Chloe was abandoned when she was about 2 years old. She was being fed on a shelf on the fence by my landlady when I moved here. All of us here would feed her, but she would flee if anyone got too close for too long.

Through cold and heat and rain—-for 10 years—-Chloe would not be coaxed inside; I tried. At last, she realized that I only meant well and one evening, she crept through my back door for food, and into my heart.

She adopted me and we saved each other for 8 years.

I had not had a pet for 42 years, since my dog was poisoned, by a crazy man, and died in my arms. I would enjoy other peoples’ pets.

And then came Chloe.

Chloe was quick to learn, calm and ever-loving. She never screamed, cried or howled—-unless I was more than 10 minutes late with her breakfast! I bathed her outside, on warm sunny days, though she was not eager about it! But then, she loved the blow dryer as it fluffed her long hair! I protected her eyes and ears with my free hand.
One afternoon, at the start of the Covid pandemic, I laid down to read. Chloe was passing, saw me, jumped onto the bed and snuggled across my legs. That was new, and then we did this almost every day. She just always wanted to be close to me. Fine with me! When I sat to eat, Chloe would gently nuzzle under the corner of the napkin on my lap so that I’d lift it and she could sit on my lap—-not for food, but just to lie on my lap.
So many sweet memories! I could sweep, mop and even vacuum within inches of Chloe and she wouldn’t flinch. She knew that I would never hurt her. As I sweep the yard now, I see the plants and flowers that Chloe liked to sniff, the pond she occasionally sipped from and the tree trunk she clawed. I’ll leave the grass that she liked to chew.
I learned at the start that Chloe’s kidneys were failing. After a couple of years she didn’t care to play, but did like to jump onto things and was active. She was my “guard cat”. She would appear to be asleep on the sunny porch, but if a dog, passing our gate, happened to hesitate, Chloe would spring down to the walk, charging toward the gate and hissing. She scared/confused many dogs! She was getting old. She liked to nap, sunbathe, greet me when I came home and just be close. And that was perfect with me. Chloe really loved to sunbathe—-neighbors and passersby miss seeing her watch me from the sunny porch when I would work outside.

Chloe lived a happy life to the age of 20, 97 in cat years, I think. Her kidneys failed and she declined slowly over 3 weeks until the end. She seemed fairly happy and alert and active until her last day. She made a good effort and I’m so glad that we had that time together.

For weeks, up to the hour when I took Chloe in, hummingbirds were numerous and voracious. That was a Thursday. From Friday for 11 days, not one bird came; nothing different. Today, February 1, a bird came back at the start of the Chinese New Year, year of the tiger, though my little tigress isn’t here.

I miss her at every turn and with every glance. Chloe was, and remains in memory, a sweet delight. I am grateful to have been so fortunate.