Today I had confirmation of our worst fears for the last two weeks. My darling cat Frank was found dead. He had been hit by a car about two weeks ago and was hidden from view. My mother has spent the last two weeks canvassing the neighborhood with flyers with Frank's photo. On Sunday my parents went knocking on doors of a condo community just below us on the hill. There they met a woman who knew and liked Frank. Frank used to come hang out with her and her bichon frise, Maxwell in her backyard. It's because of her that we were able to find his body and to get closure over his disappearance. I love knowing about a friend he had. Him befriending an older lady and her dog seems just right for my Frank, as he loved people and loved hanging out.
I was exceedingly lucky with Frank. I choose him entirely based on looks, and he turned out to have a fantastic personality. My co-worker's parents' cats had kittens and she sent photos around. I wasn't even looking for a cat, but I saw a photo of a little gray kitten with white socks and I knew we were meant to be. I didn't even know if he was a boy or girl, I just wanted that cat in my life.
He was such a fun cat. He loved people and he loved being out on our hill at my parents' house. He was happiest on a sunny day, sitting in the catmint munching or sprawled out on the flagstones, listening to us talk and work in the yard. I have never known a cat that was so full of joy. When you would go outside, and walk up the hill, he would dart past you and run in a way that conveyed pure bliss. He was a show-off too, and would occasionally jump up on a tree trunk, and look back at you, hanging, as if to say, "Aren't I great?" He was. He loved us and we loved him.
When our family dog died several years ago, my mother wrote my siblings and I an email. In it she said this, which I have paraphrased to every friend who has lost a pet since. Her words are so true:
I have always thought humans were so lucky to have these marvelous creatures to have as friends and companions in life. The happiest humans out there are those who love their pets, great and small. And I, personally, have cast a beady eye upon those who don't get it. A part of me stands suspicious of them, sensing something missing.
We are so lucky to have pets in our lives. They enrich our lives and I think they make us better humans. I miss you, Frank. We did not get enough time together.
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