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On July 28, 1995, the Husband brought home an abandoned feline that would change our lives. Some of the Husband's co-workers first spotted him watching them from the edge of the woods near the loading dock. The loading dock was the company's designated smoking area and there were several plastic chairs set up there, and there were usually several people out there at any time. They enticed the cat with food and he eventually took up residence under the chairs. He became the company cat. He was just called "cat." He was very friendly and seemed to prefer the Husband's attentions over any others, so it wasn't long before the Husband had volunteered to give him a permanent home. OPIE'S SOLO YEARS JAN 1 1998 TO AUG 31 2000 1998, 1999, 2000 1998, 1999, 2000 1998, 1999, 2000 Opie, Day 1 Opie was treated to a vet visit and found to be in good health and already neutered. He weighed a svelte eleven pounds (he would nearly double that in the coming years). His age was approximated at four years. For the first day we called him "cat," but we wanted a more personable name. We were never very original with names (our previous felines were Momma, Puffy, Scruffy and Squeaker). We tried to find a name that fit him, but his distinguishing characteristics were that he was orange and he was large. Jumbo was considered and discarded. Some friends had a cat named MC (for Mother Cat) so we ended up with OP (for Orange Pussycat) which became Opie. Opie enjoyed having the woods at his backyard, and it wasn't long before he was bringing his own pets home to live with us (mostly mice, with the occasional rabbit and bird). But he never harmed any of these creatures. He just let them loose to run around the house. When Opie wasn't exploring the woods, he'd nap on the deck stairs, where he could keep an eye on the woods. There is a small creek that runs through the woods and past the house that was also a source of critters to be brought home. Opie developed a habit of making morning rounds of the creek and the woods. Opie enjoyed the outdoors, and would even spend his naptime in a shady spot at the edge of the woods. He prefered using the outdoors, rather than a litterbox (we prefered that he did also), and he had his own door so he could come and go as he pleased. We hardly ever had to clean the litterbox.   Opie knew his territory well. He knew where the coolest cement was, the warmest sun, the best observation point, and where the juiciest bugs could be found ... and how to get comfortable in any of them Opie knew how to enjoy himself outdoors. He liked to hang out in front of the house next door, carrying on non-verbal communications with felines that lived there. ... or antagonizing their Terriers in the back yard. Opie associated car rides with going to the vet and didn't like them. But a stationary vehicle was open to exploration. There were a few bushes that became Opie's "bathroom bushes," and weather was no object - when ya gotta go, ya gotta go. But Opie wasn't all outdoors. He was a people cat too. He enjoyed our company. When we talked to him, he would look us straight in the eye, as if trying his best to determine what we were trying to communicate. He understood "No" and even heeded it. He rarely had to be admonished twice, always willing to please. He knew to use the scratching post and not the furniture. He would wait to be invited onto a lap (which was always granted), and he would purr his appreciation. He never liked being bundled into a cat carrier for a trip to the vet, or our efforts to pluck a tick out of his skin, but he trusted us to do the right thing and hardly ever struggled or complained. We referred to Opie as "the Perfect Cat." Even though Opie came to us a full-grown 4 year old cat, there was still plenty of kitten in him. He would amuse himself or entice us to join in, and we usually did. When he wasn't out exploring the woods, he was always nearby. He enjoyed human companionship. When people came to visit, he would first observe from a distance, then, after due consideration, would eventually end up in the middle of things.   He had the natural curiosity of a cat, but with respect. He would not intrude (unlike almost every other cat). Instead, he would observe curiously from the sidelines and wait to be invited to join in. Opie was very independent and very intelligent... ... updating his website .................................. giving cpr to a mouse ... watching PBS, or just putting up the Christmas tree. But of all his unique traits, Opie excelled in one particular area ... The Catnap ... ... the One-Leg Drop Catnap ... the Paw-Over-Eyes Catnap ... the Extended Front Legs Catnap ... the Just Plain Pooped Catnap. Opie never caused us any trouble and was always available to share quality time with us. He was a joy to have around, and we never failed to let him know that. Opie was the Perfect Cat And when we thought things couldn't be better, along came c.c. to brighten the lives of Opie and his human companions. See Phase Two ------------------ Opie lived for fourteen years, succumbing to kidney disease. He died peacefully in his sleep at home. Rest easy, big cat.