Mary Alice

            Somewhere around a year after I moved into my current residence, I came upon a flyer in the teacher's lounge on my way out the door for the weekend. It was put there by a co-worker who was looking to downsize from four cats to three. There was a picture of the feline she was giving away. On a whim, I grabbed it and took it home with me.

            I showed it to the boys, who were ages 5, 6, and 13 at the time, asking them if they wanted a cat. All three flipped out, just as you would expect young children to do when they saw a picture of a cute little kitty and their Dad asks them if they wanted to have a new pet. After this initial exchange I thought to myself:

            'What have I just done?'

            I wasn't completely sure I even wanted a cat. We already had a shih tzu and besides that, I had never been a cat owner before. I told the boys we'd go down and pick the cat up and give her a trial run, but if she and Annabelle didn't get along, we'd have to return the cat. All three nodded in agreement.

            We picked her up from a house with a single mother and three girls. They had named the cat Mary Alice. The boys thought it was funny that she had such a girly name. She was two years old and seemed nice enough, so we brought her home.

            When we arrived I put her down and watched ten pound Annabelle go right up to her with tail wagging, ready to make a new friend. Mary took one look at her and SWIPE! She bopped the dog on the nose with her paw, sending the now former queen of the house into a back pedal the likes of which I had not seen until that moment.

            15 minutes later they were both on separate couch cushions, oblivious to the other one's presence. The fighting was over with one swipe. Mary Alice had a new home.

            I fell in love with Mary over time. Sassiness was her middle name, but she also loved to sit on my lap for cuddles and would 'talk' to myself and the boys frequently. In short, she became a beloved member of our family.

            Annabelle passed away about three years after Mary's arrival and Star joined us a couple of years after that. Mary didn't care for Star at first, but over time Star learned that Mary needed her space and they co existed peacefully. Mary remained the queen of the castle.

            Tonight, the end is near for our beloved pet. She's quite ill and the decision to relieve her of her suffering is one that has not come easy, yet it's something that has to be done.

           

            Pet owners completely understand how these critters become family members. It's emotionally crushing when their time is up. I've had several people tell me in the last few weeks what a wonderful life we've given Mary, and those words have helped to ease the blow a bit. Writing this out is therapeutic for me also. It's helping me think more about the wonderful times I've had with this animal and less about what will happen come tomorrow.

            If there is such thing as kitty heaven, I know Mary will be a part of it come tomorrow and beyond. I will miss her and of course will always remember her. We may have given her a good life, but she gave all that and more right back to us.