In 1980 I had suffered a miscarriage and was very blue. Skip and I had not been together very long and he had told me that he was not fond of cats but, I needed something to focus on, something I could put all my love into, something that needed me too.

I had grown up with cats and found the house lonely without one. Skip would just have to adjust! So off I go to the animal shelter. I remember thinking I could never choose just one cat then a tiny paw reached out and stuck it's claws into my leg. This must be the one! You know, you never choose your companion animal, they choose you.

Patches was found by a woman at the dump. She had been thrown into a dumpster and was skinny, stinky and eaten up with intestinal worms. I brought her home, bathed her and called the vet for an appointment. Skip came home and wouldn't even look at her, demanding that I take her back. Yeah, right!

For 2 weeks Skip would come home and ask me if I had taken her back to the pound yet. One night I walked into the room and Patches was sitting on his knee while he was petting her and saying, "you are sorta cute, you know". Okay, mister heart of stone!

Back then I was pretty ignorant of the animal overpopulation situation and allowed Patches to have kittens. I was able to place three of the kittens but, old 'cat hater' Skip just couldn't part with Elmo!

Patches was an indoor/outdoor kinda cat and one night she was coming home for dinner. Some kids across the street said this guy in a car came around the corner and deliberately swerved up on the curb to hit her. Elmo was right beside her but survived.

The short time Patches was in my life, three years, she changed it forever. She was my soul cat and helped get me through some rough times. She was also my first rescue and the reason I continue with rescue today. Her legacy lives on in the many, many cats I have helped save and placed in loving homes. Patches will always have a special place in my heart.

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