PUNKIN

I know I posted awhile back that I would not have anymore pity parties here. 

I lied.

As we speak, our orange tabby cat-Punkin is lying on the floor of my bathroom.  Not eating or drinking-sleeping mostly. He won't be with us much longer. 

I brought Punkin home from the parking lot of Alberstson's in October-1995,  He was the last kitten in a cardboard box- offered up by a sweet little girl.  I had never owned a cat before and decided we needed one!  Living in the country-everyone needs a cat to maintain the rodent population. 

Punkin was the cutest little thing!  I went to school to pick up Christian one afternoon, shortly after we got the kitten, only to come home and find Punkin had his head caught between the slats of the kitchen chairs.  It's about a 2 inch gap.
How the heck did he ever get his head in there in the first place?  It was not easy getting him unstuck.
There was bleeding and pain involved.  Mine- not his.

He didn't stay little, he got huge and reminded me of a lion.

That's the thing about Punkin' he was kind of a Cujo cat.

He would lurk on the stairs until one of the kids would innocently  walk by and THWACK! His little paw would come out and he would swipe at the ankles.  
Tiny, little, scary cat.  Matthew was scared to death of him.

He has done his job over the years and brought us all kinds of 'gifts' left on the door step.  He was a great hunter.

He also had a knack for knowing when someone in the house was sick and he would come climb on the ill person's lap.  Other than that he didn't really care to cuddle.  I always wondered how he knew???
He turned himself into a liveing breathing hot water bottle.  Cool trick.

Today would have been my Mother's 90th birthday.  She loved Punkin.  I think she thought of him as some kind of kindred spirit.  All tough on the outside and jello on the inside.

Punkin- you are a cool cat and I will miss you.  Give Nick and Dixie a swipe for us.

Now, can we please go more than 3 months without losing somone we love?  I seriously think this is the very, last straw.

XOXO,
K.
PS: Punkin passed away this morning.  Godspeed.