In case you were wondering, "Niko" is Japanese for cat. I thought it was a cool name, and funny that my cat was actually named "Cat."

Niko was a kitten that a neighbor put outside when she moved. He couldn't have been more than 5 weeks old. It was hot and dry outside, and the poor thing was hungry and thirsty. I lived in a very old apartment building in Phoenix, Arizona, on the ground floor. The building was mostly brick, with windows that opened from the floor.

I had my door open one night, trying to let in some fresh air. This adorable little fuzball let himself in and came right over to me. I gave him a little milk and tuna, because I didn't have anything else for a cat. He didn't want it. Instead, he jumped on my lap, curled up, and went to sleep.

This went on for three days, with the little fuzball crying at my door whenever it was closed. I didn't mind helping the little guy out, but I was not a cat person, had a lot of houseplants, and had a pet rabbit. I had no intention of adopting a cat!

When I saw the kitten drinking from a water spigot, drop by drop, outside the apartments, I just had to help him. I called everyone I knew to find him a home. The Humane Society wouldn't take him. It seemed that no body wanted him. After two weeks, I finally bought a litter box.

Niko was the most affectionate cat I've ever seen. He would sleep with his head on my shoulder and his right front and back legs draped over me. If I was in bed, so was Niko. Half Siamese, he was a big talker. I'd never heard some of the sounds he could make! As soon as he heard me coming, he would meow loudly by the door , and get all excited when I came in. And, he liked to kiss. It started with a normal cat kiss, you know, gently licking, but eventually he learned how to kiss with his lips, like people do.

Niko also communicated with his facial expressions and his paws. If I was on the couch, not giving him my attention, first, he would sit right up next to me and meow a little. Then, he'd put his paw on my shoulder, look right at me, and meow louder. If that didn't work, he'd push my arm out of the way to get into my lap. When necessary, he'd stand up on my lap, put his fron paws on either shoulder, and yell in my face!

Niko was a great alarm clock, but not for long. He would wake me up at the crack of dawn by licking my eyelids! Ouch!

This loving cat used to jump up on my bathroom counter when I was doing my hair or makeup and climb over my shoulder. I could walk all around the apartment with my cat draped over my shoulder. There was no doubt he loved me, but one day he really proved it.

I had kicked out my fiance because he started using and selling drugs. I didn't know I was pregnant at the time. He came back 6 months later, high, and tried to strangle me. My awesome cat put himself between us, howled, and tried to bite the jerk. I sure knew I had kept the right male in my life!

Niko loved to ride in the car, like dogs do. He would wander around for a while and then settle down to nap on either the dashboard or under the rear window. On the quiet little street near my apartment, I would let him stand on my lap and drive. I know, it sounds irresponsible, but I was barely moving. You should have seen the looks from people passing us when they saw a cat with it's paws on the steering wheel, looking out the front window!

Niko and I moved several times while he was with me. He took it all in stride. When I got hit by a car, lost my job, and then lost my apartment, he was right there with me, even when we had to live in the car for a week. The day I got accepted into a homeless family shelter was a big relief, but it also broke my heart. They wouldn't allow Niko to come with me.

I tried to find someone to take care of Niko for the four months I would be in the shelter. Finally, the brother of someone I met at the shelter said he and his wife would do it. We took Niko, now 7 years old, to their trailer in an open lot surrounded by barren desert. There were about 6 trailers parked there, across the street from a nice, new housing development.

Those people didn't tell me they were moving in a week. With the doors of the trailer open and all the noise and bustling of moving furniture, Niko got scared and ran out. That night, the temperature dropped to 40 degrees and it was pouring down rain, with fierce winds. Dogs roamed freely there, big dogs.

They didn't even tell me what happened until a week after Niko was gone. I went over there to search for him, calling out his name between the tears, but never found him. I was absolutely crushed. Niko had been through so much with me. He had been my constant companion for 7 years. He comforted me through loss, illness, and fear...and I wasn't there for him when he needed me.

It wasn't just the loss of Niko that hurt so much. I felt like I let him down. The shelter had only given me 24 hours to find him a home or cut him loose in the desert. It was the final hour when these people ssid they would take care of him. If I didn't say yes, my daughter and I could not go into the shelter.

I prayed that Niko had found his way to that nice new neighborhood across the street. Surely someone would welcome him into their home and love him like I did. He deserved that. It broke my heart to think of the fear he must have felt that night, and it took a long time to let it go.

A year later, I received a kitten from a shelter as a gift. It was an orange Tabby. He was sick and covered with fleas. Yes, I adopted him. He cleaned up just fine, and it just so happened that we both had a cold and were both on antibiotics. He didn't replace Niko, but he became a loving companion who is still with me. To this day, I thank Niko for showing me what wonderful friends cats can be.

I don't have a picture of Niko that I can share with you. He had those sky-blue eyes, the dark gray tiger stripes, and snow white fur that turned to pearl gray as he aged.

If by any chance you lived near Via Linda in Mesa six and a half years ago and found a cold, wet, talkative, affectionate cat with sky-blue eyes, please let me know.