Mrs. Peel was a beautiful, delicate looking girl. And like her namesake on The Avengers, she new karate. She rang our doorbell one night at 2 AM, and made her way into our apartment and our lives. Though she was but a wee thing of maybe three months at the time, I watched her jump on one of her big brothers and knock him over. That was the day she got her name.
Mrs. Peel had a calling. She was official nurse. Whenever my husband or I was sick, she was right there for moral support. When I had a miscarriage, she was with me on the couch. Her purring and body heat on my lap actually helped ease the pain of the cramps, as well as the emotional pain.
There was never any doubt that Mrs. Peel was queen of the house. She was the only girl in a house that had anywhere from one to four boys, and she ruled. She was also a mighty huntress. When we moved into a new house that had some mice, she was convinced we did it for her benefit. Within a week, there were no mice left, but she kept looking for more.
Mrs. Peel lived to the ripe old age of 17. She had some kidney problems for the last few months of her life, but that was treatable with subcutaneous fluids. But at the end, her heart started to run down. When she couldn't boss the boys around anymore, she lost her spirit. We knew it was time for her to join her brothers at the bridge. I know she's there now, bossing around Socrates, 'Zilla, Charlie, and Norphan. And loving every minute of it!