1999-2004 If you had a cat built with all the options, it would be c.c.. She had all the positive features of a cat - friendly, curious, loving, energetic. She always seemed to be having a good time, and she always made us feel good as well. The Husband had found her wandering in the woods behind his place of employment (more accurately, she found him - she came running to him, meowing incessantly). After feeding her and chatting with her for several days (she was a constant conversationalist whenever humans were around), he brought her home to meet Opie. Opie and c.c. were best friends practically from the beginning. At first Opie tried to ignore her, but she would not be ignored. She was fresh out of kittenhood with lots to learn, and she followed him everywhere, copying his actions, and emulating every behavior. Eventually Opie accepted the role of surrogate parent, and they became inseparable. From Opie, c.c. learned that the outdoors was the place for play, adventure and pooping (the litterbox was for emergencies only). She also learned Opie's critter-retrieval skills and brought home many captures, all unharmed. She did so well, Opie took an early retirement and left the critter-catching to c.c. Opie taught c.c. the territory, and she learned not to venture far from the house. With a woods at her backyard, and a small stream running past the side yard, and lots of trees to climb, she really had no need to venture too far. Opie protectingly kept an eye on her while she explored fearlessly. She was never out of his sight. If he thought she was venturing too far into the woods, he would stop and sit. She would not proceed further unless he did too. They almost always did things together. They had a morning ritual that consisted of breakfast, followed by a patrol of the backyard and the creekbed, and finishing up with a leisurely catnap on either the front steps or the deck (depending on the ratio of sun to heat that day). Even though they had their own cat door at the back of the house, Opie preferred to sit at the front door and meow to be let in (possibly a retained behavior from a previous home). And of course c.c. had to copy her mentor's lead. Eventually, Opie gave c.c. more liberties. He would watch her from the deck while she explored the creek and the edge of the woods. After a while she would return to join him on the deck. c.c. liked the deck's elevation - she could observe everything from a lofty perch and could spot movement at the edge of the woods. And if the deck wasn't high enough, there were the trees ... c.c. liked the height advantage offered by trees. She could often be found near the top of the tallest trees in the yard. At first we worried that she was going to get herself stuck up there and somebody was going to have to go get her. But she always managed to make her way down safely. c.c. would also carry on non-verbal communications with the next-door cats as they sat in their living room window. But c.c didn't need just the outdoors for adventure - she found her adventures anywhere, any time. She was always the curious kitten at heart. It seemed she was always at full speed ... ... and always getting into something. c.c. always encouraged Opie to play, despite Opie's majority of years on her. It kept him young. And she slept as hard as she played ... ... Synchronized Sleeping. A restful moment ... Hey, paws on your own side! Was it something I said? We decided that c.c would always be spelled lowercase because capital letters made her name look bigger than Opie's, and nothing is bigger than Opie.. Snow was always a big attraction to c.c. ... ... although she never really liked it that much, she was always drawn to it. Around dinnertime, when the Spouses were due home, c.c. would wait by the window over the driveway to greet their arrival. She also liked to supervise the Husband during his outdoor chores ... for example, perching in a tree to observe his leaf-raking skills. Every cat is unique and special in its own way, but c.c. managed to cram a whole lifetime of special moments into the relatively brief forty-three months she was with us. We all miss her. Goodbye, c.c. And thanks.