Orange Kitty

05/01/1996 - 08/07/2010

Perhaps Kitties and other beloved pets are little angels, sent to comfort us and teach us. How else does one explain their miraculous ability to know when we're down, to look so deeply into our eyes, to love unconditionally, to form a deep connection with another human, and yet remain in their form only a brief time. Sometimes I like to think that when a very evolved cat dies, one who truly loved and was loved, he or she is reincarnated into something new, taking a step on the next journey.

Perhaps Orange Kitty's spirit grew too large for such a little body to contain. He traveled the United States and back again and changed over time. When I first met him, Orange Kitty was a backyard stray between 5th, 6th avenue and California. He was roaming the neighborhood looking for handouts and warm couches, when he pranced into our home one day. Though always a friendly boy, when I first met him, he used to rarely meow, rarely looked up as much as his old buddy Soda, and was never one for being held. Gradually he became quite a talker and had whole periods when he loved nothing more than to snuggle in bed and be held. When Soda passed away in Pennsylvania, he seemed to grow more reflective. Orange Kitty came back to San Francisco via an 11-day road trip. He strolled the governor's mansion in Kansas, climbed the canyons in Utah, walked the cliffs of Colorado Monument, and enjoyed many beautiful sights out the window. Ever since then, he has always loved a good car ride. Whenever I opened the door, he would hop right in.
Orange Kitty always had the wanderlust. He loved to explore and insisted on being outside. When I would keep him in, he would howl, scratch the door, and leave little surprises that ought to have been in the litter box. He loved the rooftop over Mandalay and found ways to get places I could never fathom. He was happiest in the sun, smelling and nippling the grasses, and rolling in the dirt. He loved people beyond measure and spread joy far and wide. He was my prodigal son. He was the community cat and will be missed and remembered by many.