I found SugarCat at the Humane Society when she was two years old. Although tiny in stature, she was smart, fearless, and had a very big personality. She loved being the only cat, which lasted only four months, when her brother and nemesis Carmi arrived. It took her about ten years to come to terms with his presence, as well as another brother Tiger, who came to us years later. SugarCat was fast and agile, could get up and down trees as adroitly as any squirrel, right till the end of her long life, and she wanted everyone to know it and appreciate it. S.Cat loved an audience and developed quite a following in her 18 1/2 years. She disliked change yet was amazingly adaptable. Her motto was ‘Do not suffer fools gladly’ and she thought of herself as ‘Queen SugarCat the Magnificent’. She had very high standards that were frankly unreachable by feline, canine, or human. Our canine, Nicki, came closest to satisfying her and SugarCat considered Nicki her dog. SugarCat never failed to let you know exactly how she was feeling, which could change in an instant, and she would occasionally whap you upside the head (no claws; she was not a mean cat) when she felt you needed it. She put up with me, believed that I meant well, yet was frequently displeased with me because she knew better than me how things should be. She felt that I never met a cat I didn’t want to bring home, which earned her disdain. When her brother Carmi died at age 15 (SugarCat was then 17), she jumped up on the bed right next to her other brother Tiger and said ‘I hated my brother Carmi but now he’s dead and you’re the only brother I have left. I hate you too but today I’m going to sleep right next to you’. And she did, just that once, right up against Tiger, who let her. SugarCat was known for her sharp mind and impressive skills, her confidence and cattitude, her prickly yet sweet persona, and her signature ‘silent hi’, when she would open her mouth as if she were saying hello upon greeting you but no sound was emitted. She was known and loved by friends, family, and neighbors, and was mistaken for a kitten until just months before her death. SugarCat was one of a kind. I love you and miss you S.Cat! You will never be forgotten!
Rita Smith, Portland, OR