Marge at 15

Marge had a great cat life. She lived like a real cat after we moved to town but she was in her element in the country where she spent the first 11 years of her life. She had lots of fun picking on April who in turn picked on Caesar causing the occasional wild animal rampage on the long deck. Marge spent her summers in the woods stalking and killing her pick of the local cat prey and never once had a tangle with a skunk or a raccoon. Her old-fashioned cat life kept her outdoors curled up behind a warm planter or cozied into one her drawer beds in the garage. She loved the attention of her humans and never failed to seek it from whomever was outside for whatever reason. Take the garbage out; pet the cat. Take five out on the deck to breathe in the good air; pet the cat.

It did take her awhile to adjust to life in town and she never made friends with any of the dozen or so cats next door but she spent her last years lounging on the faux rock pond and stalking the squirrels. She had the best of food, the best of her people's love and a safe yard to enjoy all that the cat world had to offer.

But her kidneys were failing; she had some sort of neurological disorder, and her heartbeat was alarmingly high. Time to say good-by to Marge who left this earth yesterday and has gone into the cat universe. She had a good, good life. She was the last of the children's pets to leave our household. I'm glad that our March Linnea calendar features a beautiful drawing of a black cat looking at the world from behind a clay planting pot. It is a perfect tribute to Marge the cat who lived all her 15 years with us.