Thanks to everyone for the kind words. I had left a message for "Hot Stud" shortly after it happens. He called me back, said he didn't even listen to my entire message and he was on his way over.

He is a massage therapist and has often worked with animals - he inspected her - I couldn't watch. He didn't see any evidence of bite marks (from a snake) or any sort of blood. He said maybe it was a stroke. Then he walked the back yard and discovered a small chickadee that had been freshly killed and was missing its beak and a small part of its head. Sassy loved catching them and bringing them in the house for me to catch...

Maybe that one got the best of her.

Hot Stud wrapped her up in a blanket, several garbage bags, put her in a box and another bag and we (he) dug a hole under her favorite spot under the peach tree.

It's so quiet here. Lulu doesn't even seem to notice or care. I left Sassy out on the floor while I searched for her favorite toy because I wanted to bury her with it before Hot Stud came over. Lulu didn't even come close or acknowledge her. So I sat close to Sassy and called Lulu over. She came to me and disregarded Sassy.

The thing is, Lulu is older and she's not been doing well. I've been coming to terms with the fact that she might not be around much longer... But Sassy?

She's the one that was fearless - would go up to strangers and even big dogs. She kept me warm on cold nights. I'd say to her "Want to go night night?" and she'd go upstairs and hop on the bed. Then she'd paw at the covers to get under them. And she'd always sleep right inbetween my knees all night. I'd always wonder how she could do that without suffocating. I miss her bells ringing and her insistent meows coming in announcing anything - be it that it had started raining or that it was 5pm and she wanted something to eat NOW.  I'd ask her if she wanted to get "high" and she'd hop on a particular chair where I gave her catnip. One misty fall night, I was getting ready to go out on a date - I had gone to get the mail - and Sassy went bolting out the front door. She was black and it was pitch dark. I spent over an hour chasing her around the perimeter of my house to try to get her. I called my date to let him know I would be late and he got all pissy on me. (He *could* have offered to help.) That was the end of him. And Sassy showed up promply at the front door, waiting for me to let her in the house - meowing as if to say "What took you so damn long?"

I know she was just a cat. But I considered Sassy, like Lulu, one of my kids. I know it's stupid, but I bleme myself - why didn't I check her throat when she went limp and try to see what was wrong. It's going to be a sad couple of days.

I know Hot Stud tried to do the guy thing and 'fix things' by making my yard better - but what I really wanted was to be held and cry. But that wouldn't have really solved anything. He always steps up and reaffirms my faith in the male race. It's hard to squash those feelings I have for him. (sigh)

I wish I could figure out how to post a few pics of Sassy so you could all see what a spunky feline she was.