Even though I grew up having a dog as companion/pet, I really did not experience a bonding with an animal until "Caht" came into my life. Caht adopted me in late 1990 while living in Atlanta Ga. I had seen a posting on the church bulletin board for; Free Cat, call for an interview. Interview? Intrigued, I called-drove out to the persons house-met them and was introduced to a large solid gray cat of about one year old. Even though he had been neutered and de-clawed, this cat roamed freely around a wooded cul-de-sac and by size alone had to be ruler of the feline hood. I was duly impressed with him and I guess he with me as we left together. No cage, just let him go in the car. Expecting a real ruckus, I was very surprised when he got up in my lap, put his paws on the drivers window sill and rode home looking out at the world. Of course the first dilemma was to be creative with a name. Another surprise came when people knocked on my door. The cat ran TO the door-sat down in front of it and meowed. Short-barking meows; somewhat like a dog. Once people came in the cat sniffed them out, then retreated to a far place or came and jumped in my lap and "eyed" the visitor as long as they were there. I realized this cat had an identity crisis. Because I'm a great story teller, I invented a "past" for the cat in which he was whelped by a Briard bitch and spent his formative years living and playing with a familiy of Briard's in France. Thusly, I dubbed him "LaChat." The Cat. In the english version, I added the h and his name became "Caht." At his largest, Caht weighed in at 22 lbs. At the end of his life he had dropped to 6lbs, a whisp of his real self. Caht was with me for 17 years, had lived through motor home travel, home changes, living with new/other cats/ a real dog friend named Ally, and thyroid problems. At the last, he graciously accepted yet two more cats into the house. Kittens who wanted to play with him. His response to their overtures was to ignore them. Either he realized they were no threat to him or he was just too tired out to care. On his last visit to the vet, Caht showed no interest at all in the cat-nip she put down for him. I knew right then it was time to let go. Cat is buried in the back yard, protected by a cactus bush planted over him. Thankfully the sun rises in the morning streaking across his grave. I hope he feels the warmth as he always loved being in the window each morning to capture as much sun as possible. I have viewed Caht as my guardian angel embodied for years. One of the kittens now shows some of the traits Caht had. Maybe in time I will recognize that Caht has jumped from one life to the next in the visage of A.C. Strange that I named her A.C., meaning Angel Cat.

F.A.T.H.E.R.

F.....finding out that your own father really knew what he was talking about.

A.....answering the phone in the middle of the night with fear, & it's just a flat tire.

T.....taking time to listen to the story, watch the dive, fix what's broken, be there.

H.....hero status, just when you think it's faded away, you're shown by a deed it hasn't.

E.....elation, pride, tears: a first birthday, a graduation, a wedding, and a grand child

R.....remembering, savoring, being thankful, faith, seeing yourself, seeing an individual