He came to us one day, just a frightened kitten meowing in the bushes in the front of the house. A little orange cat with a big appetite. He looked just like YoYo #1 so naturally I called him YoYo.

At first he was scared of people and wouldn't let anyone near him. Eventually he came to trust me and would come running when I was around.

YoYo grew and grew until he was a pretty big cat. He lived in the garage and kept a very close watch on the comings and goings in our cul-de-sac. If he could speak he would tell you everything that was going on.

YoYo was a "cool" cat, friendly yet aloof. He would allow you to pet him up to a point, then he would wander off to a respectable distance and watch you. If you produced treats, as the kids often did, he would definitely come over!

In 1998 we had lots and lots of rain. YoYo disappeared for about three months. We later found out that he had been visiting the barn about ½ a mile away, and had been trapped there by rising flood waters. A boy in the neighborhood told us this... and also that he was feeding him.

YoYo liked to sit on the driveway and try to stare down any car that wanted to enter. Only with great reluctance would he drag his weary bones out of the way for the car to park.

YoYo had great affinity for the cars. There were frequent cat paw marks on the windshield, and indications that he had slid down from the roof. He would sleep on the hood, the roof, the trunk... it didn't matter. Often he would spend a hot summer day under the car. One day I was leaving the driveway and there was a great yowling and a bump... YoYo didn't get out of the way fast enough. Boy was he mad about that, he ran into the woods and didn't come back until he was hungry. We took him to the vet and they put his leg in a cast. He didn't like that.

For several years the neighbors would walk their dog, a black lab, right past the house. YoYo and the lab became friends, sort of. At first YoYo was ready to tear the dog to pieces, but the dog was so happy and dorky that eventually YoYo dropped into a sort of toleration of the daily visit. I think he just wanted to keep his "I'm too cool to like dogs" attitude. The little yip yip dog next door found out about that the hard way. He came over and pestered YoYo who simply ignored him, until his patience ran out. With one swipe of his paw, the little yip yip took off howling.

As he got older YoYo slowed down. Around 2008 he began losing weight. I tried all sorts of diet changes but it just didn't build him up. In late February 2010 I noticed his eyes were weeping. A trip to the emergency room and a host of eye-drops and medications failed to stop the infections ravaging his eyes. He went blind. It was very painful to see him wandering around his old haunts, bumping into things, trying to use his ears as feelers. Finally I had enough. His eyes were horribly ulcerated, I was certain he was suffering, and he was vulnerable because he was blind. Rather than have him meet a violent ending at the hands of another animal I brought him to the vet to be put to sleep.

On Friday, March 26, 2010 YoYo was resting comfortably in a large cage with a big fluffy blanket at the vets. I couldn't watch the procedure. I left before they did it. I was all choked up, this was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I peeked in the back and saw him all relaxed in the cage. I called out my good bye and he raised his head at his masters voice. That's the last I ever saw of YoYo. I ran out weeping.

He will be cremated and the ashes brought back in a little tin with paw prints on it. I'm going to spread the ashes in the bushes where he first came to us, and pack all his favorite toys in the tin.

Things YoYo Liked:
Food
Catnip
Playing Tiger in the Grass
Watching people
Watching me cut the grass
Drinking dirty water
Chasing strings
Cat treats
Sleeping -- pretty much anywhere
Did I mention food?
Sitting stretched out in a straight line in the grass
Sleeping on my window air-conditioner

Things YoYo didn't like:
Loud noises
Interrupted sleep
Being held too much
Dogs
Drinking clean water

Nicknames:
YoEee
Silly meow
Best Cat Ever

Goodbye YoYo, we're gonna miss you! You touched all of our hearts in one way or another! You're in a better place now.