I adopted Annie through the Portland, OR, Humane Society. She was very ill with a respiratory infection and was sequestered in foster care in a local home. She was living with dogs and cats but she got along with everyone as she had the sweetest personality in the world! When we met, she was being fed with an eye dropper, had one eye closed, and her nose was dripping profusely, but she purred and purred and purred, because Annie was always her sweet self, even when sick. I said instantly, “I’ll take her!”

Annie was originally a stray, so her birthdate was unknown, but we would have celebrated her 16th birthday in December. She was a Torbi (tortoiseshell/tabby mix) who had the most gorgeous green eyes I’ve ever seen. Everyone remarked on them as they were stunning.

Annie had the funniest quirks that I will always cherish. She hunted her stuffed animals—Packy the elephant and Piglet—in the evening, and left them for me outside my bedroom door. When we prayed our Rosary each evening, she would dutifully climb into Dad’s lap to join in. She loved to nosh throughout the day, lounge in the sun, sleep in her bed, and lay in front of the fireplace on the footstool.

Since that early illness, Annie was in perfect health until earlier this year. I want to thank the vets and students at WSU for treating Annie and I with so much love and compassion. I will never forget my beloved Baby Girl, or their kindness.