The Cat in the Window

For many years he was the only other male in the household. Creamsicle, a marmalade tabby with a square dog face and I were the men of the house. The two of us shared a special bond, guys sticking together in a home filled with females.

It is hard for me to remember a time when cats weren't part of my life. Midnight, Snowball, Bif and Stewart were among the cats at my parent's house. There was Seymour, the orange and white tabby who started off as a neighbor's cat and eventually came to live at our house instead. As an apartment dweller in college, my roommates and I named the local cats after cheese (Jack, Monterrey, Colby, Brie).

Creamsicle lived with us for nearly 15 years, arriving as a tiny scrap of fur and leaving us as a senior citizen. In between he was Laura's constant companion, through school years, friends that came and went, various houses and two cities. He was her first alarm clock, licking her face when it was time to get up in the morning. When she read a book, he was in her lap. When she sat at the computer, he shared the desk with her.

Creamsicle welcomed each additional cat and dog into our home with open paws. A gentleman to the very end, he lost his eyesight but managed to get around fairly well with hardly a complaint. As with all God's children, he is now free of pain and happy once again, never wanting for laps, open doors, catnip toys or full dishes of food.

St. Thomas Aquinas wrote about animals possessing a soul that is different than what humans have; St. Francis of Assisi saw animals as God's creatures to be honored and respected. God created heaven to be a place of perfect bliss, and I no doubt God will complete my happiness by having Creamsicle and other pets that have owned me over the years by my side.