A new way to listen to Tangents!

Klimey was the love of my life. She made a resounding impact from day one. 

It took a year for me to be ready to be reattached after losing Subi after 16 1/2 wonderful years. I knew I wanted an orange tabby in honor of Sam, the regal feline from my childhood.


I was determined to save an orange tabby on death row. The call came from Manteca which at the time was a kill shelter. A photo of "Petey Pumpkinhead" (we trimmed it to Petey-Weedy) arrived with him behind bars, looking miserable.

I rescued Petey the day before he was to be put down.


My partner Clara and I had no preconceptions for the 2nd kitty. We went to SF’s Animal Care and Control. There was one cat unlike the others. A turtoiseshell was sitting in the corner of her cage without a hard sell. Cookie-Wookie and Clara locked eyes. Clara knew she was the one. Their bond was immediate and enduring.

As we turned to leave, a ruckus broke out. The sound came from a kitty screaming while climbing the side of her cage. She looked at us while scaling the ceiling as if a chipanzee, alternately hanging and moving about all the while meowing in a scolding manner. It was as if she was calling “foul! You didn’t even give me an audition.” She was right. We hadn’t paid her any attention. She earned an audition. ACC had an audition room for this very purpose.

Upon entering the room she motored around at break neck speed. Around and around she raced. I then swooped her up and she was as limp and relaxed as can be, relishing the attention. I put her down and she ignited once again. I picked her up and around she went. She zoomed nearby and her body went limp with delight as I massaged her. We did this over and over.

That was the beginning of an unbreakable bond. We named her Klimey for her climbing exploits. She was the quintessential people cat and never turned down an inviting lap. Klimey always welcomed me when I came home, lived on my lap when I worked, slept on my chest evey night and scurried to the bathroom to absorb lap time when I was you know what. Klimey was my shadow. 

Fast forward to 2018. Klimey started losing weight at an alarming rate. The vets could not diagnose the cause. She had moderate kidney disease but it seemed under control. There were no other worrisome symptoms. She ate well, was active and her personality was as congenial as ever.

Everything changed June 9-11, 2019 when temperatures in SF soared into the 90's. Klimey stopped eating. She was severely dehydrated. I rushed her to Mission Pet Hospital not realizing she was on death's door. Two days of IV brought  hope. She regained her appetite for a couple weeks but gradually lost interest. She essentially lived on subcutaneous fluids which is for rehydration, not nutrition. Everyday she was alive was a blessing.

On July 10 I carried her to a favorite spot in our backyard and held her in my arms. I scratched her chin and she gazed lovingly at me as she arched her neck. Her look is frozen in my mind. It may have been Klimey's way of saying goodbye or thanks for a lifetime of companionship or both. She seemed at peace.

Suddenly she shook violently. The seizure lasted what seemed like minutes. I cradled her and brought her inside. She walked in circles. I picked her up and raced to Mission Pet. As I neared, she had another seizure - not as violent or long as the first.

They did a blood test. Klimey's kidneys had shut down. I was told the best we could hope for if given IV, would be perhaps a few more days or a week. But Klimey would likely suffer. Kidney failure deaths are ugly. Cats can have multiple seizures over days before passing.

I learned from my mom's passing that you do what is best for for the person dying, not the survivors. Klimey would not want to live this way anymore.

She was euthanized around 3:30p July 10.


This follows the most magical Klimey weekend imaginable. I could write or talk for hours on end about it. Suffice to say we had guitarist Stefano Barone for two Tangents parties, Friday and Sunday, July 5th and 7th. Klimey was sleeping in mostly remote corners of the house those last few days, a giant red flag.

But when Stefano did his Friday soundcheck, Klimey walked over to Stefano's friend Elizabeth. Klimey barely had strength to walk without losing her balance. She stood up and pawed Elizabeth's legs, soliciting a lap.


It filled me with joy.

I lost track of Klimey over the next few hours. I assume she was sleeping in a hidden corner somewhere.

At 8p the concert is about to begin. Just as I finish the intro, Klimey emerges from the audience and walks center stage directly in front of Stefano. She poses for a while as if to formally welcome Stefano.

He is amazed knowing how weak she is. Then Klimey moves stage right and snuggles next to the speaker. She stayed there the entire first set - over an hour. Klimey mostly looked out to the audience with her ears perking about. Occasionally when Stefano struck a certain harmonic, Klimey would shift her body and stare down Stefano.


During the second set Klimey sampled the most vibey laps in the audience. When the song "System Up" was performed, Klimey emerged from lap land and walked straight to Stefano. Somehow this entrancing song with the perfect title, galvanized whatever remnants of vitality Klimey had. In the space of a few hours Stefano and Klimey developed a deep bond.

The next day was Saturday. Klimey hardly ate and was back to a lethargic baseline.

When Stefano returned Sunday I had hardly seen Klimey all day. She was in the remote corner of the living room hiding behind a big chair and also under tables in my bedroom. I was gravely concerned the end was near.

I told Stefano if he could conjure one more night of Klimey magic he would be forever sewn into my heart. Stefano was confident Klimey would show.

The first set comes and goes without me spotting Klimey. During intermission I meet my good friend Ryk. He is beaming as he tells me Klimey chose his lap throughout the whole first set. I was thrilled that Klimey had returned to audience lap land.

The moment of truth awaits in the 2nd set. Stefano plays "System Up" and minds are blown as Klimey once again emerges out of nowhere and approaches Stefano as the song is played.

At the end of the evening Stefano goes to Klimey. She is sleeping on her favorite chair. He rubs her head and Klimey responds lovingly to this feline charmer.


Stefano's forthcoming cd is called "Alive". His last words to Klimey were "Stay Alive".

Klimey came alive in front of the Tangents audience, purred on by Stefano's spellbinding grooves and  harmonics.

It was her grand farewell.

On July 11 Klimey transitioned to feline heaven to the soundtrack of Stefano Barone's "System Up."

We buried Klimey in our backyard in the same plot as Petey and Cookie.