Only For Cat Lovers: Allie

 It's an understatement to say that I love cats.

This love was born when I was in third grade; I got my first cat named Allie. I don't remember the details, but I know that my family discussed getting a cat. We decided to go for it, and we ended up adopted a beautiful black runt from a new litter of kittens. I still drive by the apartment complex where we got her. It's hard to imagine that I was living in a different county then, and now that I live and work in the county, it's hard to picture me as a child timidly walking through the door to find her. She was the smallest one of the bunch, but she was also quiet, and we fell in love with her. She was the softest black cat, and later we decided that black cats were definitely the softest, no questions asked.

When we took her home, we kept her in our large basement bathroom until she got used to the place. I remember, vividly, trying to wake up first, so that I could run to the basement and pet her. Luckily, mom kept us under control, and we usually had to go down together.

We named her Allie. She was perfect, she was soft, and she was my first cat ever.

Today I was told that she is now suddenly blind, and it basically happened overnight. We noticed she had been losing weight for a long time now, but sudden blindness just adds to the mix. Mom said she had trouble finding things, and she was, at first, afraid to jump onto anything. She's getting used to the situation, but it still hurts me to think of her in that condition.

It's not that I see this cat everyday, but I've "kept in touch" with her, for lack of a better way of putting it, and she has always been my cat. She was the first family cat, so she is important to all of us. She was the cat that first softened dad's heart for the feline bunch. She has been a part of our family for over sixteen years, and now she is seemingly nearing the end of her life. She used to have a tummy that would sway left and right as she walked -- we called it her pouch -- but now she is bone-thin and always hungry.

She's not gone yet, and I hope she sticks around with us for a long time. This is just me, writing down her little tiny legacy of a cat life, hoping that she'll be around forever. The house just won't feel the same without her. My other cat, Bud, has always been by her side, and I would hate to see him living life without her.

Here's to cats and their ability to soothe the soul and make us all laugh -- and cry. Here's to the hope of this cat living the fullest life she can. Here's to cat lovers and pet lovers alike, and the amazing bond we all have with our animals.