His name was Abercrombie but we called him Abbie for short. Abbie became our "little boy" when our "little girl" went away to college in August of 1985, and he quickly filled a very big void in our lives. Abbie was my wife's first pet and my first feline pet, so we weren't quite sure what to do, but he quickly "taught" us what we needed to know. He had the cutest little face that would just melt your heart. Abbie would sleep with us every night and in the morning would go downstairs to the kitchen and call for us to get up. When we came home from work, my wife would call from the bottom of the stairs, "is there a kitty up there for me?" The response would always be a hearty "meow" usually followed by Abbie bounding down the steps to greet us. He was always so happy to see us and we were always overjoyed to see him. It didn't matter what kind of day we had at work, we knew he would be at home waiting for us to let us know every thing would be all right. Abbie was such a good companion, always giving my wife and me such joy and love.

He loved fresh deli turkey and canned tuna, which we occasionally gave to him as a special treat. Although an indoor cat, he loved going outside on his leash to lie in the sun, chew grass or scratch his back on the sidewalk.

He grew to a robust 18 pounds at his peak.

When Abbie was diagnosed with CRF, it broke our hearts. We started to give him Sub-Q fluids immediately beginning with 100ml every third day until the end when we were giving him 150ml twice each day. Even though his weight dropped to 6½ lbs., he continued to eat (sometimes 5 to 6 oz. of wet food per day). His doctor was amazed that he still had an appetite and told us that he had a tremendous will to live. We waited for "the sign" that everyone kept telling us would happen to know when it was time to say goodbye. There were a few times when we thought the end was near but he would rally and seem to be his old self again. We expected the ups and downs but were not prepared for the depth of the emotional swings… such a cruel disease. The "sign" did appear late on Saturday night, March 2, when we decided it was time for Abbie to rest.

Abbie passed away on a peaceful Sunday morning, March 3, 2002, in my wife's arms on the way to see our veterinarian. We had him cremated, and when we pass on, Abbie will come with us. We will always be together. There are times when we feel his presence, hear him calling us, or catch a glimpse of him rounding a corner.

We believe he was a little angel sent from heaven at the right time to care for us, and God decided it was time to call his little angel home for a much-earned rest. We miss him dearly, and although there is an empty feeling in our hearts, we thank God for the love and companionship Abbie brought into our lives. Until we meet again across the Rainbow Bridge, rest in peace little angel.

Dan & Marianne