Minty

In his younger days, this cat would strip the sheets from my mother's guest bed!

I remember one time, I'd gone to my mom's house and saw the sheets were all in disarray on the bed. I just figured that mom and put them on the bed with plans of later making the bed when time allowed. I didn't think much of it. My mom came home that same afternoon and saw the rumpled bed and thought my two little ones (who were 3 and 1 at the time) had jumped on the bed and pulled the sheets off. She thought it was kind of strange that I would allow the kids to do that, but when she went to straighten the sheets, she noticed a whole series of punctures in the sheets from Minty's teeth and claws. I guess he was upset about being left at home alone.

Minty LOVED to be petted. He loved attention that was a sure thing! Anyone who sat still long enough would find Minty at their feet. He'd start first with soft meows that I thought sounded a lot like a duck quack. Then after a few pats on the head or strokes along his back from nose to tail, the attention would usually stop. Then, there would be more meow-quacks followed by Minty's paw rubbing -- scratch that -- pulling the person's hand to him as a very direct hint that he wasn't finished being loved and petted. He usually got lots of love when all of us were gathered at my mother's house.

After 16 years, Minty has gone on to a better place.

Christmas won't be the same without Minty's begging for love!