Riley

Last week I lost a very dear friend - my cat, Riley. Riley came into my life 14 years ago. He was around 8 weeks old when my college roommate brought him home to my first apartment. She was living at home for the summer and had found him in a box in an alley with his brothers and sisters. I always joked that Riley was not really an alley cat because he was from an alley in Grosse Point. Riley was truly a character and I often said his name was appropriate because he lived the life of Riley. Here are some of my favorite Riley memories followed by some pictures:

• When Riley was a kitten, I was sure I had brought the devil in the form of a cat into my home. He was the most hyper and wound up kitten I had ever seen. He had two speeds - insane and comatose. As much as his wild side drove me crazy, when he got tired he would crawl up to my shoulder and nestle into my hair to fall asleep. As soon as he was snuggled in there his little purr motor would start going. That was the one thing I missed from his "kitten-hood".
• Riley was curious, like most cats, but a few times it landed him in trouble. Like the time he was curious about the toilet and fell in. Or the time he was curious about the drawer in the bathroom and climbed in, only to discover he could not climb back out.
• Riley loved boxes and bags. You could not leave a box or a bag anywhere that he could get to it or he would be inside it. This made unpacking groceries quite a challenge.
• Riley was a sleeper, but he would find the craziest places to sleep. As you can see from many of the pictures, he would climb, crawl, or jump to anywhere he thought would make for a cozy napping spot.
• Riley adored the boys. Both times when I was pregnant he insisted on laying on or at least right up against my baby belly every night. When the boys were born he would sniff them and often lay next to wherever they were. When I would read Jack stories before bed Riley always managed to sneak into the room and sit in there while I put Jack to bed. He was extremely patient with Brett, who loved to pull his ears, tail, and fur every chance he got. Riley just patiently let him do so, and never even got up and moved away.

The day Riley passed away, my brother said something that will stick with me forever. The day had started out sunny, but got cloudy and gray shortly after I got home from the vet's office. My brother said the weather was appropriate, as the world just wasn't quite as bright without Riley in it. Well said. Take care Riley and I'll see you again someday.