We interrupt this Gratuitous Cat Photo season to mark the passing of a giant.

A tiny, clementine-bright giant: Mango.

Nothing I can say could possibly add to the eulogy written by Mango’s faithful friend and correspondent, Sue M., for Mango’s sponsors:

“Dearest friends,

“There is chirping in heaven tonight.

“Mango left us Monday evening, in the most fitting way for a cat who spent his days so lovingly caring for everyone. He was surrounded by people who adored him. With warm caresses and many tears, we gently bid him farewell.

“While his beautiful green eyes will no longer gaze upon us, we have many precious memories of our boy to hold dear as we mourn his loss. He leaves a hole that will be felt for a very long time.

“Mango was a one-in-a-million cat. Suite C will never be the same, and the halls of Tabbys Place will be a little quieter and a little less brilliant. As Winnie the Pooh said so eloquently, ‘How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.’ We truly were lucky, and now there is another star that graces the sky for us to look upon and smile.

“Mango was the kindest cat anyone could imagine. He was the Tabbys Place Ambassador, always greeting new people and cats alike, in his charming and friendly way. He made everyone who met him feel immediately comfortable in his presence, and he had a legion of people who insisted that he was ‘their’ cat. Mango had a way of making everyone feel special.

“As I was preparing to write this, I went back through all of the updates I have written over the years. I couldnt help but smile through my tears as I read so many memories of our special little man. The one thing that struck me was the number of ‘girlfriends’ Mango went through over the years. He was quite the ladies’ man! Natasha, Opal, Paulette, Lorelai, Cypress, Haileyall of them loved Mango! One by one, they got adopted or moved to other rooms at Tabbys Place, and Mango just kept moving on. That was our Mango, ever resilient and always smiling.

“Mango arrived at Tabbys Place over a decade ago, from a shelter in Arizona. He had the distinction of being the furthest traveled cat, until a trio of kitties from Okinawa took away that title. Mango never minded. He didnt need titles, just love. As he settled in at Tabbys Place, he knew he had found a home for life.

“Mango was the little mayor of Suite C. He loved that room and enjoyed welcoming new cats who came and went over the years. He always adjusted to new situations with grace and charm. When we tried to move him to Suite A, he let us know, in no uncertain terms, that he needed to be back in his room. So back he went. He was ever so happy, whether it be lounging in the cat tree, napping in the cubbies, or hanging out in the solarium. Everyone who looked in the window of Suite C was dazzled by Mangos beauty and his sweetness. There really has never been such a cat and there never will be again. Mango was one of a kind.

“As another famous redhead said, ‘Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.’ Mango, we will remember you always. You are a kindred spirit forever. Our hearts are full with love for you, and our lives are richer for having known you.

“Friends, thank you so much for everything you have done for our glorious boy. He loved you so deeply, and he will be forever grateful for the grace that you brought to his life. Our tears will flow, and we wont be able to find the words to express our sorrow for some time, but in a little while, we will be able to go out and tell the world, that at one time, in a small town in New Jersey, there lived a cat, this magical cat, that loved us all.”

Ten years was not enough with the cat who came two thousand miles to Tabby’s Place. But even so, those ten years were more than enough to make us more than we were before. Mango, we are forever changed by your exuberant, effervescent love. Until we meet again, bright star…

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