There was a gorgeous long haired black cat that hung out on my doorstep. I swear there was a sign at the bottom of the block that said "Free Food", "All Cats Welcome","Easy Touch". Anyway, she hung out on the porch and was really well fed so I knew she had a real home. My porch was always a big hit because it was enclosed and dog-free. It became evident that she was pregnant and she loved to be petted and she would let me sit with my hand on her tummy. Finally one day she wasn't there so I figured that she was having the kittens and she would be back once she had them weaned.
Well . . . she came back alright, WITH the kittens. She brought all 3 of them to the porch, got them settled after about a week and them left them with me. I found homes for 2 of them and kept the little Tortie female for myself. She was just so cute!
She loved to get under the covers with me at night and she had a purr that would rattle all the walls and windows. She would purr so hard that her little body would shake.
I named her Squeek because she had the tiniest little voice and the only time she ever sat "meow" and she practically spelled it out, was when she was very, very upset. When we moved she just wouldn't settle down. She would walk all around the house, checking all the nooks and crannies. One day she did her "walk-around," came up to me and said in a very loud voice "M.E.O.W!" It was as if she was saying, "This is a very nice place. Now, TAKE ME HOME!" I could help but laugh she looked so determined. That night I put her under the covers with me when I went to bed and it was like a signal that this was her new home and she settled right down.
One day her jaw swelled up and I was concerned that she had an infected tooth or something of the sort. I took her to the vet and there wasn't anything wrong with her mouth. We decided to take a biopsy (and she barely woke up from the anesthetic) and found that she had a tumor in her jaw. I just couldn't bring myself to let her go and kept her until she could barely eat. It was selfish of me, but I did love her so.