Cleo (Maine Coon)

Cleo was a Maine Coon with a lion's mane, a scholar's patience, and absolutely no respect for closed doors. Nathaniel adopted her during a snowstorm in Burlington, Vermont, when she was all paws and whiskers. She grew into a magnificent, opinionated companion who treated the apartment like a small kingdom and every blanket like disputed territory. Her favorite place was the wide living room windowsill, where she watched snow fall as if supervising the weather. She greeted guests with a slow blink, judged them silently, and then decided whether they were worthy of sitting near her. Nathaniel insists she understood every word he said and ignored most of them by choice. Cleo's absence is felt most in the quiet hours: no soft thud from the windowsill, no rustle from the bookshelf, no warm weight settling beside him after midnight. She was regal, ridiculous, and deeply loved.