Ringo came into my life on June 3, 1995 (one day before I met my husband, Glen). He was just a tiny kitten (there was no hint then of the giant he would become!). The first day I brought him home, he hid behind and up inside the refrigerator. That was the only day he exhibited any shyness.  After that, he wanted to be everyone's friend.



Ringo was the friendliest cat. Everyone who knew him just loved him. He would come bounding up to people as soon as they entered our home, always greeting them with a loud meow. If they took off their shoes, he would bury his face inside them.



Ringo brought so much joy to our lives. During the ten years he was with us, he was a constant companion, confidant, comforter, and best friend.  



Ringo lived in several different cities and states with us during his life. His first home was on Brown Street in the Gas Light Village Apartments in Iowa City. There, as just a kitten and such a tiny one at that, he would barely make a sound when he tried to meow. Glen nicknamed him "Squeak" for that reason. In those days, he was full of energy and loved to play with a string that we hung from the ceiling.  He had his first taste of the outdoors then, too. We let him go out the sliding glass doors that opened onto our basement patio. At first, he would stand at the door cautiously, not sure what to think. Eventually, though, he used to love to go outside and we let him do so until one day, I called and he did not come running to me like usual. So, I went to search for him. When I saw a fellow tenent, I asked if she had seen him. "Have you seen a little grey and white kitten?  I can't find him." She paused for a moment and then said, "Oh, you mean Bigfoot? He comes into our apartment all the time and eats. I think he's up there on our bed." It turned out that for weeks, Ringo had been living the Double-life, appearing both as Bigfoot to those tenents (he did have big feet!) and as Ringo to us. That was the end of Ringo's jigalo days, and he never went out after that.



When we moved to 1317 Oakcrest Street in Iowa City in 1996, Ringo acquired a sister, Deva. While Deva hissed and was afraid of Ringo at first, Ringo never exhibited any hostility toward her. He was always like that. He was friendly to every human and animal he met.



After Iowa, Ringo lived in South Dakota and Illinois.  In 1998, the entire family moved to PA, where we still live.  Ringo and Deva lived in two different apartments in Edinboro, PA, before moving to our house in Albion, PA, in 2002.



These are the things that I will never forget (and that I will miss dearly):



* The way he would bound down the stairs when I called, or when he heard the door open. He was always there to greet us with a powerful meow and a rub against the leg.



* When he was very excited or wanted to play, the way Ringo would arch his back up and scoot along on his back legs.



* The way he could sense when I was sad or depressed. He would lie next to me and it was just as if he *knew* what I was feeling. I would stroke his nose, first downward, then upward, as he rubbed his mouth against my hand.



* The way he would sleep on my pillow at night, sometimes pushing my head off the pillow completely because his body was so big. Sometimes, I could feel his chin bone against my head, but I didn't mind. He loved to nussle into my hair.



* If he wasn't sleeping on my pillow, the way he would allow me to cuddle and hold him as I slept, just like he was a baby.



* The way he learned just recently to love Douglas, our six-month-old son. In the past two weeks, he had become so accepting and loving of Douglas in particular. 



Ringo, you touched our hearts. You will be dearly missed and never forgotten. I pray that I will see you in heaven someday.