My Sweet Boo

Born around 1992 Became my cat in Fall 1994 Died June 10, 2010

Today I am grieving the loss of my pet, Boo. When I got out on my own I decided to get a cat. I found an ad in the paper for a cat that had already been spayed and declawed, whose owners had developed allergies that was in the same town as I, so I went to meet her. We got along okay, so I took her home.

In the following years we would have many adventures together. Since we were apartment dwellers, I had a chest harness and leash that I would sometimes put on Boo and take her down to the grassy area in my complex. Once she was out on the porch with me while I stained furniture, her leash securely tied to the railing so she couldn't wander off. She decided to try and jump from the porch to the stairwell and ended up swinging through the air on her harness, a very surprised look on her face.

Another time she decided that my neighbor's balcony looked more inviting than mine, so she jumped over. The problem was that his balcony was lower than mine, so she couldn't jump back. Unfortunately, he was a pilot for American Airlines, and had left for several days on one of his routes. The apartment management company's handyman shimmied up the balcony post and rescued her.

Boo traveled with me to Houston, where Jerry and his cat blended our households together, and then from there to DFW, where we added our girls to the mix. When we brought Maggie home from the hospital Boo was very curious, but when Maggie began crying in her crib, Boo was downright distraught. She paced back and forth in front of the crib, meowing pitifully, as if to ask, "Why aren't you helping that poor baby?!" Eventually she got used to the kids, keeping out of reach of pulling hands.

Boo made the move with us to New Mexico, and then to Oklahoma, so she was a fairly well-traveled cat. The past few years we had seen a decline in her health, dropping from her usual six-pound weight to a mere four pounds. She began to have trouble hearing, and other maladies that accompany feline old age. Recently though, she developed a bony tumor in her jaw that the vet said was causing her pain and couldn't be fixed. Eventually we knew it was time, so yesterday, after more than fifteen years of faithful companionship, we said good-bye. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I miss her very much, and will always cherish her memory.

I love you, Boo.