Tribute to Allegra

you iza gud hoomin, Tiger
Adam wrote in message
news:n9uVi.10566$gl1.1619@trndny09...
"The humble little friend is gone where go the beasts that perish." --
Mark Twain

Thank you, kitties, for such wonderful tributes to Allegra. Here's my
tribute, from a human point of view.

Allegra was born around March 26, 1989, in Freedom Plains, NY, and
arrived at her OneTrueHome on May 14th that year. Her most immediately
noticeable quality was her liveliness, which is why she was named Allegra.

She was distinguished by her creativity. As a kitten, she would
runrunrun down the hall at top speed, then leap onto Lionel, an adult
cat. Lionel made it clear that he didn't like this, so Allegra came up
with an alternative. She would runrunrun down the hall at top speed,
then leap *over* Lionel. Lionel put up with a lot from Allegra in those
days.

Allegra made many original discoveries. She "invented" the game of
peek-a-boo. She learned how to get across the hall without having to
stand up, by pushing off with her back feet and sliding across the floor
on her side. She would carry packets of food up from the basement into
the kitchen, and then open them and eat the contents. (That's the
appropriate room for it, after all.) She and I independently made the
same discovery: it's easier to see how much liquid is in a container if
you tap it lightly, so the edge of the fluid moves and is easier to see.
She "adopted" a cloth belt, which she found somewhere in the basement,
brought upstairs, and carried around the house with her. She frequently
spoke to the belt, which we named Beltie. I think that sometimes she
was calling to it, sometimes scolding it, and sometimes reassuring it
that everything was alright.

Lionel died in May 1997 at age 17. Louise, another adult cat, arrived a
month later. Allegra wanted to have a new kitty friend, but Louise
immediately took an extreme dislike to Allegra, with hisses, growls, and
swats that abated over the years but never entirely stopped. She may
have been scared by Allegra's size. Allegra, with her usual dignity,
put up with this and was able to maintain her position as dominant cat
with a minimum of vocalizing and no physical contact -- all she had to
do was give The Look and Louise would retreat. Despite her ongoing
aggressiveness, Louise took to imitating Allegra in many ways, such as
which plate to eat from, and where and how to nap.

Allegra was always in excellent health, and only needed to go to the vet
for routine checkups and shots. Starting at age 17, though, she slowed
down, and also got very demanding. She refused to go down to the
basement to the litter box, and demanded one upstairs. She also started
demanding more attention. She had more trouble climbing. A visit to
the doctor this past June showed thyroid problems and other signs common
to old age, which resulted in a variety of medications, none of which
she liked.

Early in the morning of July 1st, she was lying on her mat in the hall,
and began wheezing again. Meowmie came to her and stroked her, and
Allegra gave off her usual lovely loud deep purr. The stroking
continued and the wheezing stopped, but the purring continued. Then the
purring gradually stopped too, and we knew that Allegra had left for the
Rainbow Bridge. She had a lovely peaceful journey, purring and being
stroked, and left with a happy kitty smile on her lovely face. She was
buried later that day in her own yard, along with her own beloved
Beltie. She was eighteen years and three months old.

She was generally afraid of strangers, leading several visitors to doubt
that she existed at all. Her online persona was considerably more
outgoing, and she was involved in Kitty Soomo as "Great Girtha," and was
a member of the Tabby Cats Club (she was tan with brown stripes, a
mackerel tabby, which was fine with her because she liked fish). She
was also vice president, and later president, of the Tufted Ears Club,
and led them on several activities. She was proudest of having her own
fan club, the Great Girtha Fan Club. Here's the final roster of members:

pippy (bery furst memfur)
Talisker Pippin (#2 fan, RB)
Mikko
Mrs. Wiggles (RB), Pouncer (RB), Radar,
and Angel, Heidi, and Weegee
Omar (RB), Norville (RB), Mietze, Neko, and Azad
Shug and Shim and associate members Lynda and Gail
Pooh and Tigger
Kitty Schottland, Capt. Midnight (RB),
and Lilith Kitten
Rebecca
Mme. Anais
Associate member Scrratchem
Associate members Tucker (RB), Jason (RB),
Lily-Belle (RB), and Smokey

Anyone who would like a photo of Allegra, just write to the address
below. Fan club members already have this photo.

Unca Adam
--
Email: adam seven zero seven AT verizon DOT net

she knowz dat you care anna you will see hersef agin, Tiger
Louise wrote in message
news:8guVi.10568$gl1.2462@trndny09...
For Allegra

I sad, not glad
Fat cat not here;
I sometimes bad,
But she not care.

She nice to me,
She treat me well;
So pretty, she;
So sweet her smell.

I sad and wan,
I miss her so.
Fat cat is gone;
Why did she go?

Allegra, 'Leggy,
This is true...
My friend Allegra,
I love you.

From Your Weenie Meanie,
Louise

We awl mizz yu Allegra, have fun at da Bridge tyll we awl joyne yu dere...

And I will always remember how Allegra caught the ringleader of the bad
kitties on our Orient Express adventure.

Allegra will definitely be missed.

Cleo

Thank you, Pi2nya and everybody, for your lovely tributes to Allegra.
She will be missed for a long, long time.

Adam

Der ar grate catz ana der ar grate BIG catz. Allegra wuz bof.
Ralph de Ralf, aka Da Ralphinator

Pi2nya AKA Sweetee wrote:

I know dat Allegra haz joyned da TEC-at-da-Bridge Club neow. She wuz Vice
Purrezident under Dyna, den b-kayme Purrezident wen Dyna went tu da Bridge.
Neow shee tuu iz dere, healfy an hapy.

I olny maynlee know Allegra frum da TEC. Hur wud hav lyked Louise to joyne
hur dere, buttid tho dey lufft eetsh udder, it wuz hard furr dem tu x-press
it befur.

Dere ar menny kittez hu kno Allegra az a grate sumo ressler, an hur effin
hadda klub.

We awl mizz yu Allegra, have fun at da Bridge tyll we awl joyne yu dere...

Pi2nya AKA Sweetee wrote:
Allegra and Dyna look down at Louise and smile
Allegra: I always knew she lubt me.
Dyna: I know. She knew yu lubt hur tuu.
A little cloud cries as it rolls by...

What or who iz clowd?

Louise

Itz dat wite stuff in da sky, but not sno.
It luukz lyke kotten, but I dunt tink it iz.
It summtymez izunt wite, den it sendz deown tynee watermonsturz
wat hoominz kawl rain, an I kawlt teerz.
HTH I tink
Pit2nya

"Louise" wrote in message
news:4bO0j.3007$Jy1.114@trndny02...
Pi2nya AKA Sweetee wrote:
Allegra and Dyna look down at Louise and smile
Allegra: I always knew she lubt me.
Dyna: I know. She knew yu lubt hur tuu.
A little cloud cries as it rolls by...

What or who iz clowd?

Louise