This is a wonderful message by Tina Brennan about one of her best friends, Artie, the very special cat.

A few thoughts and memories on Art:

I rescued Art from a close call as a young cat. A teenager, that was later arrested on animal cruelty charges years later, was dunking Art in a pool's bathroom toilet at a rental property I once owned. They told me that Art was abandoned by his owners, therefore, he "didn't really matter". Needless to say, I yanked him away, brought him home with me to calm him and dry him off.

Art immediately responded to my attention toward him. Naturally, like all the others... I HAD TO KEEP HIM!!! Art was soon to show that he had many talents as our cat. Art would play and retrieve a small cat-size Frisbee and seem to want to be a part of any carpentry or art project I might be doing. He then became the "ARTsie-crafty kitty" . Art was also the welcome committee to any newcomers to my group. He would carefully swat puppies to train them how a cat wanted to be treated and was "Dad" and later, "Granddad" to most of my kittens that came after him.

Art preferred to be mostly an outside cat. He came and went as I have a pet door leading outside, but in his later years he loved to sit in my front flower bed and would greet and walk anyone to my front door. Art had never been my healthiest cat, but he endured my many attempts to care for him without complaint. After leaving for a short trip shopping one Sunday afternoon, I returned to find my beloved Artie had passed while in his favorite flower bed. Art is now resting with a fresh crop of catnip planted for all his pals to enjoy in a favorite place of his.

A favorite thing about Art as a patient at your office was one time, before the remodel, I left the room to see something in the lab or kennel. When we returned, Art was gone.... we looked all over for him. We then discovered( and Art would do this up until one of his last visits to your office), Art would take his paw, open the cabinet and hide to avoid exams!

Artie had a freckle on his nose and loved to sit on my pillow and" groom "me, just as he did the other cats. Art was a special cat, and I have had more than I can count in my lifetime! My Artie will never be duplicated or replaced. But he was loved and a valued member of my family.