wet cat food) let her enjoy plain old, stinky wet cat food and made her as comfortable as he could. 

I can't thank my Dad enough for taking such good care of her during those last days.  I know it killed him to put her down, but it was 100% the right thing to do.  When I heard the news I was a mess, but felt even worse for my Dad; I wish I'd been there with him.  In the end, I'm just happy I got to say goodbye and the pictures below are priceless to me.  I know that Cutie is up in kitty cat heaven having a ball with her old friends and making new ones.  And licking hands every chance she gets. 

My friend Phil said once said about the passing of his cat, Pink, that "He had little strange traits that provided Jennifer and I with at least one laugh every day.  That's pretty impressive.  If someone can make you laugh once a day without the ability to speak, I think that's doing pretty good."  That's what Cutie provided to us and truer words have never been spoken. 

The pictures below were taken back-to-back and show how friendly and loving Cutie was ...
she literally never met a stranger and instantly fell under Anna's spell.