The best (male) cat I've ever had

I never had a male cat until we got Diego 14 months ago. I was somewhat hesitant to adopt a male cat because I had heard that they generally have more behavioral problems, like marking inside the house. Come to think of it, one of my former roommates, Leah, had a male cat. He peed on my bed, and Justin had a front row seat courtesy of our webcams. I was temporarily out of the room talking with Leah. She eventually gave the cat away to someone who could give him a good outdoor home.

So Justin and I both had our reservations about bringing a male cat into our home, but we had been wanting a cat for awhile when Diego was born in a neighbor's carport. So, we took a chance. And he was perfect. He never had a single accident, his presence helped keep our anxious beagle calm whenever we left the house, and he left us smiling and laughing on a daily basis, even when he tried to swing from our curtains in all his kittenish oneriness. I understand that some people don't care for cats in general. Personally, I think if you fall into this category that it can only be because you have never met a cat that breaks all the typical stereotypes...and there are many.

Diego was one of them. And his nine lives were much too short. We found him by the side of the road, hit by a car, last Friday morning. I don't know if I have ever grieved so much for a pet (Justin would say the same), but Diego was truly special and his loss so completely unexpected. There are so many things I miss about him on a daily basis. I might share some of them with you in the near future. They'll make you laugh (or at least chuckle). I pinky swear.