Missy 1993 - December 26, 2006

I got home from work Tuesday and notice that Missy was sitting by herself and had the most pitiful cry. I talked to her a bit and petted her but then I had to get to bed and get some sleep. When I woke up and was leaving for work I looked in on Missy and she had passed away. She was over 13 yrs. old. Dad had found Missy in the Publix’s parking lot when she was still a little ball of fir. Dad brought her home and they bonded. Leslie said that Missy would ride around on Dad’s shoulders. I know that if I was sitting down she was bad about climbing up on mine and perching. She also had the bad habit of if she caught you asleep she would snuggle next to your face. Many a time I have woken up from a dead sleep with fur in my mouth.
Missy and I bonded fast and I am glad, it was the reason why she stayed around after I committed the sin of bringing other “cats” into the house. I don’t believe that she ever forgave me for doing that, but she did learn to live with that weakness in me. She was also one of the few cats I have had that would make eye contact even when she didn’t want anything.
While Missy was still primary an outdoor cat I always had the fear that she would just disappear one day. Well, now I don't have to worry about that. I'm going to build her a small box and bury her on the property. I have the feeling that this will be the start of my cat cemetery.
I'm not going to find another cat to replace her; I felt that four cats were too many. I'll now be able to spend more time with the others, but Missy will sorely be missed. She has a lot of Dad's cantankerous ways, (they were both extremely hard-headed) but she was a loving cat.