Peter T. Cat had a difficult kittenhood, having been discovered in a field, abandoned, very ill, and alone. We always assumed he'd lost his mother at a very early age, because he seemed to lack the basic cat-like habits of personal hygene and graceful agility that are the very essence of being for most cats. His beautiful white coat was always streaked with black marks from sleeping in the flower beds and exploring under the cars. One night, my husband's car alarm sounded, and when we rushed out expecting to catch a thief, we arrived in time to see Peter scrambling to get himself upright and leap off the roof of the car. He had fallen out of the tree above and landed, as he usually did, on his back. Friends gave him to me when their living arrangements changed and they could no longer accommodate a pet. He became my baby and my best friend. I had only to speak his name aloud and he would show his absolute love and appreciation with a loud purr, and a distinctive smile. Honest to goodness, I swear he would smile. When Callie Rose joined our family, Peter was not altogether thrilled with her arrival. She was a very busy kitten, and she was enamored with him the way a little sister would adore an older brother. He was mostly annoyed by her, and would avoid her if at all possible, escaping to the outdoors where she was not yet allowed to go. But as time went by, they became inseperable buddies. While Callie would never have kittens of her own, she put her mothering instincts to use caring for Peter, usually pinning him down to bathe him at nap time. We often came home to find the two of them together as they were the day I snapped this photo. Callie was very sad when Peter died, spending several weeks wandering around the house crying loudly as if searching for him. Today, she finds herself in the role of annoyed big sister to Linus, our black labrador puppy, who is very high energy and insatiably curious about her. Someday we hope to have similar photos of Callie napping with Linus.