I called my parents two days ago in Florida. They had just moved their from Cape Cod a few weeks ago. They live their for the winter months. They had brought along their cat Jasper. Jasper was becoming a seasoned traveler, this was the 3rd winter that she had made this trip. When I saw her right after Christmas I made sure to give her a extra special hug and kiss because I felt their was a chance I may not see her anymore. You see she was 21 years old and other than having some seizures (once in a while) she was okay. She also had some arthritis. My mother brought her to the vet on Tuesday because she had a lump on her leg. The vet said even if it was cancerous she probably would not live through surgery to remove it. So my mother just got medicine for her arthritis. They told her for a cat being 21 years old (96 years old in human years) she wasn't in bad shape. That night she was able to jump up on my parents bed twice (something she hadn't been able to do in a long time). Around lunch time on Friday my mother or father let her go into the pool area (she did this all the time). She would drink water from the pool and lay in the sun. Well 15 minutes after being out their my mother came in the house (they were washing the windows outside) and found Jasper dead in the pool. They are just devasted over this #1 because cats are so afraid of water and to die that way makes them feels so bad #2 because she was the best thing they ever had. She gave my mother but especially my father such love. She was the friendliest cat. My father would fall asleep on the couch with her many times. She always had the most space on the bed. They would be all squished up but not her. I remember when I got her I was 18 years old and I made up a story of how I found her in a parking lot. I bought her from a pet store though, she was the smallest one their. I was always bringing home animals and my father had had enough. I wanted this kitten but he said no and to find a home for it. We kept it in the shed for a few days. One day it was getting cold so I threw a rope out the upstairs window tied Jasper in a towel and tied the rope to the towel. As I was slowly pulling her upstairs my father came up behind me and told me to put her outside again. She eventually warmed up his heart and she became the sweetest thing. I will miss her terribly and I hope she knows my parents miss her too. I love you JASPER!!!! Lynda St. Andre