Just returned from my first pet funeral. Bootsey, my neighbor Malcolm's cat, passed this weekend. She arrived in the neighborhood shortly before we moved in, and she seemed to prefer our front doormat over Malcolm's. She used to scamper off when someone unfamiliar would approach (it took her two years to get accustomed to us), but in the last few months, she'd grown too feeble to move beyond the porch. She'd started looking better a few weeks ago, and then, within the past week or so, she took a turn for the worse. Malcolm was pretty attached to her - she was his first cat, so it was difficult for him to let go. The ceremony was quite touching, with candles, incense and flowers. Friends and neighbors appeared, to share fond memories of Bootsey, pass photographs and each take a turn with the shovel. The gathering seemed to comfort Malcolm and I hope that it'll let Bootsey know that we'll all miss her.