A Special Cat

A companion is someone you have a special connection with, someone you can talk to about your problems and who will listen. A companion is someone who doesn't judge you but likes you for you. I had one such companion. It wasn't your usual companion though. She wasn't another person. She was my pet cat, Squeaky.

Squeaky had been a part of the family for as long as I could remember. She was with me since I was two and a half years old. At that time in my life, I didn't see Squeaky as anything but another play toy. But as I grew older, I saw that she was much more than a toy. In March of 1991, we moved. The adults in the family were busy packing things up and transporting them to the new house. My grandma was entertaining my sister and me. After the last load was unpacked, Mom realized that Squeaky wasn't at the new house. My cousins jumped in the car and went back to pick up my very frightened cat. Once she was in the new house, she immediately darted upstairs. She found comfort among my belongings. There she stayed until my aunts and uncles left. When she realized it was only my immediate family left, she began to wander about. She made sure all of our stuff had made it safely. She seemed to understand that this was to be our new home and gave her approval.

She wasn't your ordinary cat. Of course she looked like any other cat with her long white fur and patches of brown and black spots. But there was more to Squeaky than her appearance. She had a personality that made her seem almost human. If I ever had a problem and needed someone to talk to, Squeaky seemed to always be there to listen. In high school, it seemed like I was always in disagreement with one of my friends. My emotions would be eating me up inside and I would need to release them. Often at night, I would sit in my room balling my eyes out. The moment I would shed my first tear, Squeaky would enter my room. She would then jump up on the bed to join me. I would talk, and she just listened. She would snuggle against me as if she were reassuring me that everything was going to be all right. Squeaky always seemed to look out for me. Anytime I was ever sick, she would curl up beside me on the couch. She would remain there until she knew I was feeling better. I thought it would be like that forever. She would still be with me when it came time for me to make a life for myself. I always pictured she would be with me every step of the way.

But I found out that it was all wishful thinking.

It was the summer before my junior year in high school. I was in Ohio spending my usual one-week summer vacation at my cousin's house. The week was about coming to a close, and I would be heading back home. The week had been a blast. We had gone to Cedar Point Amusement Park and Six Flags Ohio. The world record roller coaster at Cedar Point was awesome. But I still couldn't wait to get home to see Squeaky. Earlier that week, my mom had called, and I asked how Squeaky was doing. My mom reported that Squeaky wasn't eating and that she was going to take her to the vet. All that ran through my mind was that it was her old age catching up with her. After all, she was sixteen years