I knew she was our cat from the first time I met her at the Humane Society in Salt Lake. Through 14 years and six moves she was our faithful friend, and she seemed to enjoy each new adventure. I’m still hearing her footfall on the stairs and still expecting to find her asleep on my chair. We will miss her presence in our lives for a long time.

I don’t believe in an afterlife for cats any more than I do for people, but I hope she has a good one, free of arthritic knees and unhindered by screen doors, in a place full of mice and birds and sun and someone who will rub her tummy just so.