Our little black cat, The Lady Kikyo, died this weekend. (the header description is how her little body felt to me) She joined our household, and made us a Family, in July of 2010, adopted from The NOAH Center, a shelter in Stanwood, Washington. In 2024, Kikyo was diagnosed with late-stage kidney disease, and we had another two years with her after that, showing that she was a little fighter, and we are grateful. She brightened our lives, scratched our arms (she would never let us clip her claws), and sat on the couch behind our heads, for 15 years. She slept on my legs, while I read my book in a sun-puddle.
She sprawled out on her window perch in the bedroom, mistress of all she surveyed.
She guarded me when I was at my computer, lying in the doorway to make sure I would not be interrupted. (Fierce Guard-Cat position)
She climbed both her scratching-posts to keep an eye on us. The one in the kitchen is right next to the table. She used what I called her “vulture” position when we were eating.
She could get into some of the most undignified poses!
Then again, she would just lay around looking beautiful. That didn’t take much effort.
Yeah, I spent $50.00 on that Tiffany bowl. She was well worth it!
I especially got a kick out of this one. She was able to leap from the stair banister, to the top of the closet on the far wall, to the high plant shelf in our living room. She had NO idea that the art-glass vase was supposed to be a cat!
Hubby used to call her his Buddy, and tell me how, after I went to bed, he would sit watching movies and she would sit by him on the couch, being his pal. Here they are.
We will miss our soft, black, shiny, fabulous little cat. The Lady Kikyo will always be with us in our hearts, and in our memories.
Finally, I received this wonderful tribute on X today, from one of my most treasured cat accounts. Fort Cattis has had its share of heartbreak recently, and they have always been welcoming, even in their grief. I SO appreciated this, and it is so true!
Let me again thank them for my header photo! I hope they don’t mind me using it, as it perfectly captures our Kikyo.
Calling-all-RushBabes 
I’m so sorry!
So are we, but it was time. Love to you and the family.
My condolences for the loss of your little panther. :hugs:
It’s always so hard to part with our pet friends. Mrs and I extend our sympathies, been there and done that more times than I want to count. Ok, five so far, more to come. I still think about each of them on the dates we bade them farewell, which are burned into my memory.