When it comes to pets nothing beats a cat that could be considered a little boy in a cats body. I never knew a cat that could be like Dude. Dude was a cat that my parents got from a family that could not keep him anymore because he would fight with their poodle.

Before Dude came to our house to live we already had 2 cats but we had put one to sleep when her liver was failing. I felt I could never accept the love of another pet be it a cat or dog or whatever again.

I arrived home from high school, my mother held in her arms my little buddy. A bundle of gray and white that looked at me with the look of love. I looked back at him and could not believe that my parents had gone and got something that I could not accept. Something that I felt was way to soon for me after my loss.

I told my parents I think it is to soon for another cat but they said give it time. I was very shaky and unsure. Later I went to bed, and was told that I had a little snuggler at my feet that I had no idea was even there.

I thought well that is funny but maybe it was a one time shot deal. Well I went in for a nap and found myself nuzzled over with a cold wet nose and a warm paw as Dude crawled into bed with me. I covered him up as he slept in my armpit. I was even allowed to cover him completely over his head as we went to sleep, my pal and me.

I never had a cat that I could have so much in common with. I mean this was my boy, this was my cat. Dude was a cat that I could take outside for a walk or take for a ride in my car and or truck with out him freaking out like most cats would.

I had Dude for over 13 years. Dude was put to sleep when his kidneys started to fail and his liver was not able to keep up. During his time on earth, dude was someone that I will never ever forget. Dude saved my life several times.

There were times I felt like ending my life. Many times I wanted to clock out in my life but Dude stopped me. Dude would crawl in my lap and look at me with love and talk to me in the language that only I could only understand. He would just nuzzle in my arms and I would often just rub him form head to tail and often tear up because I knew that there was a reason I was here. A purpose and Dude would always help me remember that.

When Dude passed, I though there is no way I can ever and I mean ever love another cat or cats again. I mean there are days that either my mother or myself come out of the bathroom in our home expecting to see him sitting there, or even days that we expect to see him waking us up in the morning or still sleeping on our legs or in my arms.

Robert from NE