Our family was absolutely blessed for the past 14 years. We owned Peanut (AKA Mr. P.) - the best cat ever. Peanut was capable of turning dog lovers into cat lovers. Peanut simply had the most endearing possible disposition. He was literally a kitten right up until his final days. So many people we knew - many of them cat-owners themselves - referred to Peanut as "the best cat ever." No disagreement here.

Along with his partner in crime, Dixie (a real grump of a cat!), Peanut graced our residences from New Hampshire to Oregon to Maine to New York for most of our adult life. While Dixie was temperamental, unpredictable, aggressive, and relatively dense, Peanut was so much the opposite. Unconditionally sweet, intelligent, and full of child-like curiosity. Peanut was a real best friend.

Kathy found him as a stray in my back yard in Dover when we were in grad school. No collar - no tag - full of fleas. A real mess! What an adorable stray! "Let's see if anyone puts up signs," we figured. No one did. We talked to neighbors about a lost kitten. No one claimed him. So we kept him. Great decision.

Here is a sample of the things he did that we remember with fondness:

- he used to bat Kathy in the eyes when she entered REM sleep - always woke her up with big surprise!
- he'd jump straight to the top of fridge like nothing
- he'd be up on shelves - hidden away - we've spent hours of our lives looking for this guy - to find him in the sneakiest of spots! One time he was above the doorframe of the hall closet for hours (there was teeny little nook up there - just for him, apparently)
- Peanut fetched. And he fetched well. He loved his little "pom pom balls' and would fetch them for as long as you were willing to play
- Speaking of, he loved those pom pom balls! But he did have some bad habits ... on one occasion, he'd dipped the pom pom ball in his litter box and then came to me when I was asleep - with hopes of playing ... he dropped it right on my face ... OUCH!
- the pom pom balls were everywhere - I'm sure we'll find them in our house for years to come. He loved dropping them in water ... totally gross!
- We NEVER were able to train him to stay off the kitchen counters or away from food. Nearly every vase of flowers we've ever had up in our living room got dumped at some point or another by this curious guy
- If you were cooking, look out! Turn around to answer the phone - and his head's in the food.
- We couldn't use table cloths - after a table cloth would be on the table for about 2 minutes, Peanut would jump up and knock it to the ground. Every time.
- He'd sit with you on the chair or the couch. Purring, purring, purring. He had the most genuine and calming purr there was. Unforgettable.
- But then he'd surprise you. Bend down to put your shoes on, and all of a sudden he's on your back. Scary as heck every time!
- and gosh was he great to the children. Of course our kids loved him - but so did so many other kids who got to know him. So many kids who'd come to our house would immediately go on the hunt for Peanut. "Where is he? I want to play with him ...."
- Peanut was an indoor cat. He was so curious - and so cute - that we just were afraid to let him out. What if he never came back? What if he wound up under the hood of a neighbor's car? This guy was capable of anything
.... BUT he wanted OUT! He was like a ninja in his attempts to get out every possible door all the time. Stealthlike, calculating, and quick in his attempts. When the pizza guy comes, whooosh - peanut's out. When friends come over and open the door with the old "Hello ... we're here," there was an inevitable 30-minute hunt to find Peanut! Closing doors in a vigilant way became a standard part of how things are done for us.
 
And he didn't need much. He was always OK with anything - completely agreeable.

As a result of a struggle with lymphoma, Peanut passed away this week (3.7.2007). A kitten in every respect until his passing, Peanut was the best cat ever.

---