Eight years ago today, on August 10, 2014, I said goodbye to my most feral stray rescue-cat, Little Mama. This is the song I used to sing to her, to the tune of “Little Surfer Girl”.

Little Mama, little girl
You are such a pretty pearl
Little Mama, Little Mama cat

You are pretty, you are sweet
Kinda cat I like to meet
Little Mama, Little Mama cat

We could be snuggling together
But you are too afraid
Though if we cuddled together
You’d know you had it made

You will hiss and you will bite
But you’re learning to be polite
Little Mama, Little Mama cat

Before I left her little body behind at the vet that final day, I changed the last bit to:

Used to hiss and used to bite
But you learned to be polite
Little Mama, Little Mama cat

She’d earned that upgrade.

Later, when it was just me, Blackbeard, Buddy, and Nissa for those final years, I used to sing this alternative version in the car when returning home from work.

Little kitties, little cats
You are cute and sweet and that’s
A fact, and I’m comin’ home to you
I love you and you love me
That’s not hard ’cause you’re furry
Little kitties, little cutie cats
We like to snuggle together
In front of the TV
And when we cuddle together
It’s me under you three
Now I can’t breathe and I might sneeze
Again, it’s because you’re furry
Little kitties, little cutie cats