THE STOIC CAT, MY TWENTY- FIVE- YEAR OLD , FIRKADANALL- I'VE WRITTEN ABOUT HER PREVIOUSLY- WAS SO STOIC BECAUSE SHE IS TWENTY- FIVE, AND IS OF GREAT HEART HERSELF. SHE IS THE ONE CAT I KEPT TALKING TO ABOUT THE ONE -EYED CAT, TRYING TO GET HER TO CONVINCE HIM THAT I WAS O.K., THAT I COULD POSSIBLY HELP HIM , IF NOTHING ELSE. AS A MATTER OF FACT THE FIRST TIME HE ALLOWED ME TO PET HIM , SHE SAW THIS THROUTH THE SCREEN DOOR AND SHE ALSO SAW MY TEARS. IT WAS HER THAT I CONFIDED IN HOW VERY EXCITED I WAS . ONE CAT THAT I AM CURRENTLY FOSTERING IS NAMED MARSHMALLOW. HE IS A HUGE CAT OF TWENTY -FIVE POUNDS AT LEAST AND QUITE BEAUTIFUL, WITH PIERCING BLUE EYES, ALL- WHITE AND GREY -TIPPED EARS. HE ENJOYS SPENDING HIS EARLY MORNINGS OUTSIDE AND HIS LATE EVENINGS , JUST CHECKING THINGS OUT. HE IS VERY LOVABLE AND YET APPEARS TO LOOK VERY INTIMIDATING TO THOSE HE WANTS TO. WELL, I BELIEVE HE WAS ONE- EYE'S PROTECTER. HE SEEMED TO BE SO MOVED BY ONE- EYE'S COURAGEOUS HEART AND HE WOULD ALWAYS POSE UP IN PROTECTION OF HIM, WHEN I FED ONE- EYE. EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE BOTH MALE CATS, MARSHMALLOW WOULD NOT LET ANIMAL NOR PERSON NEAR ONE- EYE UNTIL HE WOULD FINISH HIS DINNER. IT WAS AS IF HE SIMPLY KNEW THAT ONE- EYE NEEDED A GENTLE GIANT AND HE FOUGHT FOR HIM AS THE UNDERDOG/CAT. MASHMALLOW SPENT A FEW DAYS LOOKING AND LOOKING FOR HIS LITTLE COURAGEOUS ONE EYE , EVEN LINGERING AT HIS WATERING DISH OUTSIDE, JUST HOPING AND WAITING FOR HIS RETURN. I THINK THAT FINALLY TONITE HE HAS BEGUN TO COME TO SOME TERMS WITH THIS, AS HE WANTS TO GO OUT, AND DO HIS NIGHTLY ROUTINE. HE KNOWS IN HIS HEART THAT HIS ONE- EYE MAY BE GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN.*NOTE* MARSH WAS JUST SEEN POSTED UP BY THE WATER DISH. THE SECOND LITTLE TRAUMATIZED IS MY DEAR DOG BRANDILYNN. YOU SEE , HER AND ONE- EYE HAD A VERY UNIQUE AND SPECIAL CONNECTION. HE LIKED HER RIGHT FROM THE START AND WOULD FOLLOW ME WALKING HER. HE NEVER SEEMED TO HAVE ANY FEAR OF HER , WHICH I BELIEVE IS IN LARGE PART DUE TO HER HIGH INTELLIGENCE AND ALSO HE COULD SENSE THE FACT THAT SHE HERSELF HAD SOME VERY HORRIBLE ABUSIVE HOMES , PRIOR TO ME. SHE ALWAYS GAVE HIM HIS SPACE, NEVER RUNNING UP ON HIS EVEN IF SHE WASN'T ON A LEASH. HE NEVER MOVED AWAY OR FLINCHED , HE SOMEHOW KNEW THAT SHE WAS ALSO FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT. THE TRUST BETWEEN THEM WAS AN EARNED BOND. SHE KEEPS ON GOING TO THE SCREEN DOOR AS IF TO SAY "WHERE ARE YOU, ONE- EYE? PLEASE COME TODAY AND MAKE US ALL FEEL BETTER!" I THINK THAT OUR ONE- EYE IS LOOKING AT US WITH A HUGE CAT GRIN FROM A MUCH BETTER PLACE. WELL, LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST IS THE ONE WHO SEEMS TO BE THE MOST AFFECTED BY ONE- EYE'S PASSING, OR AT LEAST IT SEEMS SO TO ME. THIS WOULD BE MY "FUDGE , CAT MANDU , SEXY GUY , AND FINALLY CACTUS MAN CACTUS. HIS NAMES HAVE EMERGED AS HIS PERSONALITIES HAVE COME FORWARD. HE ALSO CAME TO ME AS A FERAL AND INJURED CAT, THOUGH NOT AS BAD. A STORY I WILL SHARE LATER. SO I THINK THAT FOR HIM THIS WAS VERY HARD AS HE FELT LIKE HIM AND ONE -EYE WERE BROTHERS, KINDRED SPIRITS OF SORTS, SOUL MATES IN A LOT OF WAYS. HE SPOTTED ONE- EYE'S COURAGE AND HEART THE FIRST TIME I LAY ON THE PAVEMENT TO TALK TO HIM. HE WOULD WATCH HIM FROM A WINDOW OR THE SCREEN DOOR WITH HIGH ADMIRATION AND I FEEL THAT THEY SHARED MANY SECRETS, LIKE , HEY, ONE -EYE ,STICK HERE IT'S O.K.; AND HOW YA DOIN' TODAY? THE FEW TIMES THAT THE MAN CACTUS DID VENTURE OUT HE NEVER DID MESS WITH THE ONE- EYE, HE JUST ALWAYS GLANCED HIS WAY AND WISHED HIM WELL. I THINK THAT THEY BOTH KNEW OF THE RARE BROTHERHOOD THEY SHARED. SO, NOW MY DEAR ONCE- FERAL MAN CACTUS WAITS AND HE WAITS AND HE WAITS. HE LOOKS TO THE SCREEN AND THEN AT ME AS IF TO ASK WHY AND WHERE ; SO I KEEP GENTLY TELLING HIM THE FACTS . MOMMY , TWENTY- FIVE- YEARS OLD, ALSO SEEMS TO FEEL HIS PAIN AND GOES TO HIM AND LICKS HIS FACE. I PICK HIM UP AND TELL HIM THAT OUR DEAR ONE- EYE IS GONE . WE LOVED HIM. HE TAUGHT US MUCH ABOUT COURAGE AND HEART AND THAT WE ALL PASS ON.