Our 5-6 month old kitten Precious died Thursday, Oct. 9, 2003, when her little heart stopped beating during routine surgery and could not be restarted. In the all-too-short three months which we shared with her, she filled up our home and our hearts with her loving presence. She was a small, beautiful cat, extremely intelligent, curious and energetic with a playful sense of humor. Very sociable, she always wanted to be with us, to meet whoever came to visit. More like a bird’s peep was her “meow,” but her purring was loud and steady and frequent.

She came to us as an unexpected gift, a little feral cat who traveled to our home under the hood of my mother’s car (unbeknownst to Mother). She quickly became our precious baby, the light of our life in whom we delighted and whom we cherished. That light is now gone from our life, but we are grateful for the gift and the memory of the brief little life of Precious.

She is survived by her “parents” Lois and Vayden Stanley.