by CHRIS BRAZIL
THIS IS THE STORY OF SCHMITTY SCHMAT, OUR WONDERFUL TWENTY POUND BALL OF FUR AND FIRE. MY WIFE MAGGIE GOT SCHMITTY IN COLLEGE, AND SHE WAS DEFINITELY HER CAT. I MET MAGGIE 6 YEARS AGO AND SCHMITTY DIDN'T LIKE ANYONE BUT MAGGIE. SHE LIKED TO SIT ON MY LAP, BUT SHE WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO PET HER. SO I STARTED FEEDING HER EVERY DAY, PLAYING WITH HER LIKE SHE WANTED TO AND SUFFERED QUITE A FEW BITES. BUT AFTER A YEAR OR SO, SCHMITTY AND I GREW TO LOVE EACH OTHER JUST LIKE I HAD HAD HER ALL ALONG. SHE WOULD COME TO ME AND PURR, AND OF COURSE TRY TO BITE MY HAND OFF WHILE PURRING. WE CALLED HER MEOW A "BIC BIC" BECAUSE THAT'S THE SOUND SHE MADE. SHE WAS A GOOD GIRL, AND WE ARE GOING TO MISS HER MORE THAN WE EVER IMAGINED. SHE HAD A HABIT OF LYING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE KITCHEN WHERE WE ALL HAD TO STEP OVER HER TO GET ANYWHERE, AND SHE WAS ALSO A SWINGING DOOR CAT THAT DROVE US CRAZY! BUT WE WERE WITH HER WHEN SHE CROSSED THE RAINBOW BRIDGE, AND WE THANK GOD FOR THE FACT THAT HE ALLOWED US TO BE WITH HER WHEN HE TOOK HER SOUL TO HEAVEN. SHE WAS SICK FOR ABOUT A MONTH, SHE CRAWLED UNDER A BARN TWO DAYS AGO, AND CAME OUT JUST FIVE MINUTES BEFORE SHE PASSED TO BE WITH MY WIFE AND I ONE LAST TIME. WE WILL NEVER FORGET SCHMITTY, AND THERE WILL NEVER EVER BE ANOTHER "GOTTOLINA" AS AWESOME AS SHE WAS. WE LOVE AND MISS YOU, SCHMITTY, AND WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN WHEN YOU WADDLE OVER AND PURR AND BIC AND BITE US. AND WE'LL NEVER BE HAPPIER!