On a hot summer day in September 1990 In Jensen Beach, Florida, is where it all began. I was in search of a black kitten(I have always loved black cats) I responded to a local news ad. Three other kittens were in the litter, but he walked right up to me the moment he saw me, and I knew he was the one and he would be coming home with me. He was only 5 weeks old and I could barely fit into the palm of my hand. He was very tiny and fragile. I decided to name him Max- He adopted well to his home surroundings, and i set up a little area with his bed, blanket and toys. As the weeks went on he followed me about the house and decided he preferred sleeping on my bed instead of his own. He loved his special toy- a Christmas mouse that squeaked. When he was about 6 months old I left Florida and moved back to New York(my home) and Max and I made the trip together. I drove, stopping to make sure he had water,food and clean litter and was comfortable. and he was great on the trip. He was Siamese and very vocal, and never grew big, he was small, cuddly and very affectionate. As time went on he grew very close to me. When i would read, he would sit on top of the paper or book trying to get my attention. He was both an indoor and outdoor cat, and loved to romp and play with his outdoor friends. His favorite thing to do was chase a red laser light around at night. This was highly amusing for him. After the chase, he would fall asleep on my lap purring away. He provided much comfort to me if I was down, or something was troubling me. Through the years his health began to rapidly decline. He developed digestive problems and was hospitalized often. He never gave the vets a problem, always well behaved-always even if he was in pain and uncomfortable. One morning I noticed he was sniffing around for his food dish and bumping into walls. Matt became totally blind- I was devastated beyond words. I picked him up, held him tight and wept bitterly. Max lived a little over a year after losing his sight, he began to go into kidney failure and i knew it was time. My son went with me as I knew I could never endure saying good bye. The vet came in, I gave him one final kiss and when it was over I could not stop crying. There is not a day that goes by that I do not see or think of him-not ever. He died on August 22, 2008- His name is engraved on the wall of remembrance at a local pet memorial, but I feel he is still with me and that feeling never leaves- Rest in Peace my beloved faithful friend, you have inspired me more than you will ever know- even in death- Mommy