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Aw, bmarkey, I'm so sorry.

My current kitty story involves my monster using my bed as a litter box while I was gone, so I'll skip it. (But hopefully the idea of such story will make you see Martin in an even fonder light.)

Here's sending a bunch of peace to you and Science Girl, and a hearty toast to the dearly departed Martin.

*hoists glass*

I'm sorry for your loss, bmarkey.

I'm sorry for your loss. I can't imagine losing any of our cats. Here's what I think is a pretty happy kitty story.

That is a lovely picture.

My earliest memory is of my sister's cat, Wader (so named because of being completely black except for white paws). I was up early in the morning, before anyone else, and was sitting in the kitchen next to the hot air vent with Wader. We enjoyed the quiet morning together, me petting him and him purring.

*raises cup of tea in honor of Martin's long and happy life*

That sucks. We had to the same to our 16 year old cat this summer and it was one of the most miserable things I've done in my life. She grew up with my son, who was only 1 when we got her so they were almost siblings.

She was the most talkative cat that I've ever known, you could have a long conversation with her. She'd look you in the eye and meow back to your question in perfect inflection like she understood you and was responding in her language.

Here's a cat story:

Years ago, I lived with my then-girlfriend L in a duplex in Akron, Ohio. We had a gray-and-black tabby named Nora. Every Sunday evening, some of our pals would come over, and we'd smoke and drink and play board games. Well, one Sunday, we'd been hanging around for a while, and our pal C came over. She brought her dog--she'd asked us in advance, and we were sure they'd get along fine. Or, worst-case scenario, Nora would run upstairs, and we'd corral the dog downstairs.

But, the moment C opened the back door, Nora, who was in the kitchen at the time, freaked out, howled and disappeared. The screen door slammed, and we were all sure she'd run out it. So, while one of our pals stuck around to search the house and wait for her to come back, the rest of us started walking around the neighborhood, calling her name, looking for her, etc.

Like many of the neighborhoods I've lived in, this one was near a busy street, and the most popular pets were probably guard dogs. Nora had never even been outside, so we were all pretty worried. L and I were both trying to stave off tears, C was feeling very guilty, it was getting dark, and we'd all been walking around for an hour or more. C decided to take her dog home--she said later that she wasn't sure we'd ever speak to her again.

Finally, we very reluctantly decided to walk back to the house. And, as we all stood around the kitchen, L heard a very quiet, very plaintive meowing. We called Nora's name, and kind of played Marco Polo with her, until we discovered her hiding, stuck, under the kitchen cabinets. This medium-sized cat had squeezed through a hole about as big as a baseball. While L tried to calm her, I pried loose the board at the bottom of the cabinet. And there she was--still very frightened, and very very dusty, but unharmed and otherwise none the worse for the experience. I don't know if I've ever been so relieved.

I'm sorry, bmarkey.

Hugs to you & science girl, bmarkey. It's hard to lose a friend.

I'm sorry, bmarkey. Must be very tough on you and Science Girl.

We put one down this year, too - must not be a great year for cats. :/ We got our remaining cats a new toy this weekend - something called PerfectCurl - its a carpeted S shaped scratchy thing with a sisal patch and a little catnip ball. They took to it right away & have been stoned since. It's the first cat toy I ever got - I guess I'm officially converted from cat hating!

So very sorry bmarkey and Science Girl.

I'm sorry bmarkey and Science Girl. I've had to put down a cat before, and when a friend had to put her cat down I went to the vet with her. Two years ago my family lost a cat we'd had for ten years. I still miss her. She was a ginger like Martin.

I like to think all our lost pets play together in Pet Heaven.

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Bridget was really surly and would run away as you approached. She was the runt of her litter and she'd fly on her little stubby legs, trying to get away from you. But somehow she never really ran that far, and when you caught up and started scratching her behind the ear she'd purr with ecstasy and bump you with her head if you tried to stop. She didn't meow normally and had a croaky "meh" instead. And despite starting out as a runt, she was a really tough cat and a really good hunter. Her nickname was "The Monster." :) She had such a personality.

Ugh, so sorry to hear it, bmarkey. But congratulations on helping him have a long (LONG!) happy life.

It's a great picture, bmarkey. I bet Martin was an awesome friend.

Bless you, bmarkey. So sorry for your loss.

I'm so sorry.

I shared an apartment with a feral for a long time. He was basically well-behaved, but occasionally (though very rarely) couldn't resist the urge to mark his territory inside the house. Imagine my surprise one night when I cam home very late and very exhausted and collapsed in bed, laying my head on a smelly wet pillow. I didn't even scold him. I just loved him too much, and maybe he was marking me as his anyway.

Oooh! I'm so so sorry, bmarkey! The two times I've had to do that, I bawled like a baby, and one of them wasn't even my cat. (I was supposed to be there for emotional support. So much for that!)

I had to put my 11 year old cat, Hunter, down last summer. I still have a framed picture of him in my bedroom. Best story was the time our landlady brought her little dog over when trying to fix our AC. Hunter hated everyone and everything but me, so I don't know what we were thinking when we let the little dog inside. Hunter sees the dog, launches himself off the landlady's leg and onto the dog, going for the kill. I had no choice but to pull him off with bare hands or he'd have killed that dog. Got a nasty bite and a lot of scratches, but the dog was ok and the landlady didn't kick us out. Hunter also had a lifelong hatred for the mailman, hissing and puffing up his considerable 25 lb. bulk every damn day the mailman came around.

I'm sorry. I still miss my old cat, Ricky, who was 19 when he died. Martin was a beautiful cat. And what a great name for a cat.

(((bmarkey & ScienceGirl)))

It's such a hard thing to do, even though you know it's the right decision. nthing the congrats on giving him a long long happy life.

Many many years ago I broke up with a guy I'd been living with and moved in temporarily with my grandfather. He was definitely not a cat person, so it was with some reluctance that he said I could bring my cat Jake with me. About a week later, at breakfast, I asked him how he felt about having her around. In his thoughtful, prairie way, he said, "Well, she bites...and she scratches...but I think if you can get past that she really likes to be petted." He had special leather gloves he wore for petting her. They became such good friends that I left her with him when I moved to Vancouver. (I also didn't have the heart to move her from a great big house where she could get outside to a tiny 5th floor apartment.) A while later I asked how she was doing. "Well, we're having a contest. I try to keep her bowl full, and she tries to keep it empty. So far, she's winning." They stayed together until he died, and I'm so glad he had that company for those years. Now she lives on my uncle's acreage and still plays the food bowl game, although these days she tries to convince various family members that the previous person in the kitchen didn't feed her. Sometimes it works, too.

Aw, I'm so sorry to hear about your loss bmarkey.

Martin seems like a very handsome cat indeed. I'm sure you and Science Girl will cherish all the fun loving memories you have of him.

My cat Pepper, who my sister got, when she was a few weeks old, loves to hide in plastic bags. She's crazy about them. She'll try to get her head into one of them for a long time, and when she finally does, she'll curl up in it and sit there as if she's accomplished her mission for the day.

So so sorry. Lost my kitty Chatter also this year. She was a talker, hence the name.

My hubby was called out on Valentines evening to fix some milking equipment at a dairy farm (the cows don't wait you know.) I had prepared a special meal and it was almost ready when he left. Finally, several hours later he comes back. With a 6 month old black kitty - she just wouldn't leave him alone, and he was such a softie. So, now we have kitty and no kitty food. Guess who got the tender meat that night! We ate the veges! She smelled like "cow" for three solid days, and wouldn't get out of your lap, and of course, you just wouldn't put her purring self off the lap!

She was always the big helper if you moved furniture - she loved to ride on top of anything moving! She was directing you know...

Martin was one of the lucky ones. So are both of you.
Hope you find peace in your hearts.

I have no words, bmarkey. Kitties can bring such joy to our lives, and in return they sometimes leave too early.

I'm so sorry, a friend of mine went through the same last week.
But here is a cat story.

We have a fold-out couch for when friends have to crash here since my roommate and I live closest to downtown/bars, and are both very opposed to letting anyone drive drunk. One night a buddy was crashed out, all nice and warm under a pile of old spare blankets, when he feels a weight on his chest and wetness on his face.
Wakes up to discover that Mia had somehow climbed under the blankets with him, settled on his chest, and was licking his face.

I was all "ohhh, Mia loves you. How sweet!" To which he replied "your cat is a drunk. she was licking the booze sweat off my face." and, well, is true. Since more than anything, she hovers below anyone drinking hoping for a few drops.

I'm so sorry...pets ARE family.

I'm so sorry, bmarkey. He was a handsome fellow.

My cat Leo's last days pretty much brought me here -- I was up late every night looking after him, and I needed some distraction and friendly conversation. Leo's major qualities were tact and sensitivity. Oh, and having supermodel legs, a huge angular grapefruit-sized head, green eyes, and pewter-colored fur.

But the story I'm going to tell is about Dinah, my parents' cat.

My extended family had all gathered in rural upstate New York and were standing around my uncle's garden, looking at a patch of corn, when suddenly from the corn emerged a tiny black and white kitten. She strode right over to them all, meowed, rolled over, and more or less demanded to be adopted.

They immediately drove her straight to the vet and got her inspected and vaccinated and certified so my parents could take her back across the border with them to Montreal. She sat in a basket the whole time and the border people didn't even ask to see her papers.

My parents took Dinah along to visit the same relatives a couple of weekends ago. They weren't sure at first whether she'd recognize the place, but she clearly did, and seemed pleased and excited to be there. She trotted right up to my aunt and uncle for some high-volume purring.

I'm sorry for your loss, bmarkey and science girl. Martin was such a handsome boy.

Aren't ginger kitties the bestest?

THis is late, I'm sorry, but I wanted to let you know how sorry I am for your loss. I've been there, too, and still miss my Pumpkin three years later.

Kitty stories? I've got tons. But some of the more interesting meetings....

My landlady was driving down from North New Jersey to check out the apartment above me (the tenent had just been evicted). She stopped off to pick up a friend in Long Branch then stopped for gas in Eatontown (some 10 miles or so distance). When they stopped for gas, the attendant heard a sound - a tiny black kitten was perched on the air filter!!
Once my landlady got to our place, she (not being a cat person) let the kitten out of the car, not knowing what to do with him. I came out to greet her, and found the kitten. Love at first sight. We named him Harley.

I work for a supermarket chain. I was sent to a store one day to help during a remodel, and the receiver had a kitten in the back room. Seems that someone had left the kitten in a cardboard box in the parking lot. She had one blue eye and one gold eye, and was black and white. We named her Gypsy.

Pumpkin's mother had been a stray my neighbor and I befriended but was already pregnant when found. She gave birth in a bad spot (despite the box we'd made for her) and I had to crouch under an area to get the kittens. They were only an hour old, so I literally was in Pumpkin's life from the day of her birth.

Teddy was supposed to visit for four months while his owner went on tour with a band (he was part of security). That was almost eight years ago.

Jersey showed up last summer on the tire of my car, sick, starved, and runty. Now she bosses the other cats around, and loves all over our dog, who out weighs her by some 60 pounds.

They are all special, our pets (all of us who love animals), and at times they are better than people. I like to believe they will be waiting for me at the Rainbow Bridge. I hope you have peace in his long, happy life, and all the memories that come with that.

Thanks, y'all, for your good wishes and your stories. It's amazing how big a cat-sized hole in one's life can be.

This is a belated thank you to everybody taking the time to share these wonderful stories. Thanks so much for all of the kind thoughts.