Our Allie cat left us early this morning. She was 18 and a half years old. Ryan pulled a batch of kittens out from under my parents' deck in Cassville the first summer we were dating in 1996. We had just gotten back from a vacation in Minnesota with my parents, sisters, Nanny and Papaw. A few weeks later we went back for the little girl who looked like a Russian blue and brought her to Springfield to live in Ryan's college apartment on Campbell. She was always his kitty, but she loved me too. When she was a kitten, she'd sit on Ryan's shoulder while he played on the computer. She'd lick his plate clean then sit down in the middle of it. She'd gotten so small in her old age, but at one time this spoiled kitty weighed in at 18 pounds, earning Ryan and me quite a scolding from the vet.
It's hard to imagine our life--hard to imagine us--without this funny kitty...she'd been with Ryan and me all but three months of our entire relationship. She moved with us seven times, went through most all of our adventures, milestones, ups and downs with us. I think most people understand what it's like to lose a dog--they're so friendly and interactive and rely on their packs so much. Sometimes cats seem less likely to get attached, to be attached to. But for us, it's been really hard to let this girl go. She went when she was ready though, and seemed to go peacefully while I held her last night in our bed and tried to sleep.
We buried her in Ryan's parents' backyard this morning. Macauley covered the soft patch of dirt with leaves and we came back to a house that feels different now. We know she lived a long, happy life and always felt safe and full and like she was truly one of us. We loved her so much, and we will miss her funny/grouchy chatter around the house, her cuddly nature here at the end, the way she'd pop out of the cat door as soon as the garage door went up to welcome Macauley and me home from school then roll around in the sunshine on the warm driveway. She'd been by our sides for so long...
Alice "Allie" Cooper
17 August 1996-14 December 2014
