A few days ago I lost my precious kitty, Opal. She was a sweet cat that stole my heart the day we met, and I will miss her dearly.

The first time I ever met her, she dashed right out the door of the 'get to know you' room. I thought that was so funny, and when they brought her back I knew she was the one. Shrag has said he thought that her time was almost up then, that the staff was so happy I took her that had I not done so, she would have been put down. I don't know if that's true but I like to think it is because he always said he thought she knew that I saved her life.

Opal as a kitten was so unpredictable. As a young cat she would slip into places I thought were impossible, and she did it without missing a beat. She had this odd habit of dashing into the kitchen and falling over like a fainting goat. It was loud enough to hear and hard enough you'd feel the vibration in the floor. We took to calling her plop kitty for a while after that. I had never seen an animal run into a room and just decide 'I'm done using my legs now' and just fall over.

As she got older, she started putting her paws on my thigh when she wanted me to pick her up, and I always obliged because I wanted her to continue this behavior.

And of course, there were the two times she stuck her head in the hand hold of a twelve pack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iM-LaH4rrs

I'll miss you, kitty. Wait for me.