Frankie, Dino and Sammy, the Cat Pack. The group formed in 2005. Dino the large Main Coon cat was the founding member. It was his home where the others would eventually reside. Frankie a typical light orange colored Tom Cat came along next. Last to join was Sammy, the one-eyed black and white cat.

They would hang out together all around the house. Dino and Frankie mostly led the excursions the group would go on. Yes, they got outside now and then. The trio often found sitting on the back patio by the sliding glass door patiently waiting for someone to notice that they had somehow escaped the confines the house and would now like to come back in.

Sammy was the smallest of the pack. He made up for his size by trying the hardest. Sammy hurried about wanting to be noticed. He rushed to the food bowls to be first and wanted to be number one when it came to toys. Dino and Frankie let him win the race most of the time.

Frankie was the lover of the group. He would cuddle with anyone anywhere. You could find him on your bed pillow or high up in the closet. Frankie would sit on your lap for hours and let you pet him. If you stopped, his paw reached out to your hand or wrist tapping lightly to let you know, he wanted more. You were rewarded with his crooning, oops, purring.

Dino, on the other hand, could take you or leave you. A real laid-back kind of guy, a smooth operator. It was always on his terms. If he was in the mood, he would deign to let you pet him. He might even settle on your lap for a bit. If and only if it pleased him mind you. When he had enough, he would saunter off with his tail held high.

The trio lasted about 2 and 1/2 years. Sammy was the first to leave the group. Sadly, he got sick during the “Bad Pet Food” Scandal of 2007. He didn’t make it and the trio became a duo.

Frankie and Dino split up too about a year later. Dino stayed in his house and Frankie went to live in another house. They would get together for play dates now and then but they were doing Solo acts now. Some evenings their songs could be heard far and wide. They could ‘scat’ with the best of them too.

Dino was the next Cat Pack member to join the chorus up above. He had a long and happy life. He reigned over his realm proudly and regally. Halloween he might go unnoticed on the scarecrows lap on the front porch until an unsuspecting trick or treater happened by. His mournful cry as they approached the front door always made them jump.

Frankie, the last cat standing, patrolled his property every night. He climbed the trees and looked down on the other critters roaming around. The roof of the garage was another great vantage point to scan his kingdom. He didn’t even mind when the dogs came to to stay. Chopper, the hyper papillon/terrier mix and Cozette or Cozie, a sweet adorable long haired Chihuahua/papillon mix. They played together at times. Frankie sitting up on the patio table teasing them. Cozie and Chopper barked and ran around waiting form him to jump down and play. These two moved on after a while and Frankie had the land all to himself.

Kiki, a springer spaniel came to live at the house and then Lucy, a golden retriever. He took them in stride just as he had the other canine interlopers. Next some Chickens joined the landscape. Frankie enjoyed watching them come out of their chicken coop and wander around their fenced in area. He was never interesting in attacking them. They were, after all, part of the family.

Sadly, Frankie wasn’t able to outrun a bigger animal the other night. He was bitten on his hind leg so strongly that his leg was broken. His leg was too badly mangled to fix and an infection set in. Sigh.

The Cat Pack is reunited, swinging and crooning. Thank you Dino, Sammy and Frankie for the wonderful years of companionship and joy you brought to us.

‘You did it Your Way.’

Frances Graziano Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved