My dear sweet Angelika

She was always up to go new places and do new things. One time she climbed inside the wall at one of my apartments and into the drop ceiling of the apartment below. Her weight was too much and she fell right down into the neighbors bathtub. I gave her a middle name. Angelika "Adventure Girl" Plakus. She inspired me to go skydiving myself. Have you ever met a cat who who liked to jump on the bed with her owner? No, I mean both of us jumping, seriously. She had the rumbliest breathy purr that calmed my nerves. If she heard tension in my voice she would run to my side and rest her paws on me. If I was crying she would bite me to tell me to stop it and suck it up.

Angelika strongly disapproved of whistling, and if you didn't take heed to her warning meows she would bite you, in the throat if possible, in the knees if you we're standing. I got bit alot. I just thought it was so funny I had to show everyone. I kind of thought she was jealous of me whistling to my birds Stewie and Max.

She loved helping me with mundane chores or little road trips in the middle of the night to store or pet sitting so I wouldn't feel afraid being alone. I would just say "wanna go for a car ride?" and she would run right up to the door. One of our favorite places to go, which some people might find odd, was Mt. Hope Cemetery. I lived in apartments with no yards to play in. If you went to parks people always had dogs, frequently off lead, and little respect for personal space, but if you were at the cemetery people didn't approach you. They probably thought you could be visiting a loved one and realized you might not want their dog jumping on you. Angelika walked very well on a lead and we would wander for hours eating grass and chasing chipmunks. Sometimes we'd even play hide and seek, I would sneak behind a tree when she was looking the other way and then call her name. She would be so pleased when she discovered my hiding spot. Sometimes we would just find a nice flat rock and lay in the sun for awhile.

Angelika had an enlarged left ventricle in her heart which we discovered last year. We monitored it carefully and in January started her on medication for it. It was difficult because she also had diabetes for the last six years and high blood pressure for the last year and a half. The medications she needed affected her response to medications she was already on. Happily she seemed comfortable and unaware for years of her ailments. In fact, just about a week and a half ago she still wanted to help Rob and I do yard work and cook out on the grill. I was aware that she had been slowing down quite a bit over the last year and I knew she wouldn't be able to live forever and I dreaded when the time would come. I miss her so much already.

I want to thank all of the people who have been so kind to both of us over the years. All of her doctors: At Cats Exclusively-Dr. Andy Fleming and Dr. Aida Aponte-Lann, at Greece Animal Hospital-Dr. Bob Lann, at Cats & Critters-Dr. Ember Couture, Dr. Joann Hach, at Monroe Veterinary Association-Dr. Pessin, at The Cat Doctor- Dr. Guilliemino and the doctor that spayed her at Clark Animal Care after I got her at Lollypop Farm (I'm afraid I'm not sure if the doctor was Dr. Wakefield or Dr. Charpentier.) The staff at Cats Exclusively have been like family to us: Lisa, Sherri, Dave, Rachel, Amy & Kayla and I hope you can bear with me while I work my way through this grieving process.

Thank you to all my family, who I know all think I'm a little nutty about his but they have been really supportive despite it. Thanks to Gramma for letting Angelika visit all those times so I wouldn't have to drive to Binghamton alone. And thank you to Rob for being the most understanding, kind, thoughtful and supportive person in the world. I am so grateful to Rob, Sherri and Andy for getting up in the middle of the night when Angelika went into distress and the time had come to help her out of her pain.

I'm afraid it will quite a long time before my tears will dry, Angelika was very very special to me.

I am SO sorry to hear about Angelika! She really was a special girl, and I am saddened to hear of her passing. If you need a shoulder to cry on, or a sympathetic ear feel free to call on me. If I can do anything for you just let me know.  You have such wonderful memories of her, and the two of you spent such amazing times together. I have always been in awe of the special relationship you two shared.