Merry was our most gentle cat, so smart (perhaps second only to her sibling Gwendolyn), and with a lovely face including notable white whiskers and fluffy, gray fur that also took in other colors: white, brown and mauve, for instance.
She was the peacekeeper of the family, but even peacekeepers don't always attract allies (six words that sum up the state of the world). Her mother Guinevere didn't much care for Merry, though I think that had to do with Guin's new role as a stay at home mom. As the four newborns rapidly developed their distinct personalities, Merry found a kinship with the others; she was usually the lone welcoming cat when one of them returned from the vet (the rest were often repulsed by the scents picked up at the veterinary). Pippin (her twin) was tight with Merry; it was fitting that the two of them were the last to go. Merry was our angel of unconditional love and had a reservoir of soul.
She and Gina bonded from the earliest days, when Merry spent most of her time by the sliding glass doors with the others. She hadn't even done much running yet, but she spotted Gina across the living room and made a beeline to her. Merry bounded up on the couch, jumped to Gina's chest and then put her head down on her favorite human. It was a most beautiful moment, with two decades more of them to come.
Merry looked a bit like a fox but was hardly the sly or sneaky type that that image suggests. Gina, called her "Juicebar" and "Maribou Feather." And she did appear to be more fragile occasionally when she became our sole surviving cat last December. However, we could tell that the amazing Merry was glad to be with us, and she seemed cheerier in the weeks leading up to her passing. It was always heartwarming to see Merry sleeping with her paw on her tiny cat toy, Moxie. Merry gave us day after day of joy.
All of our bunch is gone now--Guin, Twyla, Gwen, Pippin and now Merry--so it's a kind of cumulative grief that we are dealing with. Thanks for the warmth and love you gave us, Merry. We will never run short of splendid memories where our feline Fab Five is concerned.