When we bought our farm 6 years ago two barn cats were included, Inspector Gadget and his sister Beauty. Gadget was the greeter here, very social, would visit agility classes (and try to steal the bait people were using for their dogs), mingle with our dogs, follow us around, etc. Beauty is friendly to us but more reticent with strangers.

Last night Gadget didn’t come into the barn when we were bringing the horses in for the night. Usually he will come running when I call as he and Beauty usually sleep in the barn at night. Beauty was hanging out in the barn but just seemed to be acting a little different so I went to look to see if he was locked in the garage as he sometimes goes in there when we pull one of the cars in or out. No Gadget but that wasn’t totally unusual but I felt a little uneasy for some reason. This a.m. when we went down to the barn there was still no sign of Gadget but Beauty was still just hanging around in the barn. My husband went to look around for him and found him in his bed in the milk house (we had a round bed in there that was heated and we could plug in for them in really cold weather). He was gone. I’m glad he didn’t suffer as there were no signs of any injury or trauma. He probably had a heart attack yesterday. He was about 12 years old and is survived by his sister Beauty who is missing him already. We did show him to her, the dogs, and the equines so they know he is gone. He is buried near the barn yard and agility area. Each time I go down to the barn I will be missing my “Gadge Man”. I thought we still had a few good years together.

RIP sweet Orange Man. You were loved and will be missed.