BARNEY:

We found our wonderful kitty Barney at a local shelter with the help of Maine Coon Adoptions. Barney was a member of our family for over two years. He was the life of the house. He greeted us when we got home and woke us up every morning by stomping on our heads. He wouldn't give up! If we didn't get up when he wanted us to, he would proceed to knock anything and everything off the tops of the dressers that would move. I would watch him (with one eye open), gently pushing items like my hairbrush, or a bracelet, or my reading glasses onto the floor until I would jump up and say okay, we're up! When he was ready to eat, I'd better listen! He wanted absolutely fresh food in the morning, even if he had an entire bowl sitting there from the night before. Barney and our other cat Muffet, were best buddies. They would play hide and seek and would run from one end of the house to the other as fast as they could run. At times it was like watching a cartoon, cats sliding across the floor, back feet moving as fast as they could go, but their bodies weren't! I adopted them at the same time, but they were not litter mates and had never met before. When Barney climbed out of his carrier, he walked in like he owned the place...as if he had lived there his entire life. He was more like a dog and loved to fetch. We would lay in bed at night listening to Barney and Muffet playing hockey with the numerous toy balls and mice they loved to chase. When Barney had had enough hockey, "chirping" with pride he would climb up onto whereever I was sitting and would drop the mouse toy or ball into my lap, urging me to throw it again! My husband and I loved Barney and he loved us. We could never have asked for a better cat. We will miss him forever.

Veronica and John, May 2008