We found Cricket laying in a pool of blood on our front porch on my sixteenth. He was a very young kitten. We rushed him to the doctor and Cricket survived. He learned everything he needed from our older, wise cat Tiger, and Cricket would mimic all that Tiger did, including trying to jump over the fence. Tiger cleared it with ease, but not so poor little Cricket – he broke his leg and spent six weeks in a shower stall to heal. During that time he lost his ability to urinate and we had to empty his bladder for him. This led to toxemia, poisoning his still-growing body, and we were forced to say goodbye to darling Cricket when he was not yet a year old. I will always miss his can-do spirit and loving ways.

Memories