Snookums was a little calico kitten brought to me in early 1987 by my then-16 year old daughter who found her at a friend's house, unwanted and in dire need of a home.   Snookums, so named because of her cuddliness, had one litter prior to being spayed.   Unfortunately, in those days I was not well-educated and enlightened as to the absolute necessity of pet neutering and spaying and so after the three male offspring grew up, several eventually ran off and we had to have one euthanized because of a debilitating illness.      Our favorite story about Snookums is of her courageously cornering a 7-foot rattlesnake in the front yard of our former house in the early 1990s.  This massive snake was eventually killed by Rodger but forever after that, we referred to Snookums as our "Snake Cat."      From the beginning, Snookums was an indoor-outdoor cat, but in her later years, she eventually remained indoors by choice.  Once in a while she would venture outside but after a short while, she would want to come back inside, knowing her limitations with her advancing age.  The few times she ventured outside, I always watched her vigilantly because at this stage of her life, she didn't want any other cats in close parameter to her.  Snookums was once quite a snuggler and so enjoyed the human lap, but towards the end, she didn't want to be held at all.  She was content to be just by herself in one of the bedrooms.  She wanted her own little space and woe to the intruder who dared to try to invade it!      In late January 2005, Snookums started having some breathing problems.  On Friday, January 28, I left work early to come home and take her to the vet's to see if something could be done.  I did not have a good feeling about the outcome because of her advanced age (18).  When I was told that she was showing signs of congestive heart failure, I asked for some time to call Rodger to tell him she was going to have to be helped to her journey to the Rainbow Bridge.  He wanted to leave work to be with me but I told him there was not enough time.  I would be okay and so would Snookums because I would be there with her.  While I was waiting at the counter, I was told that Snookums had passed in the carrier in the back area, before anything could be done.  I was so distraught that I wasn't with her at that moment..........but then the realization that it happened just as she wanted it struck me.  It was comforting in some small measure - but it didn't negate the fact that I still miss my little feisty calico and so wish she were still with me.