George

It's been a sad week at the Smith household. On Monday, we had to say good-bye to George, our much-loved cat.

I brought George home a decade ago, before Kent and kids. A co-worker at the Register needed a home for a kitten, and I was looking for a companion for Milo, my needy 1-year-old cat. The two male cats never hit it off, however, and lived most of their lives in separate quarters.

George was a beefy farm cat with a thundering purr. While Milo was a lap cat, George preferred a bit of distance. But he still loved a good petting and head scratch, albeit a few inches away. He was forever friendly, always greeting strangers and family alike with a kind meow.

More than anything, we'll remember George for his love of and gentleness toward the boys. I remember bathing a screaming Grant in our Iowa City kitchen when he was just a few days old. George, concerned, jumped onto the counter, meowing to check on the baby. He watched over many baths like that, our feline guardian. 

When Miles started to crawl, George had a favorite game in which he would sit just a few feet away, moving a few more feet each time Miles got within reach. Miles, and many other babies over the years, thought this was a hilarious game.George clearly enjoyed it, too.

George didn't even mind a little rough-housing, allowing Grant to "ride" on him on occasion.

 In his last days, George stopped eating and his purr was barely audible. The vet wasn't optimistic he'd recover from chronic kidney disease, so we made the difficult decision to put him to sleep.

We're grateful for our time with him, for his love and affection for the boys, and his sweet, gentle nature.