We had to euthanize our cat Beanie, who had been with us for nearly 22 years. I’ve known and had some very affectionate cats, but Beanie was in a class by herself. Then in April, Beanie started having difficulty with bowel movements. A year later, when our cat Miranda died, I cried uncontrollably for a long time. I do know that if I am honest with myself, I have missed Miranda more than I’ve missed my father.