Today, just when I got home from my part time job, my older brother remarked that he hadn't seen my cat Midnight since yesterday afternoon. As he went to go exercise at the gym nearby, I decided to go looking for my cat with a bag of cat treats. "He probably got in a bad fight and is still licking his wounds," I thought, as I searched. A few years ago he had went missing for two days and we found him under the front porch with a gash in his front leg. He hadn't responded to our calls even when he was right there where he could hear us. As I looked for him I saw a black spot in the tall grass and I rushed towards him expecting him to jump up as I awoke him from his catnap.

I remember when we first got Midnight, he was originally for my sister as a present from my aunt. He had the shiniest black coat of the litter and didn't get in fights with his siblings while we were picking him out. The black kitten sat quietly in the corner snoozing or observing his family romp around the pin. My sister brought him home because he was a nice quiet kitty.

Over the years we didn't treat him very well. Our playing with him was a bit ruff as we teased him with plush toys and trapped him in the laundry bin. He was still an adorable curious kitten who loved curling up in plastic bags and scratching up all my homework when I forgot to feed him.

There was a time before I was able to fully understand him, but it came to an end when as my brother slipped and fell my cat was suddenly awoken from his nap and acted skittish. Being only 9 years old at the time I continued to play with my toys swinging my legs back and forth. To my surprise he pounced on my leg and started scratching and biting. My brother called for my parents and my Father picked up Midnight by the scruff of his neck and tossed him out of the room. My mother who is a nurse helped patch up my leg as I cried hysterically.

Later on, I over heard my parents discussing whether or not to put Midnight to sleep, and my sister was in tears. The following days as I took an antibiotic to prevent infection, I observed my cat's behavior and realized that I had been ignorant of his feelings the whole time I'd known him until then. By understanding my cat I was able to convince my parents not to euthanize him, explaining that he had a rush of adrenaline that triggered a fight or flight response. Since then I'd became very close to him.

Around the year I turned 10, I had been having a difficult time in school. Kids teased me because of my learning disability even though I was one of the top students in class. I frequently got depressed but when I came home from school my cat rubbed my leg as a greeting and hung around as I did my homework. I don't know how I would've gotten through all my tough years without Midnight there to comfort me when I was sad. I really could use him now though.

I see it on the news all the time, a person loses a pet and a few days later a dog or cat's bones are found in a wooded area nearby. It could be anyone's dog or anyone's cat, but the collar around the remains confirms the animal's ID and the owner falls into a state of anguish. It seems so far away, so unreal until it happens to you. As I came upon Midnight I stood and dropped to my knees, screaming in disbelief, all I saw was a cat's head and some leg bones. One of the stages of grief is denial, but that passed quickly as I saw his collar and the sleek soft black fur tufts around his remains. His eyes looked watery as if he had been in serious pain. The entire head was intact and there was nothing else but two fluffy black paws attached to the bones.

I don't know why his head was intact, but I can only hope that the flea and tick prevention collar had something to do with it. If that is the case the predator (most likely a coyote) that got him may be vomiting from the pesticides laced around the collar after biting Midnight's neck. It had to be a predator and not a scavenger due to the fact that Midnight's eyes were open when he died. Had he fallen ill and died in his sleep, his eyes would've remained closed and he wouldn't have had such a agonizing expression.

It's a sad thing to come across your pet like that but I consider it better than not seeing. My friend had a cat named Oliver that went missing almost a year ago and she believes he's probably dead. Even her dog got depressed when Oliver was no where in the house as I visited my friend while he was gone. She never saw his body or anything so she may not have even had closure with what had happened. I was able to pet my cat's head one last time before we buried him, he always loved being scratched behind the ears.

In truth Midnight wasn't very healthy in recent months and we were planning to take him to the vet and have his tested for worms. His coat was developing bald spots and he had slower reflexes than usual. I was hoping he'd pass away with me there for him. But some stupid beast made his final moments violent and unpleasant. We notified Animal Control that pet owners should be aware of the current situation with the wooded property behind my house but I'm not sure if it'll do anything. I know why some people out there believe they should have automatic weapons in their home. If I see a coyote or fox that was capable of killing my friend Midnight I would probably not even think about what I was doing and go straight to killing it with whatever I had in hand. That won't bring Midnight back, but I get so angry thinking about those terrible creatures. There are plenty of squirrels and rabbits where I live so it makes no sense that some predator should have to go after Midnight.