My Cat Fanne
When I moved into my first apartment post-college, I immediately started pestering my roommates about getting a cat. I come from a long line of cat people—we always had them in the house growing up, but because I couldn’t have any pets while living in my college dorm, I had years of feline companionship to catch up on.
Once my roommates gave me the a-ok, I drove down to the MSPCA to see if I could find a furry friend to adopt. My intention was to get a kitten, but once I got there, the staff informed me that it wasn’t “kitten season” (because this is a thing apparently?). Oh…
Sensing my disappointment and strong likeliness to walk out the door that day pet-free, they encouraged me to consider adopting an older cat because they’re typically much more difficult to find homes for. Now that I was feeling a little sad for all the senior kitties just looking for a forever home, I decided why not take a look around.
And that’s when I saw her: “Fatty Fanny.” It was love at first sight.
Each animal had a little bio sheet on their kennel, and what really sealed the adoption deal for me with Fanny, was that her interests were listed as “Snuggling and spooning.” YES. When I opened the little door to pet her and see if this were indeed true, she came right up to me, laid on her back, demanded a belly rub, and started incessantly purring. I brought her home with me that day.
Fanne* and I spent the next 10 years together. We saw our fair share of roommates (17 to be exact), went through 3 moves, 1 airplane ride (on which she sat quietly in her carrier the entire time, only meowing once), and multiple 12+ hour drives between MI and MA (the only cat I’ve ever know to actually enjoy the car). She was by my side for my biggest breakup, there for my next love, and she was my furry shoulder to cry on when I was having a hard time adjusting to living halfway across the country—or having a hard time with anything else for that matter. She had an incredible sixth sense for when someone needed a little extra love.
Mostly, though, she was just there for the everyday things. Waiting at the door for me when I’d come home from work, always ready to jump up on my lap when I’d lay on the couch, snuggling and spooning me whenever she got the chance—just like she promised.
Sadly, I had to make the very difficult decision to put Fanne down back in the fall. Her health had been declining slowly over the past year, and after the most recent diagnosis of kidney failure, I knew that the time I had been dreading had come. It was time to say goodbye to my little furry best friend.
If you knew Fanne, you know that she truly was a special cat. I can’t tell you how many people over the years have told me that they never liked cats until they met her—I even had an old housemate tell me that, “She’s the only cat I ever loved” (ha!). She won over the hearts of many, and was such a wonderful companion to me over the years. I will always be grateful for my time with her.
I love you and miss you my Fanne-fur. And since I know “legacy” was one of your core values, I hope this little tribute makes you happy.
#fanneforever
p.s. For those who knew her, I’d love for you to share some of your favorite Fanne stories & memories with me. She was such a character and I know she amassed quite the fan club over the years.
p.p.s. Adopt a senior pet. They're the best.
*While Fatty Fanny was her adopted name, I decided to drop the “Fatty” (even though it was an accurate description of her physique) and change the spelling to Fanne to match my name—because yes, I’m that person.
