Noel died on Monday after a long struggle with kidney disease. He will never be buried. His obituary will never be put in the paper. His life will never be famous. He will never have a tombstone.

Because Noel was a cat.

But he was more. Noel was a devoted friend and companion. When I put my dolls on his back in kindergarten he would sit there, sometimes obliging to stand up. He would let you pet him for hours on end and still purr because he loved you. And I loved him.

I write this as a small tribute to him, to honor the life of a special cat. He died outside on the garden wall, and sometimes I feel like he’s still with us. I write this for anyone who has ever lost a pet, because I know how hard it is.

And the pain dulls. I will get over him. But right now it is a thorn in my side, a nagging reminder that he is no longer with us.

Noel died on Monday after a long struggle with kidney disease. He will never be buried. His obituary will never be put in the paper. His life will never be famous. He will never have a tombstone.

And I hope wherever he is he has tuna.