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Peewee circa 1978
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Have you ever lost a pet that was very dear to your heart? One that no matter how many years had passed you still thought about and missed. I once had just such a pet/friend. He was a yellow bobbed tail cat named Peewee. You may have seen him mentioned in the "Barefoot In The Orchard" side bar.
When I was 8 years old my neighbors cat had kittens. Now, for quite a long time I had been asking for a dog. Each year, on my birthday, when I blew out the candles, this is what I wished for. I had it all planned - I would teach it lots of tricks, and it would greet me each day when I got home from school. I even had the name all picked out, but year after year - no dog. So when my neighbor (who was my mom's best friend) invited me over to see her new kittens I couldn't resist and immediately wanted one. I noticed that one of the kittens did not have a normal tail - just a little stub like you would see on a bobcat. I immediately went home and began begging for this cat. It took some convincing, but finally my parents said yes. When he was old enough I brought him home, and treated him like he was my new baby. I also treated him like he was a dog. I had checked out a book from the school library, and found that cats could be trained to do lots of things just like dogs. After just a little coaxing, and a lot of bologna, I had taught him several un-cat-like tricks and he did them all happily.
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16 years passed as we grew up together, but just as I was getting ready to begin my life as an adult, his came to an end. And still after all these years I think of him and our time together, and all the fun we had. How he followed me wherever I went, licked my nose (to my parents and family friends delight) and even waited for me each day at the mailbox to return from school. He was such a great friend and confidant - especially on those days when things weren't going so well. I guess he always knew just how much I loved him. So when I hear or know of someone with a close bond with their pet - I completely understand just how irreplaceable and loved that little friend is to them, and I am reminded of a certain chubby, cute, yellow bobbed tail cat named Peewee.
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