Kathryn Hopper and Fritz the Brave

Yesterday I lost a colleague. Kathryn Hopper, a member of the Cat Writers' Association, died far too young. Only in her 40s, she should have had many more years on earth yet she did more with the years she had than most.

Kathryn was in a shelter when she was captivated by a 6 year old Siamese. She brought Fritz home not knowing that he had feline asthma. She not only nursed this sick cat, she set about helping others. Ultimately, Fritz died but Kathryn was unceasing in her efforts to research this disease and to help other owners whose cats also had asthma.

She was in almost constant contact with Dr. Philip Padrid and made his resources available on the website she created: www.fritzthebrave.com. The site became the ultimate reference source for anyone interested in learning more about this disease and helping the cats with feline asthma.

My heart aches at the thought of a world that has been diminished by this loss, of grieving family and friends. But she leaves a wonderful legacy.