Do you remember when we first met? You were a little kitten alone in the gutter of a busy street trying to eat out of a Cup O' Noodles cup that someone had thrown out. I was so worried that you would get hit so I pulled over to move you out of the road. When I kneeled down to call you, you jumped right into my lap, purring away. Of course I fell in love with you and we headed straight to the car. You curled up in my lap and we were home in no time.

Ever since then you have been a constant source of joy to all of us. A little tuxedo cat, you had such a big personality. You loved to have me put the leash and harness on you and take you out front when I'd garden or pull weeds. You always seemed like you were busy supervising and had such a serious look on your face.

You also got to go with me to work in the office at times. You would sit on the top of my desks' hutch and watch the other workers pass by, sometimes getting down to check new people out but always coming back to your spot. I remember your Dad would call you 2 Cent Noonie. He said that's all you could make because you were so small.

You loved cereal milk and ice cream, almost sticking your face in the bowl while we were trying to eat. And your favorite treat was whipped cream, or cleem, as we called it. You would come running from a dead sleep whenever you heard that word.

You were a bossy and jealous little cat, pushing the other cats out of the way if they were getting petted and you weren't. You had a notch in your ear from when you were little and Mama beat you up. And you never let her live it down, punking her whenever you could.

But you started to lose weight as you aged and we found out that you probably had thyroid cancer. The vet said you were too old for surgery so we gave you meds for many years. You hated the taste of them crushed in your food and you were the pickiest eater. Just when I thought I found a food that you liked you would hate it and I would have to find another favorite flavor. You were allergic to fish but loved it so much. It made your mouth so itchy if a new food had even a little bit of fish in it.

The past couple of months saw a steady decline in your health. You didn't eat much and when you did you would often throw it back up. You were always thirsty and would just meow and meow by the water bowl and only drink a little. You made it a point to climb up on our chest and lay down whenever you saw us sit still for any period of time.

The last couple of days were the worst. You couldn't drink at all anymore, just hovered over the water bowl smelling at the water. You would only take a couple of licks of food and throw up whatever you took in. As much as it broke my heart, I knew I had to take you in and have you put to sleep.
You died peacefully today, while I was able to pet you and cradle your head in my hand. You didn't show any signs of distress and just quietly slipped away from me, so slowly that it seemed like everything was in slow motion. Afterwards, I took you on that long drive to Gateway Pet Cemetery. There I knew you would be in good hands for your cremation. When it's time for you to come back home you will rest with Small, Tweedy, Elijah and Eustis, your Grandma and Uncle Jim so you won't be lonely. And you know how to keep those two dogs in their place.

Noodles, my little girl, no words could ever express how much I will miss you. You were the best cat I have ever had the joy of living with. You had a sweet and strong soul and I will always hold your memories deep in my heart where they will never fade or grow old. Thank you so very much for being my one and only super best friend.

I Will Love You Always,

Your Mom