In memoriam Hannah-Cat

I drafted this post some time ago but am just now posting it today, May 11.

We had a very sad week. Everyone's favorite orange cat, Hannah, died on Tuesday the 22nd. On Sunday and Monday, she was lethargic, but not alarmingly so. On Tuesday night, she was suffering badly and clearly having serious problems. Upon returning from class, I took Hannah to the hospital where she had an extremely high temperature reading of 109. With the prognosis grim, we made the decision to give our faithful companion a peaceful departure.

Hannah and her sister, Emma, were rescued from a farm in Vermilion township, Ohio, almost 10 years ago. Jen had graduated from U of Toledo and was preparing to move to DC to begin her program at American University. Jen had always wanted an orange cat, and step-dad, Steve, found one amongst two litters of cats born on a farm near his and Debbie's home in Vermilion. One of the momma-cats had died in an road accident, so the two litters of kittens were all struggling to survive with only one momma cat to look after them. Of all the cats, Hannah was easily the healthiest and Jen joked that she did the rest of the kittens a favor by taking her. The original plan was take only one cat, but Hannah and Emma were inseparable playmates, so they both made the trip to DC.

As a young cat, Hannah was a true athlete. She enjoyed playing fetch and would launch herself off the arm of a chair to catch thrown balls mid-air. Hannah stayed constantly by Jen's side or perched in her lap. Hannah was well-known for her social disposition, approaching anyone who came to visit with trust and a simple demand for attention.

During the summer of cicadas in DC, Hannah wandered the deck, maiming and eating the heads off slow-moving Brood X insects. Sometimes she would bring her still-struggling prey into the apartment to proudly show Jen, who was toiling away on her dissertation.

Hannah's charms were legendary. Even people who claimed not to like cats always found Hannah the exception to the rule. Hannah insisted that weekend visitors stay longer by laying on their suitcases to prevent them from packing.

Most recently, Hannah taught young Jack how to crawl. Because she was a social creature, she was always hanging out with us and Jack became increasingly curious about her. When Hannah strayed too close, Jack would grab a fistful of fur-- an abuse Hannah suffered without retaliation. Our big orange monster enjoyed being nearby.

Always a good cat and dependable companion, Hannah is irreplaceable.