Milo Jordan, 2004/5 – 2023

Loyal readers of this blog have heard about our neighbor’s tuxedo cat Milo. The neighbor is Lois, although it might be more accurate to say that the neighbors are Milo and Lois.

But now the neighbor is just Lois because Milo died last week.

The last time we had our backyard fence rebuilt, we had a cat portal built into the side we share with Lois. The portal is a small square opening in the bottom of the fence. Milo was getting old and we foresaw the day she wouldn’t be able to scramble over the fence to visit us on our back porch. (Yes, Milo is a she.)

Milo lived a long time. She was here when we moved into our house in 2006, and she wasn’t even a kitten then. She was an outdoor cat, and 17+ years is very long life for any cat, especially an outdoor cat.

I loved those summer days when she would guard me as a I read (and, let’s be honest, napped) in the hammock. We always loved seeing that cute little fluffy face at our back door, wondering if there might be cat treats on offer. There were.

My very favorite memory of Milo was from April 2019. Birds built a nest in the bushy tree in Lois’s front yard. Milo guarded the nest. She was already old then, and we wondered if she couldn’t hear or smell the birds. Or was she scheming: adolescent birds are a bigger meal than hatchlings?

To write this post, I looked at my photos of Milo. I noticed that I had many more since 2016, when DH and I became empty nesters. Milo didn’t just guard nests of birds.

Milo was a loyal companion, not just to Lois, but to all four Boulder Kornishes and all of our guests. We love you, Milo! We miss you!

3 Comment

  1. Son 1 says: Reply

    We miss you, Milo!

  2. Christina Galante says: Reply

    Hello Laura,
    I love that you added a portal in your new fence for Milo. Your photos really capture your words in this piece. Milo was a lucky girl to be loved by so many!
    Hope you are well,
    Christina

  3. Jen says: Reply

    this is a beautiful tribute! so sorry for your loss. I love the accompanying photos, including the portal and the birds. I’ve never heard of a cat guarding birds, that’s so interesting and paradoxical. My fave was you in the hammock working and Milo with you. Rest in Peace dear Milo. xo Jen

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