I wanted to pay tribute to my two highly strung and intelligent, magnificent and loving companion cats, Orby and Triny who passed away after fifteen years of unbridled love and joy.

I was about 6 when we got our first cats. After losing our pet rabbit, we decided to look for a kitten or two. It took a long time until finally, in my absence, my older sister found the perfect pair at the SPCA. I remember coming home from my dad's place to find food bowls placed on the kitchen floor. When I got down to the den, there on the couch with my sister were two little tabby kittens. They were brother and sister. My sister had claimed the smaller blonde girl, while I settled for the bigger, darker tabby boy. The girl's name was originally Peaches due to the orange spot on her head, but my sister renamed her Mittens because of her white paws. As for myself, after hearing the tall tales of Figaro 1 and 2, whom I've never met, I decided to give my kitten the name Figaro III.

In Loving Memory of Olden: My beloved King Cat

'Serendipity' could have been her name. Instead, she became 'Lucy' and how she came to be 'Lucy' is one of my favorite work memories.

I have come to the realization that I might be a little weird. Throughout my lifetime, most of my BFF’s have been cats, which means the forever portion of this acronym is about 15–20 years.

When you get right down to brass tacks, it's sort of a miracle that humans made our way to the top of the food chain. Humans are squishy, maladaptive, prone to illogical behavior, and we tend to try and change the rest of the world to fit our beliefs rather than simply accepting what is, and how it works. Between opposable thumbs, fire, and guns, though, we've cemented our place at the head of the natural pecking order. We've even subjugated cats who, if we could simply irradiate one and receive some sort of DNA transfer through a bite, could turn us into predators the like of which hasn't been seen since the latest round of Republican debates.

Hey Tony, I’m gonna take a break, I’ll be out back,” I said.

You never think about the day you will lose your pet when you decide to adopt one. It’s all about excitement, commitment, and responsibility at first. During that time you are probably worrying about how you are going to take care of them. You learn the basics, find the right food, gather all the essentials, and buy the fanciest food bowl, etc.

If your cat is acting a little unusual regarding their bathroom routine, and they seem particularly uncomfortable and grumpy, then there's a chance they're suffering from a urinary tract infection. If you're not sure whether or not your cat has a UTI, there are a couple of more specific signs you should keep an eye out for. These include:

Marcel was truly a unique cat with a unique story: The one of a traveling cat.