The Story of Sonny - No - He's OK I just want to tell his story tonight!

Sonny is my old boy and often when I tell people he is 18 I get "No way!" or "Not possible!" Cats don't live that long! And in fact I have cremated more cats than I would like before age 18. Back in March Dylan was only 10 but he wanted to go and as bad as I hated to do it I let him.

Sonny has remained a mystery to me even as he has been a blessing. Tonight while waiting for the pasta to be al dente I decided to pull out his file. Because I do indeed keep complete files on all my pets.

Sonny's file begins on January 12, 1993. The day I walked through the Dekalb Animal Shelter wondering how on earth I could ever decide on one cat who needed me and a loving home. The cages went to the ceiling and all I could do was walk down the line. I walked by Sonny's cage and he stuck a paw out and his claws caught my sweatshirt and wouldn't let go and I was sure that was my sign. So I took him home.

For the first few years he was a mean SOB. Actually not mean per se but he was not afraid to use his claws when something did not please him. Eventually we came to an understanding. He knew he would get unconditional love but claws were not permitted.

Sonny lived in Tokyo in 2005. There are not a lot of humans who can claim a year in Tokyo! With me, over the years he has learned to live with the various psychic punches - bad roomates, the various boyfriends, one really crap husband who thought he could run a dog kennel out of our house (as long as I did all the clean up) , many moves, many siblings. And he has taken it all in stride. Mostly.

Sonny is now I suspect completely deaf and we have worked this out and we are fine with it. In the day he goes out in the backyard and sleeps in the weeds and at dusk I bring him in and he hisses at me for doing so and when I go to bed he gets up and sleeps on my chest while I read and talk to him so he can feel the vibrations in my chest and then gets off the bed when I turn out the light.

All in all the past almost 18 years has been just the best and he shows no signs of slowing down. I look at my original adoption papers from January 1993 and I see that at that time he was guessed to be 2. I see that he was found and brought to the shelter by a lady by the name of Jean W. House of Nashville TN. I remember when I first adopted Sonny I wrote her a letter to tell her how much I thanked her for taking Sonny to the shelter where I could find him. She is likely not still at the same address but I think I want to write her again to let her know how much her act of kindness and humanity has improved my life.

I think I will do that.