OUTLAW by LINDA MCGINLEY

OUTLAW

by LINDA MCGINLEY

12 YEARS AGO, WE RECEIVED FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT A MOST UNUSUAL KITTEN. HE WAS ABOUT 6 WEEKS OLD, AND THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO EUTHANIZE HIM. THEY COULD NOT KEEP HIM THERE, SO THEY HAD NO CHOICE. MY HUSBAND, SON AND I TOOK HIM IN AND NAMED HIM OUTLAW. HE QUICKLY BECAME A MOST WONDERFUL PART OF OUR FAMILY. HIS VERTERINARIAN HAS ALWAYS SAID THAT HE APPEARED TO HAVE SOME WILD CAT GENES. HE WAS VERY LARGE THOUGH NOT FAT, AND ALMOST APPEARD TO STALK LIKE A TIGER. HE WAS TABBY IN COLOR. HE COULD EVEN JUMP UP AND TURN ON THE LIGHT SWITCH. HIS NATURE WAS TO BE VERY PICKY, BUT ALSO VERY LOVING. HE BECAME VERY SICK ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO, AND ALTHOUGH WE ALONG WITH HIS VERTERINARIAN TRIED VERY HARD TO SAVE HIM, YESTERDAY (06-12-2003) WE HAD TO MAKE THE DECISION TO HAVE OUTLAW EUTHANIZED. HOW IRONIC, WHEN THAT DECISION WAS ALMOST MADE AT THE START OF HIS LIFE. THE GRIEF SEEMS UNBEARABLE TODAY, BUT I KNOW AT SOME TIME INT HE FUTURE, WE WILL LOOK FONDLY ON THE MEMORIES OF OUTLAW AND HOW MUCH HE BROUGHT TO THIS FAMILY. WE WILL MISS HIM MORE THAN ANYONE KNOWS, AND WISH HE WAS WITH US TODAY. THANKS FOR LETTING ME TELL ABOUT MY VERY SPECIAL OUTLAW. WE LOVED HIM SOOOOO.

Comments would be appreciated by the author, LINDA MCGINLE