Auburn,
Thank you for always being there.
For sitting through painful breastfeeding sessions in the beginning on the foot of the recliner.
For being my shadow in the kitchen and helping me practice my foot agility.
For giving me a scheduled time to check the mail daily (after throwing out your dirty litter).
For greeting me at the door every day when I got home, even before Beau.
For being the best weighted blanket when I was stressed, depressed, & anxious.
For sitting like a human when you cleaned yourself.
For always blocking the space heater with your floof when I tried to get warm.
For predictably rubbing your head against my hand if I reached out towards you.
For snuggling with my baby boys even though they made you mad most of the time.
For never trying to suffocate my babies while they slept by sitting on their faces like Grandma Joyce said you would.
For learning how to spin (despite Drew saying you didn't know how to do tricks + I have it on video twice).
For locking yourself in the bathroom the first day we had you and giving me the first real experience of what it was going to be like to have kids - guilt, panic, WTF feelings. (Drew had to bring home a car unlocking kit...)
For having the CUTEST little paw pads on this earth.
For never actually ripping the couch with your back claws when you jumped up even though it sounded like pure destruction.
For being a better guard dog than Beau.
For cleaning up crumbs 100% more efficiently than the dog.
For being the cat version of me; sassy but sometimes likes human interaction.
For refusing anything less than the cleanest water, especially if Beau drank out of it first.
For the roughly 5 times you played with Beau.
For reminding me to feed you dinner at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, and 4pm so I wouldn't forget.
For coming to sit by the bath tub and enjoying the warmth with me.
For constantly flicking your tail in contentment.
For intentionally brushing up against Drew's pant leg when he was getting ready for work.
For finishing my cereal milk, unless it was Cinnamon Toast Crunch. You HATED cinnamon.
For waiting right outside our bedroom door right until you heard the garage door when Drew left for work (not allowed in our room).
For looking like a KING laying on our Christmas tree skirt.
For laying on my pregnant belly and purring them to sleep when they were restless.
For sounding like a little gremlin when you ate.
For crushing butterflies with your belly when you were hunting in the yard.
For beating Beau to every sunspot.
For being so dang good at taking pills like a champ.
For standing in front of my face in every zoom meeting during COVID.
For not dying when Drew "accidentally" let you out of the garage and left you outside to sleep on a 30 degree night.
For also not dying when you would scale and tightrope walk our second story back patio railing to hunt birds.
For giving attitude right back to Drew when he was rude to you (again, cat version of me).
For yelling at Hanna for me when she picked at your fur and left clumps laying on the couch.
For reminding me what is important and knocking my phone out of my hand or computer off of my lap when I needed a break from technology.
For having the most precious little Einstein ear hairs.
For almost assisting Beau in catching a rabbit that one time when you chased it out from under the shed.
For ALWAYS coming to lay by me the second I sat down somewhere.
For curling up at my feet when I would edit photos.
For letting me live out my dream as a crazy cat lady.
For enduring two new babies and two new houses in four years.
For never acting cranky or lashing out at the kids even though you were very sick.
For letting me hold you and squeeze you up until your very last minute.
For opening the door for us to talk to our son about God and Heaven.
I'll never own another cat (says Drew) so thank you for being my one and only Aubs. The memories will last a life time Krampus.
