We had you for 21 years and four months, still not long enough. How I truly believed you were a guardian and protector, especially for the boy you adopted on that May afternoon. He was six weeks old, you were about the same, you came out of nowhere and you never left. I wanted you so badly to sleep next to me, but you were set on sleeping with that baby. I would wake up and you would be curled up next to him. I feared you would accidentally suffocate him with your love so I had to put you in a kennel at night so I could sleep and not worry. As soon as he was bigger I gave up, you were his but mostly, he was yours. He could handle you and pet you and snuggle with you – the rest of us just got your growls, hisses and side-eyes. You were a fierce hunter in the old west side neighborhood, 75 pound dogs steered clear of you, birds feared you and mice were a tasty snack. You would come into the house to check on your boy and drink some fresh water, I would pet you and receive growls and glares. Eventually when we moved to a calmer neighborhood, you settled in and became more of a family cat, but still, slept every night with that boy. He went to college, I’m not sure who missed who more. You became a fantastic co-worker during the pandemic, you made many Zoom meeting much more interesting. Over the years you had so many names that the boys gave you: Baby, Cat, Inky or Pinky, I can’t remember, but Goonis stuck. You slowed down, you did what you were put on this earth to do. Thank you, sweet Goonis, I truly believe you were a guardian sent from the universe and you did a GREAT job. We will all miss you and love you forever.
