I had to create this song to close a chapter of my life and open a new one.

This is a tribute song for Kronos, a human-like, long-haired, sweet black cat who moved on from this word. We shared an especially unique and strong bond. He was my companion through the ups and downs of life – through breakups, getting sober, losing friends, and getting friends. 

Kronos came into my life in 2015. I had been wanting a cat. Twice I had dreamed that I opened my front door and a cat came in and then that exact thing happened in real life.

I first met Kronos when visiting my boyfriend Jeff for the first time. Right away, Kronos plopped himself down on me and we sunbathed together.

Kronos was a rescue cat.  Jeff had rescued him from a drug dealer who neglected him. Kronos had fallen out of a window as a kitten. Sometimes he was left in the bathroom alone. It hurts my heart to think of him like that as a cute kitten. I wish I could have seen what he looked like as a tiny kitten. I never got to.

He mostly was an outside yard cat. He meowed often and loudly. Doors had to remain shut and he had to be watched so he wouldn’t do anything naughty.

I adopted Kronos when Jeff moved in with me.  Kronos needed a lot of care. I took him to the vet (which was pretty expensive). Turns out he had fleas and an infection from the fleas. That was why he had no hair on his belly.  Because of all the trauma he had growing up, Kronos had a peeing problem. He would pee on mattresses, couches, towels, and rugs. It was very stressful.  

I got him fixed up, the hair missing from his belly grew back, and he got fancy cat food.  He got lots of attention. I didn’t hold back my love for Kronos. I was obsessed, and probably slightly pathetic— yes, I am a crazy cat lady. It was a real rags-to-riches story.

After Jeff and I broke up, Kronos and I moved in with my friend.  We ended up having to move many times.  It was hard for my roommates to deal with Kronos since he had so many accidents.  I had to buy a new couch and wash rugs a lot. 

It was challenging. At the worst of times, I considered finding somewhere else for him to live. Once, I even went to a pet adoption place to talk to them, but I didn’t make it in the door. I started bawling as soon as I got out of the truck. There was no way I could part with Kronos. 

I ended up transitioning him to sleeping outside which was tough. He meowed so loud and for so long trying to get back in for a couple of weeks. Then he was good. He had a heated cat house with a front and back door on a raised bed with another bed underneath it. I called them his summer and winter homes.

When I moved in with my current boyfriend, we got a daylight basement apartment close to the Licton Springs neighborhood of Seattle. This was where Kronos really came into his own. He patrolled the area and was adorable doing it. It was a four-plex.  Lots of people walked by our front door and would pet him. Some neighbors met him first and then me.  My neighbors loved him and were happy to look after him while we vacationed.  I know he loved it there.

After 10 months, we moved to our Northgate townhouse. Kronos had his OWN yard. The first few nights there Kronos would wake us up at 4 am. He had figured out where our bedroom window was and would meow up at us. It was cute but also annoying. He loved running and walking around the yard. We asked our neighbor to watch him when we were in Texas and the Caribbean. When we came back she had upgraded his cat house. He had an extra roof, a raised wooden platform, and another blanket. Our neighbor loved animals and would feed the raccoons which we often had as visitors. They never bothered Kronos.  He didn’t seem to notice them really. They would be right next to him and he wouldn’t even acknowledge them. One raccoon even came into our house and took some snacks.

Kronos did not care about hunting. I saw him think about going after a bird for about four seconds once. He would get playful sometimes. He liked to be chased which was so cute. I loved how vocal he was. He meowed a ton. I captured some on video and included them in the music video for the song I wrote for him. He was such a deeply loving soul and so sweet. He knew when I was having a hard time and needed cuddled—which he especially did one New Year’s Day while I binge-watched Christmas movies with a massive hangover.

We shared so many ups and downs.  As my life improved and I quit drinking and smoking, Kronos’ life improved too.  Kronos moved with me 6 times.  He was my buddy as I got sober, changed jobs, went to college, gained friends, and lost friends.  He was a huge comfort and support. He put up with a lot from me in those times.

When Kronos started to die, I did my best to help him get better. Any food he would eat, twice daily saline injections, anything. I don’t know how old he was. I thought I would have more time. I didn’t. The end was so painful. I cried myself to sleep. I wanted to die. It hurt so bad to lose him.

He made one last move with us, saw the new place— the creek, the animals, and that was it. We buried him in the pasture. I made my song “Miss Him the Most” during this time. It was very helpful to deal with the trauma and pain. I hope it means something to you too.  There needs to be more songs about pets.  They are so special and need more tributes people can relate to. Mine combines joy and sadness.

I’m so grateful to have had him as a companion. Kronos was the most human-like pet I’ve ever encountered. He was precious and unique like a snowflake.

I’m not even gonna try. I know I never will replace that guy. He is the one I miss the most.