Crunchie and I only had a short time together, a little over 2 years, before illness took him from me in April. Adopted from the local county shelter, Crunchie came into my life at a time when his calm and gentle nature was sorely needed. He also helped my other feline companion, Xena, recover from the trauma of hurricane Katrina. Crunchie quickly became my best friend and pal, filling my life with laughter and unconditional love.
Always a perfect gentleman, Crunchie was nevertheless not very fond of my sleeping late on weekend mornings.

Even if he'd had breakfast, Crunchie would come into the bedroom and sit on the nightstand, staring at me and occasionally emitting a plaintive little meow. If that didn't work to rouse me, he'd start gently batting at whatever loose items happened to be on the stand and make just enough noise to catch my attention. This usually started me laughing and, of course, would wake me up for good, just as Crunchie had planned. The dear boy was nothing, if not persistent!

Crunchie was only seven years old when Fate took him from me, shattering plans to enjoy his company for many years to come. Hidden health problems suddenly struck and overpowered the valiant efforts of three teams of dedicated veterinarians to save my little man. Though it broke my heart, in the end the kindest thing I could do for my beloved friend was to say farewell and allow him to pass over the Rainbow Bridge. A friend later told me that maybe Crunchie's healing work in my life was done and he was needed elsewhere. I like to think that might be true.

There isn't a day that goes by that Crunchie isn't in my thoughts and he will always hold a special place in my heart.