A life well documented

Vader,
being Vader.

Fifteen years of seeking warmth, stealing chairs, taking road trips, watching windows, tolerating costumes, and keeping us exactly where he wanted us.

126photos

01 Photo album

His people

The laps, chairs, trips, and ordinary moments that became a life together.

A hotel room became home as long as Christina was there.

Jeremy and Vader, together in one of the ordinary moments that meant everything.

Keeping Jeremy company, as usual.

Vader with Christina, exactly where he belonged.

Another quiet moment with his person.

Supervising Christina in the yard.

Christmas with Christina, costume negotiations already concluded.

The whole family together for Christmas.

Patrolling the kingdom with Jeremy nearby.

Helping with a household project by becoming the project.

Waiting for Christina after work, right where she needed him.

Christina’s office chair, reassigned by senior management.

02 Photo album

Vader & Lena

A roommate he did not order, then a friend whose company became part of home.

Learning that the new roommate might be acceptable after all.

Sharing space, cautiously but peacefully.

Two cats, one home, and a growing friendship.

A quiet day together with Lena.

Companionship arrived on its own schedule.

Vader and Lena, comfortable in each other's company.

Vader and Lena holding an important bathroom conference.

A quiet moment at home with Lena nearby.

03 Photo album

His kingdom

The catio, the yard, the windows, and every other territory under active management.

Surveying the catio from an excellent command position.

Fresh air, secure borders, satisfactory conditions.

Outside and fully occupied with kingdom business.

A careful inspection of the yard.

Enjoying a little supervised freedom.

Birdwatching: serious work requiring complete concentration.

Finding the warmest available patch of sunlight.

Alert, focused, and prepared for suspicious movement.

His seat. Ownership records were never required.

Every kingdom requires a proper throne.

Conducting an inspection from behind the curtain.

Settling over another conveniently heated surface.

Fresh air and another careful survey of the yard.

Patrolling the outdoor edge of his kingdom.

Enjoying the yard without lowering his standards.

Outdoor business required his full attention.

Keeping watch over every leaf, bird, and unexplained movement.

An outdoor selfie, with his kingdom behind him.

Relaxing indoors in his favorite spot on the cat tree.

Tree patrol continued until conditions were satisfactory.

04 Photo album

Peak Vader

Boxes, bags, sinks, appliances, judgment, and other perfectly sensible choices.

An extremely convincing hiding place, according to Vader.

If the box existed, it was his.

A bag with precisely enough room for one determined cat.

Testing a case that had neglected to list its cat capacity.

The sink passed inspection and became furniture.

Monitoring refrigerator operations at close range.

Quality control from atop the appliance department.

Laundry day, now with additional supervision.

A perfectly sensible place to spend the afternoon.

Desk assistance, performed to exacting feline standards.

Helping at the computer by occupying the most useful position.

One of Vader's less dignified and more perfect moments.

Peak Vader: serious face, questionable situation.

The unmistakable look of a cat requesting an explanation.

Watching carefully and judging only as necessary.

People-watching from the hotel window.

Vader, being Vader.

A full-length stretch across territory already claimed.

Comfort located. Schedule cleared.

Off duty, though still technically supervising.

A bed generously permitted to remain in his room.

Settling in near the evening entertainment.

No shame, no regrets, no intention of moving.

Tucked away high in his favorite basement hiding space.

Sleeping comfortably on his bin in the basement.

Another basement patrol completed to exacting standards.

A quiet bath, conducted with complete concentration.

Bathroom supervision was apparently part of the job.

A new box passed inspection and changed ownership immediately.

Keeping watch beside a little piece of music history.

A wonderfully undignified moment from a very dignified cat.

An expert hiding place, provided nobody looked directly at him.

Further research into the limits of feline invisibility.

Peeking around the corner to assess the situation.

Investigating the ring with the seriousness it apparently deserved.

Sitting perfectly still while somehow remaining in charge.

Pausing on the stairs to monitor household traffic.

Examining the washer drain with unnecessary but admirable commitment.

05 Photo album

Advanced napping

A serious discipline, practiced on every available surface and several unavailable ones.

Advanced napping, lesson one.

Another surface successfully converted into a bed.

Deeply committed to the afternoon nap.

A master class in getting comfortable.

Asleep without surrendering ownership of the room.

Warm, safe, and completely at home.

The difficult work of resting properly.

An expert demonstration of doing absolutely nothing.

One more peaceful nap in his forever home.

Settled in and magnificently unavailable.

Another master class in taking it easy.

Comfort found. Responsibilities postponed indefinitely.

The couch was his; everyone else merely had visiting privileges.

Safe, warm, and deeply asleep.

A peaceful nap in the home he made complete.

Resting with the confidence of a cat who owned everything.

Another afternoon devoted to advanced napping.

Completely comfortable and in absolutely no hurry.

The unmistakable calm of being home.

One of the countless quiet naps we wish could have lasted forever.

06 Photo album

Holidays & game days

Costumes were tolerated. Lions football required its own kind of endurance.

Supporting the Lions despite years of compelling evidence.

Game-day loyalty, worn with limited enthusiasm.

Another football Sunday in the kingdom.

Enduring the Lions as only a devoted family member could.

Christmas attire: tolerated, not endorsed.

Seasonal dignity under extremely trying circumstances.

Christmas with Vader's opinion clearly visible.

Inspecting the Christmas tree for structural weaknesses.

Holiday supervision from beneath the branches.

A warm fireplace and an obvious seating decision.

Thanksgiving negotiations were conducted at close range.

A tiny witch with several formal complaints.

The hoodie era began with cautious skepticism.

Warm, fashionable, and unconvinced.

One final portrait of Vader's celebrated hoodie collection.

Christmas tree security was a seasonal responsibility.

Claiming the warmest seat beside the fireplace.

07 Photo album

Adventures & curiosities

Florida, road trips, toys, treats, paintings, and whatever caught his attention next.

Vader takes Florida, or at least the part within view.

Surveying an appropriately supplied toy collection.

A moment of complete dedication to KitNip.

The subject beside his portrait.

Vader preserved in paint as well as memory.

Vader in the car, ready for whatever came next.

Florida accommodations approved after a thorough bed inspection.

Taking in Florida from a suitably comfortable position.

Turning a hotel tent into a proper temporary kingdom.

08 Photo album

The fighter

The difficult chapters belong here too. They are not the whole story, but they show how much he overcame.

One of the difficult chapters he met with extraordinary toughness.

A hospital trip during the long fight he kept surviving.