In Memoriam

Elvis Presley Cascella passed away early this morning, at the age of 21.

He died peacefully at my side on his favorite spot in the bed, surrounded by his animal family.

In the end, he died the way he lived.  He was laid back and loving.  He showed no obvious signs of distress as he simply relaxed, then slipped away.  There was no dash to the emergency room, and no grim reaper at the door, by appointment, to hurry his death along.  The other cats were at his side, as if to offer him and me comfort.  Once he died, they sniffed him a few times, and simply walked away.  If only it were that easy for me...

As I think back on the last twenty years, it amazes me how time has flown by.  When Elvis first showed up at my door, in 1984:

Ronald Reagan was the president

Madonna released her first single

My youngest nephew was only 5

I was still a brunette!

Over the last twenty years of his life, Elvis saw:

4 different Presidents

Acupuncture become a form of treatment for cats

Kitty Litter become scoopable

The loss of two cats that came before him

The death of another Beatle

In the twenty years that Elvis graced us with his presence, he became the cat that non-cat lovers fell for.  Neighbors knew him by name, and would stop to stroke him as he lay in the sun on the porch.  Until the week before he died, he still went outside to check on his domain.  Over his life, he befriended German Shepherds, Pugs, Labs, Beagles, Dalmatians, and Aussies to name just a few.  He lived with 8 different cats, and 5 different dogs.  It was like he didn’t care who came and went, as long as I knew he was number one.  As the leader of the pack, he commanded respect until the very end, and he got it, along with unconditional love.

It was a golden day when I decided to take Elvis in to save him from potential Halloween treachery.  He became my constant companion, and the one sure thing I could count on. I was honored to be his "pet" all these years! Elvis was the noblest cat I have ever known, and I can truly say he was the king.

In closing, I ask you to give your pets (or an animal you know) a little more love than usual today.  Embrace the moment, look into their eyes and bask in the love you see there. Give the dog a delicious treat, or give the cat more lap time.  Make today special as a fitting tribute to a cat that lived and loved with all his heart. Elvis would like that.