We adopted Rossie and her siblings back in 2012. Her brother, Pretty Boy Floyd, died young — he had insurmountable urinary tract troubles.  His sisters, Rossie, Ruby Mae, and Delta have all done well. Rossie had always been the most reserved of the quartet. We worked with her for years, but she was always hiding. Eventually, we created the non-conflict room for her and two other cats, and she lived her life as she saw fit — sometimes basking in the window, and sometimes hiding under the curio cabinet. Every couple of months, she would approach me for each ear scritches and treats.

While I was out of town this week, the door to the non-conflict wing got left open. When I returned, I did not see Rossie anywhere in the room, so I presumed she must have gone into the main part of the house. I wasn’t particularly worried, but I do like to make sure I see her periodically to make sure she is okay. Once I verified she was not in the non-conflict wing, I started to search for her last evening. I found her quickly, deceased under the loveseat in the entry hall. I didn’t see any obvious trauma, so I can only speculate about what might have happened.

I never thought Rossie was particularly happy in the house, but she was loved, safe, and allowed to live as she saw fit. She was a good cat, but I believe she is now at peace. Here’s a kitten photo of her from November 2012:

And here’s a photo of Walter and her in the Non-Conflict Wing in February 2022: