Owner says goodbye to kitty

Nicky was a laid-back California kitten when he adopted me in 1995.

You could carry him around in your pocket all day. He was a marvelous kitten. He squeaked when he ran down the stairs to greet me every day, slept with me every night and loved everyone.

Nicky also kept me safe from harm. Twice, the pilot light went out on my water heater, and Nicky came and told me each time. Another time, he told me that an outlet in my bedroom was bad. Sure enough, when I touched it, it was very hot. When I replaced it, I saw that it was just starting to burn. So he saved my life a few times.

As Nicky got older, he started to be impolite to friends who came over. He would hit them if they tried to pet him. (Polite kitten that he was, he kept his claws in, until the third hit.) He was wonderful to me, even turning somersaults when I came home. However, he wasn't very polite to my friends, who nicknamed him "The Jackal."

I was very lucky that a good friend was visiting when I had to put Nicky down a few weeks ago. She was also with me when Nicky and I met in California. That laid-back-kitten-turned-Jackal was very good to me, and I miss him terribly. However, as my friends point out, there is that little black neighborhood kitten, Zoey, that would like a home ... maybe ...

Jill L. Powers

Charleston

Compiled by <strong>Brenda Rindge.</strong> Got a pet? Tell us about it. We want to tell your stories and run your pictures of Rover, Boots and even Ziggy on our Pets page. If it's furry, feathered or slithery, and you love it, tell us why in 250 words or less. If it's a hero, tell us. If it's a

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