Whippany

2004 - 2020

November 2004 – May 2020

Whippany chose us to be her family. After the loss of our first cat, Pepper, we went to the shelter to adopt some new family members. As I sat on the floor, playing with the kittens, my husband walked around the room. When he passed one particular cat perch, Whippany reached out a paw and grabbed him. We knew from that moment she was coming home with us. People always ask about her name; we named her for Whippany, New Jersey, the town I grew up in. She was a very smart cat, always so well-behaved. When the other cats would proudly climb on counters and get into various kinds of trouble, Whippany would be there, always behaving. Sometimes, we swore she would “tell” on the other cats. She would have been the teacher’s pet in any classroom, wise beyond her years. She was a talkative cat too and would squeak entire conversations with us. She never held back in her opinions.

Whippany was born with a malformed back hip. Because of it, she was never the most nimble or fast of felines. She was even a bit of a butterball for many years, until she developed hyperthyroidism at 10. That was easily controlled because Whippany would easily take her little pills, as long as they were in a treat of course. Whippany gave us a bit of a scare when she was 3. She developed bladder stones which required surgery, but she came through it like the trooper she was. We had just adopted two kittens then, and her loving nature came through when she bonded with little Bosco, even as she convalesced. She and Bosco had a very special mother-son relationship; we know he misses her too.

Whippany was a love-bug and a love-cat. She was a true beauty, with platinum fur, a white belly, four white paws, and the cutest little half-white spot on her forehead. She had her usual ottoman, window seat, and several cat beds. Woe be it to the other cat that tried to occupy one of HER spots — she was the queen of the house, and knew it. She loved head and chin scratches. She loved to lie belly-up to the world. She loved us as much as we love her, and we will miss her forever.