Morton, the Mormon Cat....

In November of 1991, my friend, Marilyn Spittle came for a visit. Marilyn and I were sales associates together at HGM Miller Bishop Realty in Brunswick. She was a super intellectual woman who was a devout Mormon.

That day that she came to visit was pretty eventful as she brought with her a darling grey short haired kitten.

"I don't know how our cat happened to have kittens....she never gets out"! Yes, Marilyn, apparently she got out at least ONCE! Anyway, you don't bring a kitten into our home and go back home with it. Thus, "Morton, the Mormon Cat" came to take his rightful place in our home in Valley City.

He was actually more attached to our son Nathan than to anyone else in the family. He was not afraid of the collie puppy that we had acquired "Stanley" and he and Stanley grew up together. At times I really thought Morton considered himself a "dog"!

Nathan moved from our house and rented an apartment in Cuyahoga Falls with his friend Jerry Weiss, and Morton went along too! Morton was especially independent for a cat, but with the gregariousness of a dog. He was one to come and greet each guest and family member and ruled his domain from the back of the sofa (much to my dismay).

When Nathan moved back Morton came too, however when Nathan made the next move with his future wife Traci, everyone thought it best to let the "not so young feline" stay at home in Valley City.

For the last six months Morton has been suffering the pains of old age, and neither Nathan or I could make the decision to "let him go". We were outvoted but we were steadfast in wanting hime to have as many days as we could provide for him...and allow him the choice to tell us when the time would come. I changed his litter twice daily, and always fed him four times a day with Whiskas, and Fancy Feast. He would, of the last month , reign supreme over the utility room. His food, water and litter box, along with a clean rug and towel to sleep on. No more to climb to the top of the sofa in one single bound, but occasionally would pester to go outside and just lounge on the warm concrete of the patio. But he would loudly protest our absence, and the untimely manner that dinner would come if we had been gone.

We left for a farewell dinner with friends at 5:00 this evening, and when we returned, Morton was gone. He was simply lying in the position he normally assumed, on his side, quietly with not signs of stress. No more cries of "where have you been".

Nathan will come tomorrow evening and we shall bury him under the tree with his longtime friend, Stanley the collie.

God's speed to you dear friend!
Stanley will be looking for you!