A eulogy

Before anyone becomes alarmed, this is a eulogy for my cat. She was a great cat; I would say the best cat. We did not find Penny. Penny found us.

One night about 12 years ago, after Monday night football, Nick and I found a small kitten on our front porch. Being only 10 and 7 years old, this was a fantastic find for us. Dad told us not to expect her to stay, but then he found her a box with a blanket, some tuna and a dish of warm milk. As you can guess, Penny stuck around. As time went by, we discovered that we had found a very interesting feline. She would follow Nick and I as we walked to elementary school and then walk back to Mom. She needed no training for a litter box, but meowed at the door when she needed out (most of the time). Best of all, she was loud and talkative. Somehow, we always knew what she wanted and how she felt. She had attitude.

Over the years, Penny was both an inside cat and outside cat depending on the status of the family allergies. When let inside, she could typically be found in Grandma Grace's rocking chair or any blanketed surface. She liked warmth, comfort and attention. Scratching was preferred right behind the ears, on the jaw or right before her tail.
When living as an outside cat, Penny was prone to getting in fights. She suffered several wounds, including one to her behind, her ears and her neck. Truth be told, you should have seen the other cats! One such skirmish landed Penny at the vet, needing surgery. Dad proclaimed that if the vet cost more than $400, we must say goodbye. The bill came to $399.99...God smiled on Penny that day.
Another of Penny's favorite activities was hunting. She delivered many presents to the doorstep, refusing to stop yelling at us until we complimented her expert hunting. After we encouraged her, she removed all the carnage but the liver and feathers. Lovely.

Sadly, all these stories and many more were laughed about today at the vet. Penny hadn't been breathing well for a couple days, and Dad decided it was about time to let the family vet look her over. About an hour after they left, Mom called for us to come say goodbye. Luckily, Dan and I were in town and we were able to be there. In a tiny room, we gave our last scratches and heard her last purrs. Seemingly knowing what was next, Penny yelled at us in typical fashion. Dad loved that cat and never stopped holding her, even as the vet put her to sleep for good. Mom even cried...I suppose she liked Penny more than she let on.

Penny now sleeps in a hole Dad and Nick dug for her by the fence she liked to escape under. We all hope that maybe animals do have a soul, so that Penny can annoy Jesus for a while. I think He would like our feisty little cat.