Pinky was a stripey orange cat that showed up on my back porch one
snowy winter afternoon in December of 1990.  He was a young cat - maybe
10-11 months old - strong boned and quite large - and quite hungry.  He
was gorgeous - true cream-orange with deeper orange stripes, a little
lighter on the beck and belly, and had an incredible pink nose and
lips.  Right way he was friendly.  I lived in a rural area with farms
close by so I figured he was a Spring kitten who wantered away from the
farm looking for food.  I fed him, opened my garage to him and put some
water out for him.  I figured he'd either stay or go back to wherever
he had come from, but I wanted him to have a good meal, at least.
Well, every night thereafter, when I got home around 6:00 - the big
orange cat would be waiting for me.  I'd give him some attention, go in
and feed him, and then go back to the house to my own kitties, always
hoping Mr. orange would go back to wherever he came from.  After a
couple days, he started bringing me mice.  Sometimes it was a whole
mouse - others, just the head.  Once he brought me just the nose,
whiskers attached!  he must have been hungry that day.  By this time, I
had run two ads in the paper - one for lost cat, and another big orange
cat available for adoption.  Neither ad got responses, so I decided to
have him vetted and neutered and take him to my Mom for Christmas.  My
Mom had lost my other cat to CRF a few months before, and was down to
only one kitty, so I knew she'd be receptive.

I walked into her house with the carrier, and her first words were "Oh,
you didn't!"  Yes, Mom, I did.  I had named him Fritz for vet purposes,
but Mom took one look at him and said "My Dad used to have a big ole
Orange Tom he called Pink."  Shortly there after, she started calling
him Pinky.  Pinky (or Pinkus as he was often called) settle in right
way- he got along fabulously with the resident Black and White, Otis,
and of course Mom loved him dearly.  He was a sweet cat - always
rubbing your legs and wanting you to scritch his butt right above his
tail.  He'd lift his nose up in the air and get a certain look of
esctasy in his eye when you did this.  He loved to sleep with you but
wasn't an in-your-face kitty.  He'd prefer to be between your legs or
curled up on the foot of your bed.  He was always an indoor-outdoor
kitty but never strayed too far away from home.  He ruled the roost at
Mom's - always keeping on top of what was going on from the front
porrch or from beneath the bushes at the front of the house.  When
inside, you could always find Pinky on the back of the couch looking
out the window - this was so true I even made up a song about it. :)
Pink always took well to other cats - Mom acquired a couple of kittens
over the years and you'd often see Pinky playing with them, or holding
them down "scolding" them, and giving them kisses on the head that were
*just* a little too rough, as if to say "You do as I say, ya little
brat!"

Pinky lived with Mom until she died in 2001.  She died very suddenly at
home, and when she was found, Pink was curled up in her lab, keeping
her company.  I like to think he was with her when she died - any time
he was on your lap, you were happy.  Pinky then went to live with my
sister in an older farm house out in the country, which they later
decided to renovate.  He adjusted well to the rural life there, settled
in with the other kitties, would prowl the property, and hang out in
the bushes like he did at Mom's.  One night, he was on the porch when a
bobcat came up to investigate!  Pink screamed bloody murder (and peed),
and my sisiter ran out and rescued him.  He was so scared he stayed in
for a few days afterwards.  Mom always used to tell him if he didn't
come in at night the Boogey Cat was going to get him - little did she
know it was true!  Pinky got in trouble one time during rennovation by
climbing up walls and between the floors to investigate.  He was a
curious cat, and very smart but sometimes that got him into trouble.

A few days ago, my sister drove up and saw Pinky in the yard .  She
called him but he didn't come trotting up like he usually did.  When he
eventually did come, something was definitely not right with him.  His
hindquarters were weak and the look in his eyes wasn't right.  She
rushed him to the Emergency vet, they ran all sorts of test on him and
found noththing wrong.  They put him on supportive care and he perked
up a bit, so they transfered him to the regular vet as soon as they
could.  That vet x-rayed Pinky and found a large mass in his chest. He
did ok for a day or so but then declined rapidly.  The vet said she
thought maybe the cancer had spread to his brain.  My sister chose to
euthanize him yesterday to end his suffering.

This photo, which my BIL took, exemplifies Pinky.  He was one big lug
with a heart of gold:

http://groups.msn.com/idontmindsCompanionAnimalConnection/shoebox.msnw?action=Sh
owPhoto&PhotoID=51

Pink was an awesome cat, and will be greatly missed.  He did all Big
Orange Cats everywhere proud - he was an archetypical Big Orange Cat.
He was smart as a whip, sweet as a cat could be, and a big fluff ball
of purrs.  Goodbye Sweet Pinkus - Stinkus Pinkus - Mr. Fuzzy Pants.  We
love you and someday will see you again.  Take care of Mom - I am sure
she is glad to have you with her you again.

-L.