Satchmo Bodine You Kritter Kritter You (the Third or Fourth) 2000 -2015

Today I am having to put our cat of 15 years to sleep. She was given to Chad by a friend for his 15th birthday in 2000. We gave all our cats the same name, going back to 1990 when we had a kitten at that time and had put her name on the yard Christmas ornament. Carl, a trumpet player, named the first cat Satchmo, after Louis Armstrong, a trumpet player.
    This Satchmo was the only one that got to live in the house, and the only one that survived more than a year or two. She was totally Chad's until he left for college in the fall of 2004; so then she became my little companion. She would sit with me, lay on my chest, and follow me around. When I got up in the mornings, she has followed me to the bathroom all these years while I would put on my makeup and dress. Even this last week as sick as she was, she made it into the bathroom for this morning ritual.
     She has survived several dogs - one she tolerated (Missy), one she hated (Kayah), and one she loved (Abby). She and Abby had a very unusual cat-dog relationship. They would wrap legs around each other and lick each other. She has given Abby many baths and would lick ice cream and other food off her face. Abby is going to miss her greatly. All you had to say is "where is the kitty cat?" and she would run find Satchmo and start licking her.

Abby and Satchmo

    Other than Chad and I, the rest of the family was not a fan of Satchmo. She did cause major allergy troubles with Greg and Diana. They both suffered through the years because of her, if they did not take their allergy medicine before coming here. Jerry would call her "Spook". Rickie is not a cat person either, so he gave her fits. Satchmo seemed to sense this and would get in his way or just lay in front of his stove. Satchmo would want to sleep on the bed with us; but she purred too loud, which agitated Rick. He would swat her off the bed. If she was in the floor purring too loud, he would throw pillows at her. Abby also did not like her sleeping closer to me that Abby was.
   I will miss Satchmo. She was so faithful to wait for me in the game room while I was gone. When I would go on a trip, I could always count on her sleeping next to me for several nights when I would come home. She loved the Christmas tree and the lights. During the entire month of December, you would find her under the tree. She ate breakfast with me, if Rick was not home or in the kitchen.
  Satchmo, I am sorry if I kept you alive too long this last week. I know that you were very sick and barely hanging on.  I was selfish, because I was not ready to give you up. You will be missed. Thanks for the companionship and memories.