Miss Ashley was a sweet, gray tabby cat.  Someone told me once she had the perfect kitty face.  I adopted her when she was 3 years old when her master (and my friend) passed away.  She lived with me for 14 years and she was devoted and loyal, loving and kind.  She always greeted me at the door with a little purr noise that was just for me. Whenever I would sing, "You are my Sunshine," she would roll over.  She was affectionate and very smart.  As she got older, she began to rub her cheek against my leg when she was hungry or wanted my attention.  The day before she died, she rubbed her cheek against my cheek.  She was mild tempered and always mellow.  What a wonderful pet she was.  She lived to be 17 years and 4 months old.  It was such a heartbreak to lose her to Squamous Cell Carcinoma.  I thought she would live with me forever.  She battled gracefully and with almost no complaining for 4 months.  But the day she died, she was in so much pain, I could not let her remain in that state.  I prayed she was go on her own but she did not.  So I made the awful decision to put her to sleep and it almost killed me. It was the single worst thing I've ever had to do. I continue to grieve for her and I still miss my "Sweet Gherkins" every day. I can honestly say that every day I had with her was a joy.



I read this today and it is so true: "No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his or her fur from your couch."- Leo Dworken 



And to that I would add that no new cat will ever take the place of your old one, no matter how long you live with or love the new one.  This beautiful furry friend will live on in my heart.