Vader
Vader looking directly at the camera

Our little shadow

Vader

2011 to 2026

Stubborn. Loving. Brave.
Completely irreplaceable.

This is his story ↓

From Christina & Jeremy

It’s incredibly hard
to write this.

We lost Vader at fifteen years old.

He was so much more than a pet to us. He was family, our little shadow, our constant companion, and a huge part of our lives for many years. He was there for countless ordinary days and big moments alike, and somehow made all of them better just by being there.

Young Vader in his enclosure at PetSmart in Midland when Christina and Jeremy first found him
Christina holding Vader for the first time at PetSmart
Vader’s first picture with Christina.

Where it began

PetSmart.
Midland.
December 31, 2012.

We went to PetSmart that day to meet another cat. Then Jeremy saw Vader and picked him out.

He was already at least a year old, not a tiny, cuddly kitten, and he had crusty eyes that we later learned came with a sinus infection and, as a delightful welcome home bonus, ear mites. We went home and thought about him for a few days, but the decision had really already been made. We couldn’t shake the feeling that other people would keep passing him over because he was older. We wanted to be the ones who finally chose him and gave him a home.

The larger photo is Vader in his cage when we found him. The other is his first picture with Christina. We could not have known how completely this gray and white cat would become woven into our lives. We only knew he belonged with us.

Young Vader during his first night at home

His first night home

Welcome home,
Vader.

PetSmart made us wait ten days for the background check, about the same waiting period buying a gun used to require. To be fair, Vader came armed with teeth.

When the day finally came, he rode home with us in the truck. Somewhere between Midland and Saginaw, he warned us that something urgent was about to happen. We failed to understand the warning. Vader pooped in the truck, and his unfortunate blanket was retired on the side of US 10.

Once home, he spent the entire first night yelling what could only have been, “STRANGER DANGER! I DON’T KNOW YOU!”

A very dignified young gentleman, and already completely unforgettable.

October 2013 Saginaw → Detroit area

Vader’s forever home

He knew this
was his house.

Less than a year after Vader came into our lives, we moved from Saginaw to the Detroit area. The move brought out a whole new cat.

In the new house, Vader seemed to understand immediately: this was home. Not somewhere temporary. Not somewhere he had to be unsure of. This was his house, and he was the king.

He settled in, stretched out, and claimed the place and us as entirely his own. It would be Vader’s forever home.

Vader in the Saginaw home before the move
Saginaw. Before the move.
Vader completely relaxed in his forever home in the Detroit area
Home. Comfortable, confident, and already ruling his kingdom.
A lesson was learned The bath

It seemed like
a reasonable idea.

At some point, we decided that Vader needed a bath. This turned out to be a bad idea.

As the bath continued, Vader became progressively less impressed with the entire operation. Eventually, he had enough and clamped down on Christina’s arm. At first, everything seemed fine. Then her arm began turning red and she ended up in the ER, followed by multiple rounds of antibiotics.

When Jeremy went back to the house to get a few things, the suspect was waiting on the counter looking entirely untroubled by recent events. The Benadryl is visible in the background. Yes, we tried that. No, it did not work.

Vader never had another bath.

Christina's arm after Vader objected to his bath
The evidence. What initially looked manageable soon became an ER visit and multiple rounds of antibiotics.
Vader looking unrepentant after the bath incident, with Benadryl in the background
The suspect. When Jeremy returned, Vader was waiting calmly. Note the Benadryl in the background. It had not improved negotiations.
A guest in the kingdom Lena

She deserves her own mention

Vader
made room.

Lena was Christina’s mom’s cat. Circumstances brought her to live with us, and although she was only with us for a short time before she passed away, she became part of our home.

Of course, it was still Vader’s home. He was reluctant at first, but he tolerated Lena’s arrival, accepted that she would be staying, and graciously allowed her to live out the rest of her time in his kingdom.

Somewhere along the way, tolerance became companionship. They shared windows, couches, floor space, and the quiet routines of the house. Vader may not have requested a roommate, but he and Lena grew to be friends.

When Lena was gone, Vader missed her. Her absence left a space in his home and in his routines, just as it did in ours.

We remember Lena, too.

Vader lying beside Lena on the living room floor
Vader and Lena resting together in the living room
Vader and Lena sharing the view from a window
Fifteen years One hell of a life

He kept
bouncing back.

Vader had been through a lot over the years. He fought cancer more than once, dealt with his share of health issues, and somehow kept bouncing back.

Through all of it, he continued to be the same stubborn, loving little guy he had always been. After every scare, every treatment, and every moment when we worried we might lose him, Vader returned to the serious business of finding a warm place, supervising the house, and being wherever we were.

He was tougher than anyone had a right to expect, and he made it very clear that he would decide when he was done.

Vader recovering from cancer surgery in Christina's office
Recovering together. After one of his cancer surgeries, we stayed shut in Christina’s office with him while he healed. His world had to be small for a while, so ours became small with it.
Vader back on his cat tree after recovering from cancer surgery
Back where he belonged. Once he was better and allowed to roam the house again, Vader returned to his tree and to supervising everything.
Vader stretched across Jeremy's warm stereo

Vader logic

Warm stereo.
Loud music.

Of course he liked lying on the stereo. It was warm, which made it one of his favorite places in the house.

We never got an official answer about his favorite music, but alternative rock seemed to be his choice. That was when he stayed the longest.

He especially liked Thursdays. That was usually Christina’s office day, which meant a trip to Detroit while Jeremy, who always worked from home, turned up the stereo. The louder the music got, the harder the stereo worked and the warmer Vader’s spot became. He had discovered the perfect arrangement: alternative rock, a heated bed, and Jeremy nearby.

The best parts The ordinary days

He was always
right there.

On the couch. In the kitchen. At the window. In the car. Curled up under a blanket or occupying something warm that was absolutely not designed to hold a cat.

Those were the moments that made a life together: the silly outfits, the football Sundays, the road trips, the judgmental looks, the strange sleeping positions, and the simple comfort of reaching down and finding him nearby.

Those are also the moments that hurt now. We still expect to see him, hear him, or find him in one of his usual spots. The house feels very different without him.

The important stuff The Vader rules

His house.
His rules.

Fifteen years is not one story. It is thousands of tiny rituals, strong opinions, favorite places, and household policies that nobody remembers formally approving. These were a few of Vader’s.

Vader stretched across the warm stereo
01

Locate the warmest object.

If it produced heat, it was furniture. Electronics manufacturers simply failed to list the cat capacity.

Vader occupying Christina's chair
02

All chairs transfer ownership.

We may have purchased it, but that did not make it ours.

Vader waiting for Greenies treats
03

Treats are not optional.

Greenies were less a snack and more a binding labor agreement.

Vader wearing Detroit Lions colors
04

Suffer through Lions football.

He remained loyal despite years of compelling evidence to the contrary.

Vader enjoying time outdoors near a flag
05

Patrol the kingdom.

Windows, yard, catio: every border required inspection.

Vader watching the world through a window
06

Keep watch over everything.

Vader was endlessly observant. He could spend hours at a window, following every bird, squirrel, car, and unexplained movement outside. Nothing passed through his kingdom unnoticed.

His final night

Peacefully
at home.

Vader passed peacefully at home while we were away. Our pet sitter found him lying with one of his toys. As heartbreaking as losing him is, there is some comfort in knowing he appears to have simply settled down in a familiar place, with something he loved, and gone peacefully.

After everything he had fought through, we think his little body was simply tired.

His final resting place

Together
again.

Vader will be interred at Whispering Meadow Pet Cemetery on Saturday, August 22, 2026.

It is the same place where three other much loved members of our family rest.

Poopsie

Dusty

Lena

He will be in familiar company.

82 photos · 2 videos There was far too much Vader for one page.

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