Shakey (aka Roscoe) showed up in my back yard back in 2015, and the little black critter crawled right up in my lap with little coaxing.

We think he was kicked outside by our clueless neighbors, who would acquire animals and then never take care of them. I think he found his way over to my yard because of the food I would leave out for neighborhood feral cats. Shakey would end up being the 4th of 5 animals that ended up in my permanent care due to their ignorance and neglect.

Just a loveable big black cat, he would jump up in the kitchen sink and head-bump me until I turned the water on to drip while I got my first cup of coffee. I know, not supposed to let cats on the kitchen counter....

Whatever malady was lurking in his genetic makeup manifested itself suddenly, and after only several weeks of treatment with meds, took him even more quickly. I was, and am, simply stunned at the swiftness of his demise.

Although I have many more cats that I still tend to (any many more that I have lost), he has left a gaping hole.

Morning coffee will never be quite the same without him.