Leo

Leo, 1989 - MIA 6/22/1992(aka Follow Boy, Long Boy, Handsome, Lover Boy, Almond Eyes, Orange Boy) was found hanging around the White River Campground near Muskegon, Michigan, which we visited on one of our outdoor outings. I fell in love with him immediately. He was approx. 6 months old when we adopted him in October of 1989. He loved the outdoors, and insisted on roaming at will.

We thought that he would be a companion to Sparkle, but alas after a tense introductory period he tended to dominate her and make her life miserable. Eventually they worked out an accomodation, made easier by his going outside a lot. He would often wake me up at 4 am for this purpose, roam the neighborhood, and always be at our kitchen door when we got up in the morning. We'd keep him inside while we were away at work, but as soon as we got home, he would go outside again until it was time for bed.

We loved his fun-loving spirit, and he got along well with the neighborhood children. He loved to be held and carried around on our shoulders. He also loved to get attention. One time he saw a woman walking down the street and purposely hid behind a tree; when she got closer to him, he sprung onto the sidewalk in front of her and rolled over, looking for attention. You could see the planning going on in his head. She completely ignored him, much to his chagrin! He would follow us down the street and after a couple of blocks, when we reached the limits of his territory, we would hear this low, long mournful meow, telling us he couldn't go any further. When we returned a few minutes later, he would be there waiting for us, joyfully leaping out from behind a bush or tree.

Another episode which is still etched in my memory is the time we were outside near our back deck, which was about 6 feet above the ground. Leo liked to harass us from above while we were below the deck, swiping at us with his paws. One time he was racing around while we were down below; he raced up the stairs leading to the deck and jumped toward the railing; unfortunately his momentum carried him past the 6"-wide railing and he went sailing off the deck to the ground below. We laughed so hard to see him flying through the air. He was unhurt except for his dignity.

We moved to a different house in June, 1992, several miles away from our Oak Park home to which Leo had become familiar. We kept him inside for the first week after we moved, and the following weekend allowed him outside with supervision. The following Monday, June 22, Alison let him out when she got home from work. He greeted me at the door when I arrived home soon after. When I came back outside 15 minutes later, he was gone. We never saw him again. We searched the neighborhood, hung flyers, contacted neighborhood vets, and I visited the county animal control holding facility for six months, to no avail. Leo was only 3 years old when we lost him, and we'll never know what happened to him. We vowed never to let a cat roam without supervision or a harness & leash system ever again.

Leo sitting on his favorite outdoor perch. Just before this picture was taken, he was looking the other way. I called to him, "Leo?" and he turned his head toward me. I'll never forget how responsive he could be when he chose.

Leo being held by Alison in our backyard. Unlike Sparkle and Fluff, and like Toby, Leo loved to be held. The purrs would begin or increase as soon as we picked him up!

A family portrait (minus Sparkle, who was probably hiding): Alison, Leo, and myself. This could be the closest Leo ever got to being on a lap, probably because our laps weren't big enough for him to fit. This picture was taken by my parents shortly after we adopted him in the fall of 1989.