Our wonderful cat Kishka passed away only a couple of weeks ago. She was a huge personality and a vital part of our family and the loss is very deep. It's still hard to believe that she's not with us any more. We always knew that she was an extraordinary cat, but that has been brought home to us by the reaction of our friends to her passing. Even those she knew briefly were touched by her wise old soul and those who were fortunate enough to spend more time with her all expressed a deep bond with her. Earlier this year we had some friends from Alaska stay with us while one of them went through cancer testing - a very difficult time for them. During the weeks that they stayed with us, Kishka was their constant companion and they tell us that she was the hopeful spirit that pulled them through that time. We love her and miss her but now see that her spirit lives on in more ways than we could imagine.