Michelle called me early one Saturday morning and said that it was urgent I talk with her cat who was very short of breath, and probably wouldn’t make it through the day. She needed to ask a lot of questions and was willing to drive a long way to see me. Jessie was very quiet and talked very slowly but deliberately. He wanted to reassure his “parents” that he was now very ready to leave this world. His only request was for “Dad” to be there with him. He didn’t want to be left alone in the hands of strangers. Jessie talked about the other cats in the family and how he’d already passed the responsibilities along to Sinbad, the other male cat. Even in his final moments he was in charge, opting not to talk about the family dog with whom he’d never enjoyed a good relationship. He told Michelle he was definitely coming back to be with her. When she asked: How would I know? He simply responded: I will make sure I am so irresistible that you would feel compelled to take me home. In the meantime, I’ll be able to enjoy some time off and visit with relatives on the other side. There were a lot of tears that day, both of sorrow and of joy. All of us will remember Jessie for a long time to come.