My son, Asa, was raised with cats, so it was only natural that he would gravitate toward cats as companions when he grew up and was living on his own. He rescued Tiger, who had been left behind by previous tentants in a house Asa subsequently rented. Tiger had been abused badly by his previous "owners," but he blossomed with health and vitality under Asa's loving care. A couple of years later, Asa added a bird to the family, a little parakeet, named Charlie. Tiger and Charlie were able to surmount the natural predator-prey relationship and became fast friends.
By 2005, Asa, Tiger, and Charlie had moved into a trailer, parked in one of the remaining oases of farm land near our community. Tiger was able to climb trees, lie in the sun on the small porch, while Asa often took Charlie with him to job sites.
On March 30th of that year, Asa left Tiger and Charlie in the trailer while he left for a few minutes to do a job proposal. He returned to find his trailer ablaze. Tiger and Charlie both perished in that fire. Asa lost everything he owned in that fire; possessions have been replaced over time, but he can never, ever replace his best friends, Tiger and Charlie.