Our Knight in Furry Armor has ridden out on his last quest. He has protected us from ninjas (disguised as mice and squirrels). He has decorated all our plastic bags with artistic teeth holes. He has served as my fitness trainer, making sure I held my position -- be it plank or downward dog -- by walking underneath me. On Friday, while I did full rest in yoga, he sat atop my chest to make sure I was breathing deeply.

For days he has stared out the window, answering the call of far-off voices. On Saturday, for the first time ever, he tried to run out our apartment door to follow them. He tried to let us know this weekend that he would be leaving us, staring in our faces and mewing significantly; demanding lots of petting. This morning at 3:30 a.m., with me petting him gently, his spirit finally rode off. He was still purring after he took his final breath.

I like to think that his dog mama, Una, met him on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. She is licking his face, and he is rubbing against her, as he recounts his amazing adventures of life as our fiercely sweet feline protector.

Luke at Christmastime

Luke, about a year old, drawn by my mother

Luke as a kitten with litter mates, long before we adopted him at 8 months

Luke ready to go on a trip

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We are extraordinarily grateful to the Animal Coalition of Delaware County, which introduced us to our feline family member when he was just eight months old. They are a great organization, and if you feel motivated, donations in Luke's name would be appreciate.