Our furry companions

If you follow my blog, you know I'm a cat lover, and you've read the stories about my entertaining cats. Life, as they say, moves on.

This month I had to say goodbye to my blonde assistant. For a dumpster rescue, I never expected she would live to ten years, much less to almost 20. She was 19 this past September, and full of life, if a step slower. She grew hard of hearing (there are very few cats you can actually sneak up on), and she had her off days as she became a "grandma cat." My heart is broken every time I look at the empty corner in my office, or touch her favorite blanket that became her "nest," her favorite place to sit in the whole house. She was a beautiful cat and very much a part of our family. She always welcomed the kids back home, and even the grandkids when most cats would hide from small children.

If you've ever wondered if you should adopt a pet, I'm here to tell you it is a rewarding experience, much like having children. There are the training issues, the messy times, but when you are still and they love you, there's no other feeling like it.

As she crosses the rainbow bridge to join the pets who have gone before her, I thank her for 19 years of love and companionship.