There has not been a time in Mary’s and my life that we have not had a family pet. Even when we were first married and living in New Mexico on a small military salary we made enough to share it with four legged companions. Not knowing it, I believe we felt sharing our lives with a pet was a good thing. So, over the 54 years of our marriage we have owned cats, dogs, fish, iguanas, a tarantula and a groundhog named Erving.

Let me explain about the iguana first. I asked Mary what she wanted for her birthday, she said she had everything and I was not to worry about finding something she didn’t need. Well, I thought about her words when visiting a pet shop and I saw an iguana named Iggy. Now I knew right off Mary did not have or had ever had an Iggy. To say she was surprised would be an understatement. The tarantula was mine. Living in the south western desert was to be in the middle of spiders, scorpions and snake heaven. One evening I found a big hairy tarantula crawling by the house, I collected him and kept it in an aquarium in the living room. Mary was not happy, but she tolerated the spider and me, for a while.

For the most part our family pets have been dogs and cats. The cats for the most part have been either rescues or showed up at our door looking for food. The word went out a long time ago that Mary was a softie for a lost animal and would likely give them a warm place to sleep.

That’s how we came to have a cat named Alley. About fourteen years ago a stray gray and white cat showed up at our door. I told Mary in no uncertain words, “No More Cats!” Those words went in one ear and out the other. The gray and white cat with no name soon became part of our family along with Mary’s mom’s old cat, Yeller, that we inherited when we bought the home place.

Not long after that our grandson Cameron came to spend time with us and soon asked Mary what kind of cat it was and what’s its name? Mary told him, “no name, just an old alley cat.” Cameron called him Alley and the name stuck.

So, after Mary took Alley to have a checkup and shots. Dr. Mike Barnes said he was in good shape, had already been fixed and was three to four years old. SO, with a name and a good checkup the gray and white cat was now part of the family. That was fourteen years ago.

Over the years Yeller passed away and a kitten named Goldie showed up one night with burnt feet and wanting someone to love her. Of course, Mary did not hesitate and took the tiny kitten to Barnes who told her its feet had been burned. He treated them and before long the gold cat was happy and friendly and part of Mary’s cat family. Now I don’t dislike cats, I just always thought of myself as a dog man. A dog you call its name, and it comes. A cat you call its name and it doesn’t even look at you.

For many years Mary’s cats guarded the barn while keeping the mouse population at bay. In the warm weather they would sleep in an old lounge chair in the barn. In the winter, we had a shelter cat house on the porch with a warm bed inside. The two cats would sleep in a big hair ball inside the warm enclosure.

Life was good for the cats of the Clegg family. That was until about two and a half years ago when we came home and found Alley laying in the yard not moving. We knew something was wrong right away. We soon discovered blood on his leg and it felt broken. A trip to the vet soon confirmed his bottom bone was broken in seven places and his upper leg bone was broken in one place and had pierced the

skin. They did what they could for him and told us to take him home and keep him quiet allowing his leg to heal. We never did know for sure what happened to him.

We brought him home and Mary made a place for him in our enclosed breezeway. Food, water, a warm soft bed, and a big screen tv, Alley had all the comforts of home. Now remember, he was supposed to stay still for two weeks. That lasted about two hours. Mary tried everything including bed time songs, but nothing worked as Alley made himself at home. It was at that point he became an indoor cat. He fit in as if he had lived indoors with us for years.

Now you remember how I told you he was Mary’s cat, well that is true when it comes to food. But if I am in my chair, Alley figures, I need the company of a cat. I take an afternoon nap and Alley keeps me company.

For about the last three months we began to notice Alley was slowing down. Knowing he was seventeen years old we knew time was coming when Alley was reaching an age when his health was deteriorating. Still he was a good cat and was not into showing he was having any problems.

Three weeks ago, our other cat Goldie had a place on her face and we took her to the vet for surgery. The news was not good and Mary took it hard. We didn’t want her to suffer and so the hard decision was made. We brought her home and placed her beside our beloved dog Sunny on the warm side of the hill.

Last week we traveled to our son’s home in North Carolina. Alley laid on the center console of our Tahoe most of the time watching the countryside go by. We knew he was fading, yet he still ate, drank, purred like a chainsaw and went to the bathroom okay. As long as he could function and not show any difficulty, we knew he was okay for the time being.

The day after Thanksgiving there was a noticeable change in Alley. He no longer purred, and he stopped eating. He still drank water, but he was having trouble walking. By dark, Mary was laying on the bed beside Alley and said he won’t be here come morning.

Well, Alley made it to morning and we took him to Animal Urgent Care. They told us he had cancer of the liver and his time was near. We made the decision to not let him suffer any longer. Now that cat and I had gotten to be the best of friends. He was deaf as a post for several years, but still he could read my lips and meow answers. For Mary to lose two of her beloved cats in three weeks was all she could bare. She tried to put on a good face in the tears, but it was hard for us both. By the time you read this story Alley, Goldie and Sunny will be together on the warm side of the hill.

In my life I have changed my idea on cats. When younger I thought they were arrogant hairy creatures. I have come to understand in many ways’ cats can get closer to us than even a dog. They have a different kind of love that they can show without being asked. They can lay next to you and purr joy, a joy you feel through your body.

Good-bye Goldie and Alley, Mary and I will always remember the Love you shared with us Through the Lens