Pumpkin Pie adopted me one day in the fall of 2009. She showed up under the apple tree in my yard and meowed. It was love at first sight! I committed to Pumpkin Pie without a second thought and allergies and all notions that I wasn't looking for a pet, much less a cat, went out the window. She knew we needed each other. She was obviously a stray and it took me the first year, building trust, before she would stay inside the house without a door or window open. She was like a phantom and I felt like I'd made her up, since no one else saw her. But she was very real. She arrived on the scene at a point in my life when I needed to focus on something to care for and she opened my heart in that way that only a beloved furry mate can do. We had 11+ years together. Eventually others saw her, as she would run through to house to escape out the cat door. In the last several years, she let my sister, niece, and nephew pet her. And then she'd leave. I actually remodeled my garage so that she had a warm, comfortable space to go, when I had guests in the house and she needed to flee to her own sanctuary. She was incredibly affectionate and vulnerable and I would have and did do anything for her because it was so wonderful to love her. Such a beautiful, smart girl! She was my soul mate for sure and I miss her deeply and am so grateful she picked me! I hope and pray I will cross paths with another gentle spirit as lovely as Pumpkin Pie.