My tribute to Sterling RIP

Fourteen years ago we found a 6 month old kitten in our neighborhood. She was a dirty matted angry little mess. I nicknamed her Grumpus because she was so combative, you couldn't even pick her up. Hissing, growling, scratching and biting were her calling cards. Two neighbors tried to take her in, but she was too mean to their other pets.

We named her Sterling and gave her a home, gradually she became a part of our family. She never lost that fierceness ...it did soften a bit.

Seven years ago she was in kidney failure. The vet thought that she was a gonner. It was December and I just wanted her to last til after Christmas. We changed her to a prescription food and she got better. The vet says that you can live with 60% kidney function.

Sterling on 12/22/09

After 7 years on borrowed time, her health finally took a turn. Yesterday was our last day with her. She went out the way she was in life, growling, hissing and scratching...what an amazing kitty she was. We miss her.