Pipes, the cat, was born under my house up on the Tulare/Fresno county line at 2300 ft above sea level. He was your basic marmalade tabby. At 22 lbs, he was a formidable tom. Pipes grew up dodging cayotes and defending his territory against all intruders. He had nicked ears and many trips to vet as proof. At about 16 yrs, we moved down to Solana Beach into an ocean front condo. Pipes walked out on the porch and looked at the ocean. I could just see him thinking “I can do this”. At about 20 yrs, his buddy, Choop, died. Choop was 17. He was buried in the middle of the night in a “forbiden” site with much love and ceremony. So, we got Pipes a companion. A sweet little white female kitten. When he first approached her, she swatted him right in the nose. They soon became best pals. She kept his face clean, and they cuddled all the time. Pipes never got “rickety “…just tired. I miss him so much, and I’m certain Ms Pris does too.

Richard from CA