Towanda !

Our beloved kitty is one of the family, and Claire says she's like a sister. At 15, she is showing signs of aging and we are beginning to remember that the life of a family pet is short as compared to our own.

This morning she is showing no signs of her advanced age and failing body, pestering me incessantly to go outside, only to ask to be let in a few minutes later. Her signature move is known in our family as 'The Towanda Flop', and although her preferred site - warm concrete in the sunshine - was not available this morning it didn't spoil her obvious joy in this simple action.

Towanda loves to 'talk' to us, and in a very un-cat-like way, comes in from outdoors when she is called, and follows us around the house. She loves to get her head wet in the shower and this is her preferred method of drinking! She is of course, still a cat, and her favorite pastime is sleeping.