About 15 years ago, when I was a sophomore in college (I know...I'm old), a friend of mine found the smallest, most adorable little black kitty who needed a home.
She was seriously the smallest kitten I had ever seen.
I'm such a sucker for kittens, so I rescued her and made my parents take her home to Idaho because I couldn't keep her at my apartment. My dad named her Cinder and she has been a part of the family ever since.
Oh, and she's evil. Did I mention that? Especially in her old age. She will hiss and growl if anyone other than my dad gets within 5 feet of her. But, it's not all the time. Sometimes, she is the most cuddly little creature, then when she's done being pet (petted?), she hisses at you and runs away.
Oh, and every single other cat we've had in the past 15 years has either met a very unfortunate end or just disappeared altogether.
Like I said...EVIL - like the fruits of the devil.
A couple of years ago, I was at my parents' house for the weekend. It must have been Thanksgiving or Christmas because the only available bed was in the loft, so that's where I slept. (Yeah, since I'm single, I get last dibs for beds so I usually get the couch or the loft. Rude). For some reason, Cinder was extra cuddly that night and insisted on sleeping with me and when I say extra cuddly, I mean literally laying on my face. It was really annoying and I dropped her to the floor more than once, but she would always come right back.
The next morning at breakfast, I mentioned how friendly Cinder was the night before and my dad said, "Oh, she has worms."
Of course she does.
Best news ever.
Stupid cat.
"Uh, do you have an extra deworming pill I can take immediately?"
But, I do have some sad news. Cinder has been missing for 2.5 days. I know it's not uncommon for some cats to leave for days at a time, but it's not normal for her. She always 'checks in' with my parents every couple of hours. My parents are pretty sad. I just hope she went quickly, even though she was evil.
Maybe she found a new home, but probably not. She probably got eaten by some wild animal since my parents live so close to the wild frontier.
This is the #1 reason I don't have any pets. It's just too hard when they get sick or die.
Rest in peace Cinder. We'll see you on the other side.
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