Friday cat blogging

This is my cat, KT, shortly after we got her in November 1988. KT stood for "Kitty Trouble" -- she had a mischievous spirit, which included hiding in boxes and riding on my shoulders.

That mellowed in a few short years, of course. Other than her fondness for sharpening her claws on the plastic sheaths of my album collection, she really wasn't much trouble at all. She became a mellow, pleasant cat who was a terrific mouser and simultaneously a saint around small children, who loved to maul her. This was an important trait when we brought our own little cat mauler into the home in 2001, just when KT was getting old and little crotchety; though a little leery at first, she soon adopted my daughter as a friend and took to taking naps with her.

She also was my constant companion when I was writing. She had a knack for jumping into my lap at about the moment I needed a break and insisting on a head rub or back scratch, and otherwise lounging in the box with a blanket it in I placed atop my desk for her.

Cats can live to ripe old ages, and KT lived till she was 17. We almost lost her a year and a half ago when her kidneys started failing and she developed an internal infection, but we managed to pull her back. A couple of weeks ago, a similar infection hit again, and this time we weren't so fortunate; she gradually went into an irreversible decline and became just a little shadow of her former self. This last Monday, I took her in and held her and stroked her and talked to her while they administered the fatal shot.

I'm not sure how long I'll miss her, but I think it will be a long time. We're not getting another (my wife has become allergic to cats), and I'm not eager to do so anyway. She was my friend, and they don't replace easily. She had a sweet, gentle, and affectionate soul. And I think what tears me up the most is that I don't think I was ever adequately able to thank her for sharing it with us.

I haven't ever Friday cat blogged before (I always thought she would be annoyed by the intrusion on her privacy), and I won't again. But I hope she won't mind this little tribute, and this little way of saying: Thanks, KT.