When her 9 lives were up.

We just went on a really awesome family getaway to Moab, Utah with some friends of ours. But before I can write about that, and anything else really, I have to pay tribute to something. Someone. A furry feline little cat named Gabby. Gabby Goo as we called her. We learned during our trip that Gabby was run over by a car and died. And though I don't think Ellie gets this, and Mike shows his emotions in a different way, I am really upset by the loss of my cat. I loved that cat. Even if I didn't give her the attention she deserved all the time. She was awesome.

Gabby's greatest happiness was in sitting on your lap purring. Her second greatest happiness was in hunting, and I will truly never forget walking out to my garden and finding a decapitated squirrel. Of course there were also occasional birds, mouse bones in the grass, that sort of thing. Oh Gabby. You little hunter. You little feline friend. We used to go on walks with her, around the block of course. One time some guys on a porch stopped us and yelled, "Hey, are you really walking your cat?" And we were like, "totally!".  (Not with a leash, I'm not THAT type of cat person). She was just all around cool. Sleeping on the foot of our bed. What a shit I was on so many countless nights when I would shove her off. I'm sorry Gabby cat. I'm sorry that we didn't always make the most time for you. I hope you know we loved you. We really, really did. And do.

Gabby was the neighborhood cat. Everyone on this street knew Gabby. If she wasn't on our porch then she was on my friend Betsy's. Or Lara's. Or the time she got stuck in Liz and Doug's basement. And it was a real neighborly effort in caring for her body after the accident. I know that more than just our family will miss this very loveable and sweet feline.

This was Gabby's first day with us. Mike found her as a kitten stuck in a window well.

She was AMAZING with kids. So tolerant and NOT ONCE did she ever hiss or get mean, even if a toddler was pulling her tail. She just loved to be touched and feel love so much.

Coming back home from several days away was bittersweet. When Gabby would see our car she would get right in the walkway and lay on her back and kind of squirm around in a little kitty happy dance. There was no kitty happy dance today. Just a whole lot of reminders inside our home of the little cat that used to live here, that now (this is so moribund) is in a freezer at a friends' house.

I guess we'll dig a hole, plant a tree. I don't know. This is only the third pet that I've ever lost. But I think this is a good experience for Ellie to bear witness to. Everyone and everything dies, at some point, and I think in having some sort of ritual around the death of our loved cat Gabby, well I think that will be a good experience for Ellie.

Now I just need to dig a hole and  place her frozen body inside of it. Our sweet little cat. You were really, really loved. Thank you for all of the sunshine you brought into our home with your sweet little soul.