Flannel Rita, 1992-2012.

In honor of my longtime companion and sharer or food, Flannel, who passed away on Wednesday May 16th after a brief battle with cancer at the amazing age of 20.

She lived with my parents and I for 18 years, ever since we adopted her from a feral cat spay-and-release program. She was so friendly and sweet that, instead of releasing her back into the wild, she was saved for adoption, and we were the lucky ones who took her in. She was named Flannel because her fur was so soft, and her tendency towards being very vocal earned her middle name of Rita after the character on Animaniacs, a grey cat who would sing a song every episode.

She was a wonderful cat who spent most of her life taking full advantage of the comforts available to her, especially when it came to food. Though she slimmed down in her later years, she spent much of her life shaped somewhat like a beach ball. She was outgoing and friendly to all, even complete strangers, and lived for belly rubs. She was the only cat I ever knew who loved having her fur shaved short in the summer.

We couldn't have asked for a more perfect companion. We all will miss her terribly, but we will always remember her with pride and love, and the house will be much emptier and quieter without her.