By Sonya Endres
You were the best friend ever! These six words describe my relationship with Vincent purrfectly.
I had lost my wonderful cat Dakota in 2009. I was devastated. In April of 2011, I was listening to music when this thought entered my head. I was told to bring up the Arizona Animal Welfare League website on the computer. Next, I was instructed to scroll the cat’s section. I would know the cat when I saw it. I stopped on a small black-and-grey tabby named Heathcliff. He was the one. I was to go adopt this cat immediately. I knew it was Dakota leading me to my new best friend. I went to the shelter to meet Heathcliff and bring him home.
I decided to change his name. He became Vincent, named after my favorite artist Vincent Van Gogh. The date was April 10; Vincent turned one on April 14. He was so petite, he reminded me of a perennial kitten. He was full of life and energy. I fell in love with this vibrant firecracker instantly.
A couple weeks later, we discovered he had a mouth issue. It turned out to be a horrible case of stomatitis. He was so sick. We treated it with steroids but eventually, he needed to have all his teeth extracted. The surgeon was fantastic and he recovered quickly. We were living in Buckeye, Arizona at this time.
In September of 2012, we moved to Prescott. We arrived with eight cats and a dog. Vincent brought his favorite stuffed toy, Snakey. He would carry this little snake in his mouth and scream at the top of his lungs. Then he started jumping on the other cat’s backs, grabbing them by the neck while still holding Snakey in his mouth. I called him my little mountain lion! Vincent also loved to play Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots and have wrestling matches with his sister cats.
After playing, he would curl up in his bed for a nap with Snakey by his side and his one paw laying possessively across Snakey’s belly.
In June of 2013, we were awakened by a noise on the roof, and then something large slid down the side of the house. Vincent decided to investigate and pushed the window screen out. Scampering to discover what caused this commotion, he found a mountain lion stalking a lone javelina. They clashed on top of the hill behind our house and Vincent secured himself a front-row seat to view the action. He had no fear!
The javelina held off the big cat and the two eventually ran off in opposite directions. Now came the task of corralling Vincent. It took my brother, Eddie, an hour to capture him, and at 3:30 a.m., Vincent was finally safe and sleeping once again in his comfy bed.
On his 4th birthday in 2014, Vinny Boy, as he came to be known, received his animal print hotrod stroller. Oh, how he loved that thing! He got to go for rides around the two lakes located where we live. He also became the life of the party when I hosted birthday parties for him from 2015-2018. Those invited brought a gift for Vinny; in return, they received lunch and a goodie bag.
Vincent enjoyed Fancy Feast chunky chicken and Party Mix treats. We played games like Pin the Tail on the Donkey Cat. He arrived at the parties in his beloved stroller, and usually a sister cat accompanied him. His two favorites were Biddy and later Kona after Biddy tragically died from cancer.
Vincent loved Christmas. He camped out under the Christmas tree and slept on the wooden rocker decorated with a soft Santa blanket and his stuffed Christmas kitty. Vincent got lots of gifts but he seemed to enjoy the tissue paper most of all. His handsome face graced my Christmas cards from 2011-2014.
Vincent was a ham when it came to having his picture taken, and that inspired me to write six children’s books about Vincent and Snakey, They were an introduction book; one about a year in his everyday life; Halloween; Christmas; a Birthday Boy book; and, a tribute memorial book on Biddy. I used his actual photographs. He was adorable, though I know he preferred to be described as handsome.
Vincent and I spent only a few nights apart in the nearly 15 of his 16 years we shared together. We were best buddies. He was talkative, lively, friendly, smart, loving and yes, a brat. He loved to cuddle, give neck hugs and receive kisses on the top of his head. Vincent was an expressive cat. He had a face that showed many emotions. He was an awesome companion.
But Aries cats have two weaknesses: mouth infections and kidney disease. He recovered completely from the first, but in the end it was kidney disease that took him from me. They say small cats die sooner than large ones and it’s the direct opposite with dogs.
Vincent in the last few months of his life, would look at the painting of his Grandma Dakota hanging next to our recliner and talk to her. He would wait for an answer and talk more. I believe Dakota was preparing him for what was coming.
Vincent went to the Rainbow Bridge on January 16, 2026. I miss him so very much. But like Dakota before him, he has shown his spiritual side. I asked him to send me a rainbow once he was with Grandma Dakota. Three days after his departure, he sent me the most spectacular rainbow display cast by the sun on a prism in the window. It was an explosion of a hundred rainbows dancing around the room.
I never saw this before, and it hasn’t happened again. But last week the sun cast light on the rocker he loved, and a cat-head shadow appeared off the seat, just as if it was created by the sun shining down on his once-sleeping body there.
So, until we meet again at the Rainbow Bridge, Vincent Van my little boy man, stay in touch. Mom loves you, Vin—to infinity and beyond.
