We adopted Mariah Jane from the Jackson County Animal Shelter in the Spring of 2004 along with Smokey Joe. She was a year old, he was a kitten. They have been our constant companions for almost 18 years. She would have turned 19 in April, he'll be 18 in March. We live in a rather rural area with lots of land around, so she spent some time outdoors. She loved to sit in a tree and watch nature go by and catch an occasional ground squirrel..which are destructive pests.

She was always in my lap in the evening while watching TV and slept on top of me all night. My hubby was surprised I could sleep with a cat on my legs, I sure miss that now. She had a life well lived and was a cat well loved.

Smokey Joe is now an "only cat"...we're hoping he makes it to 20 at least.