Long, flowing, luxurious fur that is silky-soft to the touch.  Big, oval-shaped green-yellow eyes that have a knowing expression.  A tiny pink rosebud for a nose.  A strong chin.  Tall, wide ears that are well tufted on the inside and accented with black lynx tips.  A long, flowing bushy tail that she can wrap around herself on cold autumn or winter nights.  Big, well-tufted paws. 

This is what describes our pet, a three-year-old Maine Coon we have christened "Millie".  Even with her mammoth size, she is still smaller than her male counterparts:  Maine Coon cats are known for their giagantic size.  She is the size of a small dog, and she weighs approximately 10 pounds.  She is solid muscle.

We have had "Millie" for two years; she was given to us by a friend who raises Maine Coon cats for a living.  She said we needed a cat; therefore, "Millie" purred (and meowed) her way into our lives ... and into our hearts. 

When "Millie" came into our lives, she was nothing more than a tiny fluff of very soft fur.  She was the cutest thing we had ever seen.  My husband and I were immediately smitten by this adorable little kitten.  She stayed tiny until last year: then she grew! 

"Millie" is a very playful, loving cat.  There is nothing that she enjoys more than entertaining us with her feline bag of tricks:  whether it is batting at brightly colored balls, fetching pieces of paper or small cat toys, sitting on my husband's lap, purring like a well-oiled machine while he strokes her fur, or "chattering" with the birds outside the livingroom window, "Millie" lives life with gusto.  She is an absolute delight!

I wish everyone could have a "Millie" in their lives:  "Millie" makes our lives that more special.  When she greets us with her sweet little chirr or "tells" us about her day at night when we come home from work, it seems like a blessing from God.  We consider "Millie" to be a gift from God because she couldn't have come at a better time.  I had just lost my mother to diabetes and other complications, and I was grieving. 

"Millie" took some of the sadness/pain away.  While I will never forget my mother or stop loving her, "Millie" made the grieving process just a little bit easier, and I thank God for sending her my way!