My Buddy Max - An Intelligent Life-Form

My cat Max was my buddy for 13 years. I vividly remember the day we adopted him at the ASPCA in Vero Beach, Florida. That day they had dozens of cats - all the kittens were brown tabbies. I was picking them up one at a time, trying to tell if any of them was special in some way, but they all seemed the same to me. They all looked alike...except for Max, who had longer, softer hair. When I picked up Max, I could tell he was a little bigger, a little calmer, and a little more affectionate.

He was "the one."

As an adolescent cat, Max used to rocket around the house. He would hit a piece of furniture, dig in and bound off in a new direction so fast he was a blur. I sat him down one day and explained to him that we had paid good money for the furniture, but like any teenager, he didn't get it. Running around the house was too much fun. Eventually, he ruined two leather couches. By the time we got rid of them, each had a couple thousand tiny claw marks.

As a middle-aged cat, he was my TV buddy. We watched countless movies, basketball games and nature features together. He particularly loved programs about birds and big cats. He'd jump down and sit right in front of the big screen, taking it all in. Most of the time he was by my side. It could be he loved me. Or it could be that I share my popcorn with him.

Max was quite an intelligent little guy, with a rich personality and an expressive face. I always knew what he was thinking. That's what happens when you have an intimate relationship with someone for more than 10 years.

More about Max...

Loving memories after Max's passing...


Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2010. Building Personal Strength . (Photo by Kathleen Scott, used with her permission)