My loving companion Missy, a large beautiful tuxedo Maine Coon, passed away on 8/25/97, the day after her twelfth birthday. She had been diabetic for three years, and I had stabilized her on insulin quite well, but liver cancer got her in the end.

Missy had a bad habit. She loved cool fresh water, especially from someone else's water glass. I let her have it, because 1) I loved her very much and 2) diabetics are often thirsty, and I didn't want her to get dehydrated at all - this would throw off her blood sugar. So, the sound of her big tongue lapping at a water glass could be heard around the house at any time of the day; we would just say, "there goes Missy again".

The evening of her death, I heard that lapping sound coming from the kitchen, where I had not yet picked up her food dishes. I ran in, and found nothing, of course. I cried, and put the dishes in the sink, and thought no more about it.

Approximately six weeks later,I adopted a rescue cat from my vet. I brought him home, put down food dishes for him, showed him where the litter was, and went through the whole routine with him. That evening, while playing with him in my lap, I heard the tongue lapping sound coming from the kitchen. My new cat heard it too, and turned his head, but turned back with a purr and squinted his eyes at me. This happened several times over the next week, and my new cat starting doing some strange things: He drank out of my water glass without a qualm; learned how to sleep with me in bed just as Missy had done, and slept in Missy's favorite chair.

After about seven days, I never heard the tongue lapping sound again. I think Missy was showing my new cat the ropes, and giving him her blessing. Her smell is all over the apartment, of course, and he never showed any inclination to try to cover it or dominate. I think he loves her too. And I absolutely know that she is waiting for me at the Rainbow Bridge; she has told me so. And - my dear - I am not a catholic; I go to a protestant church; but I swear I saw someone like Saint Francis standing guard in the meadow at the bridge to make sure all the animals are safe. I saw this in a dream.