Baby Girl
Date of Passing: 10/28/2025
Message to Baby Girl: Baby Girl and I were inseparable for 13 amazing years. She and I were introduced when she was 7, and I knew right away that I loved her. A mild mannered cat, she loved a warm lap, snuggling, a bit of catnip, and a lickable treat, but more than anything she loved her humans. When her health began to decline, we did everything we could to make her comfortable including all the meds, all the vitamins, and daily fluids. I would have given anything for her to stay healthy and give us more time with her. She was the best girl and miss her terribly but I know that she's running free, enjoying treats, and looking after us. Until we are together again, sweet girl.
Tell us about Baby Girl: I tell everyone that I came out of the womb loving cats, and few that know me would argue with this. When I moved out on my own, I knew that I was going to get a cat but, having never had one on my own, I wanted one that was acclimated to humans and a little older.
One day, I was speaking with someone at work about this, and she mentioned that a friend of hers had a very sweet 7-year-old cat, but lived amongst a house of dogs, and her friend was looking for a home that could dedicate more time to this cat. She connected us, and I drove 90 minutes to meet this cat.
Lucky, as her mother-at-the-time called her, was a plump, black, cat with striking green eyes. She was sitting loafed on the floor in a closet. She didn't run or hesitate when I bent down to introduce myself. She sniffed my hand with curiosity and enjoyed the pets that I offered her. The woman and I agreed that I would take Lucky for a few weeks as a trial run and see how it worked out. If Lucky never settled in, I would bring her back to her original home.
On the drive home, I spoke to her the whole way and told her all about me: what I like, and what I was hoping our relationship would turn into. When I brought her inside and opened the crate, she immediately ran under the bed, where she stayed for the rest of the day. I layed on the floor and watched her hide, just speaking to her. In the middle of the night, I woke up to find her loafed at the end of my bed. Afraid I would scare her, I didn't move a muscle and smiled to myself because, at that moment, I knew that we were going to be a great team.
My roommate at the time and I wanted to rename her, and although we thought of many things, we called her Baby Girl in the interim, and it just stuck.
Life went on, my roommate got married and moved out, Baby Girl and I moved into an apartment to ourselves. During that time, I met the man that I would want to spend the rest of my life with. Obviously, Baby Girl had a say in who joined our little family, but the very first night that this man came over, Baby Girl made his way over to his lap without a single hesitation and made a little nest.
Sean, she would come to know him as, was an animal-lover, but had only ever known dogs as pets. Baby Girl showing him so much love and affection was a new and exciting development for him and that's when I knew she had his heart as well.
All three of us moved in together and Baby Girl had no problem making herself at home. She had 2 warm laps to choose from at all times, bodies that slept on both sides of her, and Sean quickly became her best friend. There was never a single moment that we didn't smother her with love and attention.
Over the years, she developed some standard health issues like hyperthyroid, and the initial signs of kidney disease. As her humans, we took ever bit of advice the vets gave us to accommodate her and make her happy and comfortable. After 2 years of maintaining her conditions and comfortability, she was able to communicate to us that the time had finally come for her to say goodbye. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. Grief is a heavy blanket but it reminds me how fiercely I loved my sweet girl and remembering that we had the best life together makes it just a little less difficult.
When we commit to having a pet, we know this day will come, but it feels so distant...until it isn't. The sadness I feel will fade, but the memories of Baby Girl will remain with me for the rest of my life.