Last night we said our final good-byes to our sweet Delilah cat.  Cancer.

Many years ago, she lived next door to us as an outdoor cat.  Shortly after her family moved in next to us, she started the process of adopting us, although at the time we did not know we were being adopted by a cat.  She would lounge in our yard while we were outside.  She would climb up into our laps and kneed happily at our clothes, making small pinholes in most of my jackets and pants.  She walked with us to and fro from the boys’ school bus stops morning and afternoon.

And then one cold winter evening, Husband opened the front door to her and she came in, despite our two German Shepherds glaring at such a blatant and shocking intrusion.  For several weeks, riddled with guilt we would put her back outside before we went to bed -technically she was not our cat.  We supplied her with heated cat beds nestled in small child sized lawn chairs on our front porch so she would not become cold.  Then we fessed up to the neighbors and asked if we could start feeding her.

Long story short, the neighbors moved away, leaving Delilah and her brother Bleu behind.  We, of course, took them in.  She has been ours, or rather we have been hers ever since.  Several weeks before our move to Arizona, Bleu went out one evening and did not come back.  We looked.  We posted signs.  We never wanted indoor/outdoor cats for this exact reason but that is how they came to us and it seemed unfair to change the rules midgame.

We are now a home without a cat.  It is a strange thing to be.

Last night.  Cody decided to wait in the waiting room, he did not want to see her dead.  Carter surprised us by coming in at the last minute.  He stroked her soft black fur and then buried his tear streaked face in Husband’s chest.  When her last breath was taken and she was gone, he pet her once more.

We have heavy hearts and a large hole that a tiny black cat once filled.

I have told several Delilah based stories and adventures over the years that you can read if you wish.  Check out the posts in the category of Furry Feet (and fish), I think you will find them there.