Our black kitty Tango may have appeared to look a bit like every other black kitty all over the world. However, our Tango was special as she was born in the fields of Panton, Vermont and was therefore a “Pantonese,” a rare breed of cat, or so we told her. And of course she believed us and always behaved as if she were “to the manor born.” We were in her employ for the 16 wonderful years we were together.

She was smart. Her favorite hobby was to help me complete my jigsaw puzzles, although we often disagreed on which pieces fit best where. She spent many late night hours over the years reorganizing sections we had completed during the day. She especially enjoyed nudging pieces onto the floor for a better perspective as to where they fit.

Tango’s sense of hearing was superb when she wanted it to be. For example, she could hear the sound of the Costco frozen shrimp bag opening from any room in the house. She loved cocktail parties as she had the opportunity to help all guests finish shrimp left in the tails. Her hearing failed her however when preparing for a checkup with Doctor Mark.

Her favorite outing was a walk to a stone bench in our garden to watch the sunset over the lake. She always waited at the door, would walk with us to the beach, jump up between us and enjoy the view. She is now resting in peace beside the bench. We miss her terribly.