No music, no clever quips. We buried 4 cats in the last 6 months.Two, Paris and Talulah were new kittens brought into the family after one of our elder cats, Simone, died. Paris and Talulah were amazing additions to the family before FIP got a grip on them.Lively amazing kittens. Classic in their energy.

One of our  elder cats, Simone,  was almost 18 years old when she died. Simone was always Ms. Grumpy Pants;a tiny puff of a cat. She had a thyroid problem which we suspected over the course of her life stunted her growth. Nonetheless,she was the queen of the house without a doubt.

Nina was by far and away MY cat. Towards the end of her life she would hide out in our room until I came from work. Then upon hearing me come in she would come out onto our bed for some head scratching. I knew she was sick. She should have been dead a year ago due to cancer.  She managed to stay with me until March 19 of this year. On her final night, she woke us having a final spasm down near the foot of our bed. That was it, she was gone.

Across the span of all the cats I have owned in my life,and I have loved hem all, there are  three clear favorites. Nina, Thelonious, and Monk. Of these three Nina is the  queen.

Death is a strange and permanent thing for both the one who dies , and those who are left to remember them.

Bye Nina, I hope I see you on the other side