We were not cat people when we adopted Snuppy from the HART shelter in Cumberland two years ago. We hadn't planned on getting a cat, but we had a rodent problem and we were looking for a mouser. And so Snuppy came into our lives and we got our mouser - and much more. Snuppy quietly but quickly inserted herself into every aspect of our home: snupping around the house, sleeping on all the beds, stretching out in front of the woodstoves, making nice with Godfrey, and curling up in our laps or next to us while we were sleeping. When she began reaching into the popcorn bowl and helping herself to a snack, we knew she was our cat.

Snuppy left our lives suddenly this week. She died early Thursday morning of heart failure at the Portland Veterinary Specialists. She was only six, maybe seven years old. There was no warning and very little time to say goodbye to a wonderful cat that meant more to us than we knew. Snuppy was beautiful cat, loving and patient and funny. She tolerated Godfrey's exuberance and Charlotte's tail and paw pulling like a champ and always came back for more with affection. She became a true member of the family, and she is greatly missed. We are incredibly lucky that we had Snuppy as part of our lives even for these 2 short years, and we thank her for the love and memories that she brought into our home.

Here are some of our favorite memories of Snuppy:

- Her love of popcorn and ice cream
- Her nicknames: Snuppitha, the Snupinator, Snupford, Snupp.
- Giving us the verb, to "snup"
- Doing "the Snuppy" (kneading our legs, bellies and laps with her paws)
- Her love of crawling into boxes, bags, and small places
- Finding her curled up in Charlotte's co-sleeper and then crib
- Stretching out on her back in front of the woodstoves
- Keeping the kitchen free of mice
- Curling up and sleeping under the comforters
- Snuppy songs: "When Snuppy's on the prowl, the mice begin to howl, she's Snuppy, the Snupinator"
- Her soft gray fur and beautiful green eyes
- Her favorite spots around the house: The sunlit patch at the bottom of the stairs, the top bunk in Karl's office, the window of the guest room
- Climbing the screen door
- Her footprints in the bathtub
- The sound of her early morning scampering around and mewing
- Her tolerance of and affection for Charlotte
- Her tolerance for the other critters we brought into the house
- Teaching Charlotte one of her very first words: "eeeow", and Charlotte's "cat" song
- She didn't like to be picked up, but she'd come curl up in our laps or nuzzle us when she wanted affection, which was often