"I keep looking around for her to be there. Time may heal these types of loss, but it hasn't been long enough yet for me."

I know what you mean. I lost my 30 year old parrot in March. I'd had him since he was a couple of months old. It took me 3 months to get around to donating his cage to a rescue organization and about six months to get over the urge to speak to him every time I walked past his spot. I also lost my 15 year old dog in early October, but there's a new arrival at the dog shelter where I volunteer and I want to bring her home. She's a really great dog and she'd already been abandoned at a rural shelter twice and come within a day of being euthanized before our no-kill shelter took her in.

My wife and I thank you all for all your kind words.

You may think it overstating the case, but Kitty was indeed a big part of the editorial process. Many days (far too many to count), she would wander in just after I had finished banging out a column (I learned on a manual typerwriter, and hit the keys pretty hard, so she rarely did this while I was typing, due to the noise), she'd jump up on the desk and worm her way onto my lap. She would demand I pet her, which I would during the time I reviewed and edited the day's column.

Without her presence to calm me, these columns would have been a lot more vicious, in many cases. It's hard not to decide "I went too far, there" when you have a purring cat on your lap, to put this another way.

She also decided ties in all our contests, as we'd take one toy and name it Contestant A, another one Contestant B, and toss them both out. Whichever one she went for won.

I keep looking around for her to be there. Time may heal these types of loss, but it hasn't been long enough yet for me.

Again, thanks to everyone for the kind words. She led a long, happy, healthy life and that's what is most important.

-CW

She was a wise kitty to value her anonymity and privacy.

16 years is indeed a lot of quality living.

A

my condolences for your loss

JL

Loss and possession, death and life are one,
There falls no shadow where there shines no sun.
~Hilaire Belloc

The Duchess has reminded me that post 4 was technically a Document of State requiring a full listing of titles and awards. Here goes ( sigh)....

Grand Duchess of Kibble, The Downton Tabby, Defender of the Comfy Chair By Fireplace, Destroyer of Vermin, Order of the Well Chewed Bird.

Lord Chumly of Cottingweld.

For when you get back on the horse:

Department of mixed bag: Ohio roundly rejected legal pot, but overwhelmingly approved redistricting reform favoring compact boundaries.....after the next US census.

M & B

Thanks, everyone said she was a pretty kitty. I'm sorry to hear about your loss, too.

John From Censornati -

She was born a stray, with a feral mother. We rescued her from the shelter, and were extremely lucky in our choice. She was the best behaved cat I've ever met. She had a much longer, and happier life than she would have elsewise, which is indeed a comforting thought.

-CW

I think your tribute to KW is a proper column. I'm glad you gave her a happy life.

That may be a very nice sixpack of California's finest pale ale, but I do appreciate the kind thought.

TheStig -

Hug Lord Chumly and the Duchess tight, and tell them how much you love them. Meow!

-CW

I know how it feels. A very nice bottle of well aged California's finest tends to help for a few hours.

I always find it amazing that a dead human fails to hit me like the passing of a dear longtime companion.

Thanks for the kind thoughts. It has been a pretty rough time for us...

-CW