telling myself a story today, just because I need to smile through the tears
a story for “The Best grand-Cat Ever”
Sasha! Sasha! Hello! Hello!
I knew you were coming today!
Oh, you look so beautiful! Yes, you! Go on, do a stretch or two, shake yourself out and you’ll find you are better than you can remember!
I’m Ada! We met once…but that is all behind us!
Welcome! Welcome to your new home in the peaceable kingdom! You are going to love it here! 
I know! I know! I talk in exclamation points! The others just smile and ask me to settle down but I know they really like all my exuberance!!!
I can see that you are a most regal animal – Maine Coon is it? Or Norwegian Forest Cat?
Oh, let me just settle down here and tuck in a paw for a chat; hovering over you will never do.
You know, dear Sasha (and you are a dear!) it is a grand and important responsibility to have a person to look after and you did an excellent job, a very excellent job with Our Girl. Yes, Our Girl. I’ve called all her pet family to greet you.
{Now this is a slight thing, but here everyone is peaceable so a few things to remember in the early time in the kingdom:
- no biting
- let old stuff be forgotten
- control the urge for excessive sniffing
That will do for now}
Well! Well! I see everyone is in a hurry to greet you! Now, now, everyone, let’s wait and be honorable here –
Sasha, this is Coal. She is First Pet and while quite a large dog, she is very gentle and you will enjoy all her stories about Our Girl’s first years! We never tire of hearing them!
Then, this is Strawberry (remember the rules now) Yes, she is a Guinea Pig. (Yes, a kind of rodent.) She’s quite an inquisitive sort and always up for games. I know you are a playful animal yourself so you can know you will have fun together! 
Oh, oh! Here he comes, you can always hear him…Max, Max, slow down now, quiet now! Max was always a misunderstood animal in the house but he has quite forgiven all that and is so happy now that everyone understands that he is a sheepdog and needed to herd and nip heels. He has given up nipping and just loves to spend most of his time with the sheep; such interesting creatures!
Yes, yes, he has remarkable fur! Your fur is quite remarkable too, if I may say so Sasha… so beautiful, rather straight and with such variety of color. Lovely to pet, I’m sure.
Me, I’m a curly girl as you can see and I can tell that we both like to put our best paw forward, carefully groomed!
My own story is simple. Our Girl thought a poodle would be a wimpy kind of dog, but, I think I won her over! I was actually more the home dog, Mom & Dad’s, but I like to think she was My Girl until you came along, Sasha. What great timing! What adventures you will have to tell us – cross country travels, life with adopted kittens, moving about… oh yes, we’ve heard bits from sweet Maggie cat and Merlin too. Here they are, your old housemates and so happy to see you! (So much happy meowing does a heart good!)
Now, we all want you to know that we love you and appreciate you as Our Girls’ dearly beloved Sasha, “The Best Cat Ever”. I hope we are not making you uncomfortable with our doggie creeping and everyone cuddling around…but well, you see, we all do want to sniff you a little. You still carry her scent you know and we like to remember.
Gosh, what a great life we had with Our Best Girl.
She’ll remember you forever; that’s what our people do.
And now Elaine from a master storyteller, Dr Seuss: “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
(She always does that crying thing, Sasha. You should have seen her writing in the coffee shop, quite a sight…come on, Mom get a grip! Love ya! Ada)