You were our first cat after Brett our youngest left for college... our boys were allergic to cats so we couldn't have any. When my brother in Texas passed away after a motorcycle accident you were one of his two kittens. You were beautiful, white and fluffy with blue eyes. You were only five months old and boy did I fall in love with you. I talked my husband into bringing you home with us because you were special... you were my brother's kitty.

You traveled from Texas to New Mexico with us and you adjusted quickly to your new home with an older dog, Rebel...a yellow lab who you thought was your mother or something..you would cuddle next to him and sleep with him all the time. He was happy to put up with you and you used to run circles around him. We moved to Virginia the next year and you were a good little traveler. You loved your new home but we kept you inside for fear of losing you. After a while I let you go outdoors and boy did you love that!! We installed a cat door in the garage so you could come in and out at your whim. It was great. After Rebel passed away we got Elvis, a golden retriever and you hated him for a while... he was so full of himself but later you two became best friends and loved to hang out together.

You loved the outdoors and loved to sit in the sun and just mellow out. You also climbed into bed with Dad and me but always on my side at my feet...you were always a mama's boy although Daddy loved you a lot too. You and Elvis were partners in crime. You climbed on the kitchen counters and with your paws threw any food that was there on the floor and both of you ate it quickly but Elvis was always ahead of you because he was waiting for it. In the winter you loved the fireplace even more than we did. You used to sleep near it all winter...as soon as Dad started it up you would climb on the lazy boy and sleep. Another thing you loved were your snacks. Every night before bedtime you had some snacks. I used to buy you all different kinds so you could have variety.

In the summer you loved to be outside and hated to come in at night...I would worry about you all the time if you were not in by 10:00PM but sometimes you stayed out until midnight. You also loved to go into Brett's room when we opened the door and you were not supposed to go in there because he was allergic to you. One day you spent the whole day in there because you slipped in there before I saw you and when I came home I looked all over for you and heard you meow. You ran out as I opened the door. Boy, did we have a great time with you all these 12 years.

You and Elvis became best friends as you got older and you let him kiss you and love you all the time. After you got tired of all his attention you would grab his face with both paws and bite him... they were love bites right?

You were so beautiful and we loved you so much and know you loved us back.. About two weeks ago Elvis got sick and we had to say goodbye to him. When we came home without him you were puzzled that he wasn't with us and you kept waiting for him to come back. I know you looked all over for him and I know you were hurting as much as we were.

Two days ago you stopped eating and slept a lot and I decided to take you to the vet... he gave me the bad news that you were sick although you didn't look it and I decided that you should go and join you good buddy Elvis instead of putting you through a lot of meds and surgeries.

They brought you in and we hung out and I loved you for a little while before the doctor came in. I told you how much we loved you and how you were going to be with your best buddy Elvis... you closed your eyes and let me love you. I know you are hanging out with Elvis now and running through some green grass or sunning yourself among the flowers.

Good by beautiful Gibson... we will always remember you and have you in our hearts forever just like your buddy Elvis. We were so lucky to have had you both in our lives and now you are together again.

In Loving Memory of Gibson

Copyright © Texas Brat
April 3, 2005