Your Pet Tributes

'Lillian'

by Susan
(Western Mass)

Dearest Lilly,

You were the best kitty I ever had, or could ever hope to have. I'm going to miss you and love you for the rest of my life. You will always be my baby.

It's so hard to believe that you're gone. I knew that you would be leaving me soon, but it was still a shock to lose you. I think of you every day and especially every night when I expect you to climb into bed with me. It's hard to be crying and upset and not have you to comfort me. I'm hoping that your spirit is somewhere out there watching over me.

While you were alive, I always asked you what would I do without you, and now I have to live without you, far too soon. I'm not ready to live without you yet, baby. I knew how lucky I was to have you as my companion cat. I knew how special you were from the time I first saw you more than 14 years ago. I know you always knew how loved you were, and how much love you gave me. I hope you knew how honored I was to be your human.

Special things I remember about you:

- You knew when it was me coming up the stairs from the time you were little, in our first apartment. I wouldn't have known, but Mom stayed over and mentioned that you and Callie went to the door only when I came up the stairs.

- When we lived with Dawn and her cat you took to hiding in my bedroom. One day I left a message for Dawn on the answering machine. When she listened to it you came running out of our room into the dining room, looking for me, and Dawn had to tell you that I wasn't home yet.

- After living with Dawn and Juliet you never wanted to live with other cats again and although you were very attached to me you never really liked any other people either and just hid and hissed whenever anyone came over to visit, which was rare once I moved closer to work.

- Whenever I'd come home from being away for a few days, you would meow at me for a good half hour. You must have been yelling at me for making you worry about where I was and when and if I was coming back to you. I thought that the few times a year I went away it would be easier on you if I just left you enough food and water until I came back. Partly because you didn't like visitors and I was worried about your reaction if someone came in while I wasn't there and partly because I didn't want anyone in the apartment while I was gone because it was so messy. When I finally had Alicia come in to check on you while I was gone, even though you hissed at her you seemed to understand her explanation that I was on vacation and would be back in a few days. When I came home, you came up on the bed to snuggle, meowed hello and that was it.

- You almost always came when I called you.

- You almost never woke me up with demands for food or water. It was as if you knew I was in pain if I was sleeping during the day. You would sit quietly and watch me closely until I opened my eyes, and then meow at me until I got up and fulfilled your request.

- You didn't have any 'bad cat' habits.

- You let me kiss you on your head and rub my face along your body.

- You made me feel lucky everyday to have you as my kitty.