Today, my 13 year old cat Ouisie has passed away. She was my first and only pet. Sure, I had cats growing up, but Ouisie and I had that special mutually exclusive bond that you cannot replace. I got her in 1999, a year after moving out of my mom’s house after college, rescuing her as a kitten from North Shore Animal League in Port Washington, NY. I knew she was mine the moment I put my hand on her, and she’d completely acquiesce to my touch, crouch down and look up at me, as if to say, “yes, daddy?” We were in love from day one. She would greet me at the door every time I got home, whether it was from a trip to the record store, or from a week away overseas. She’s seen three decades, and has moved with me five times. Her unconditional love, support and physical companionship was cherished every day. Wherever I was in the house, from the bedroom, living room, studio, or even bathroom, there she was. She always had to be by my side. So it’s a shock today that she is gone. I was lucky to have her as long as I did, and even though I’m in great pain today, I don’t regret anything. You touched many lives, Ouisie, most of all mine.
