Misty, the original FGC

Before Tabbitha, The Fat Grey Cat, there was another. She wasn't quite as grey, nor nearly as fat, but sure enough, she was a cat.

And her name was Misty.

Misty was adopted sometime while I was in high school. One August morning, Mom took Karyna and myself down to the local Humane Society, and we adopted two kitties. Misty was mine, a beautiful Blue Russian with a white spot right where a bow tie would be placed, and Miranda was Karyna's.

Quickly we discovered that Misty was a kitty of great but unforeseeable qualities. She enjoyed chasing socks, playing hide and go seek games, and was extremely possessive of twistie ties - you know the kind that keep your bread from getting old. A few months into her tenure at our house, we discovered no less than 30 of the things stored under the dining room carpet.

Suffice to say, she tended to hoard twisty ties.

I can't recall how the bread turned out though....

Misty was never one to explore on her own; rather she preferred to stay inside in the relative safety of home. She wasn't a fan of thunderstorms - then again, neither was I - so we would huddle together under the covers when it rained (or stormed). She was always eager to jump on a cozy lap, which proved to be a challenge when my parents finally bought the living room furniture of their dreams.

No Cats On The Furninture! EVER! Quickly turned into a game of I'll let Misty sit on my lap ON the furniture while I read, but as soon as we hear footsteps she'll have to jump off...

It went along great until Misty blew our cover and would insist on sitting on my lap in the company of Mom and Dad. She never was that subtle.

She seemed to be a little "slower" than Miranda, earning her the nickname of "The Limited One" from my Dad. Then again, she soon had my parents trained to feed her treats whenever she mustered up the courage to walk into the new kitchen - so really, who was training who?

When I left for UW-Madison, I had to leave Misty behind with Mom and Dad. Her home was in St. Paul, with Miranda and the rest of the family. She loved the house, loved my Mom's garden (and Japanese Grass, which she would nibble on a la Cow), and quickly adopted Mom and Dad as her People instead of me.

She quickly had them trained in a new routine, which consisted of lots of petting, snuggling on their bed, getting lots of treats, and being one of the most well loved kitties ever. She lived a great life, full of happiness, joy, twistie ties, Japanese Grass, kitty treats, secret time spent on forbidden furniture, and earned the adoration of houseguests. No - she wasn't an attack cat. In fact, once she got over her initial fear, she enjoyed flopping over and having her tummy rubbed.

Don't we all?

I just got the sad news that Misty had passed away early this morning, sleeping in her favorite chair in the Sun room. She didn't appear to be in any pain, wasn't sick, wasn't suffering in any way. It was simply her time, and she died very peacefully in the home she loved. In a favorite chair, no doubt.

It's never easy loosing a pet, a part of your family. I am happy that she had a wonderful life, filled with treats and love and constant attention. Though she had a bit of a dandruff problem, I'm convinced it was because we petted her so much.

Just earlier today - before I got the news - Anabelle, very uncharacteristically, brought me a twistie tie and wanted to play. I recalled Misty and the memory brought a smile to my face. It just goes to show that the people (and animals) we love, never really leave us; they are forever with us in our memories, in our hearts.

To Misty, the original Fat Grey Cat, with love.