Ace-the-cat has gone to the big litter box in the sky. [View All]

[trof]

I knew I was a dog person from my earliest childhood memories.
I didn't know I was a cat person until my then six year old daughter said "I want a kitty."
Thus began our string of feline roomies.
Rusty, Mimi, E-e-e-e, and finally Ace The Wonder Cat.
Rusty was an orange tabby, hence the name.
Mimi and E-e-e-e named themselves.
That was the kind of meow sound they made.

I named Ace. He loomed up outside my kitchen sliding glass door late one night. I had snuck in there for some clandestine chocolate ice cream with melted peanut butter topping (try it!) after Miz t. was asleep. Mimi had shuffled off this mortal coil a few weeks before. I just "felt" like I was being watched there in the kitchen that night. I looked out the door and saw nothing but night. I looked down and saw these huge yellow eyes staring back at me.

Once my heart rate got back to close to normal, I opened the door a few inches. He was inside in a flash. Like greased lightning. Lord, that cat could move. He started head-butting and rubbing my ankles. He was purring so loud I was afraid he'd wake Miz t.
"Hey cat. How you doin'?"
"R-R-R-R-R-R-R"

He was as black as...as..."the Ace of Spades" came to mind.
OK, "Ace". It wasn't until I got to know him better that I found he had a small white patch on his tummy.

Well, we were catless. I folded up a blanket and put it in the garage. Put down a bowl of water and a can of Mimi's food. Decided I'd introduce him (he turned out to be a "him") to Miz t. and Nasha, our German Shepherd, in the morning.

As soon as he saw Nasha he did the same thing he'd done with me. Head-butting her legs, rubbing in-and-out, purring. Nasha had been OK with Mimi, so I guess she figured "OK, another cat."

The Wonder Cat?
1. If Ace had a trophy room it would contain birds (mostly blue-jays), frogs, skinks, geckos, snakes (including a pygmy rattler), and SQUIRRELS. Yeah, squirrels damn near as big as he was. Ace was a very talented and efficient hunter. It's what he did.
2. He LOVED dogs. Friends or strangers, he never ran from a dog. Maybe he had figured that out. If you don't run, they can't chase. He did the same head-butting, rubbing, purring with every dog he ever got close to. It really confused them. ;-)
3. He loved people too. Big people, little people, it didn't matter. Was just nuts about them. Litttle kids could pull his tail or ears and he'd just purr. This is the MOST sociable cat I've ever seen. He was special.
4. Ace contracted diabetes about 4 years ago. I gave him insulin shots morning and evening. Not only didn't he complain, he seemed to understand. If I wasn't up by 6 a.m. for the morning shot, he'd come get me. "Hey! Time for my shot! I can't have breakfast until my shot. Get a move on. I'm STARVING."

The old boy began to fail over the last few weeks. Age and the diabetes. We knew it was time, but it's still hard.
You were a damn good cat Ace. The best. we'll miss you.