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+title: Untzag Thompson
+start: 2004-09-13
+end: 2014-10-21
+
+<p>
+In Fall 2004 we saw a notice about a local family who were giving away kittens at our vet’s office.
+So we drove to their rural home in West Branch and picked one out (2004-09-13).
+Blaise picked out  Untzag.
+They also had large dogs who helped care for the kittens so she was never afraid of dogs.
+On the way home, she rode free in the back seat and seemed to really want to see out the window.
+Blaise gave her the name Untzag which means little tiger in Armenian.
+Our list of options were: Zoulal (pure), Ardashes (joy), Zora (small), Giliga (small), Untzag (tiger), Hoky (spirt), Azadouhi (free), and Aghaton (good).
+Folks always liked her name.
+</p>
+
+<img src="shelf.png"
+     alt="Untzag sitting on a wooden shelf."
+     width="100%">
+Untzag sitting on a wooden shelf, her first day at 827 Brown. <br>
+<br>
+
+<img src="grass.png"
+     alt="Untzag in the grass."
+     width="100%">
+Untzag outside, her first day at 827 Brown. <br>
+
+<p>
+Early in her life a twig got in her eye area.
+Blaise discovered it and we immediately took her to the vet where it was taken care of.
+Other than that, she physically fit all her life.
+She could jump up onto Blaise’s sleigh bed, or onto the pile of clean towels in the bathroom open storage area.
+She also like to get onto the garage roof and come into the house via the deck door.
+She would sit on the East wall of the deck, which is quite narrow, with seemingly no fear of heights
+</p>
+
+<p>
+We tried to keep her in our yard so she wouldn’t bother our neighbor Dorothy and to protect her from traffic on Governor, but she could not be contained.
+One reason we did not have her wear a collar is because we thought it might be dangerous to her if she got caught on a fence she was climbing on in some unknown place.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Her first Thanksgiving we took her on a walk on the Mormon Trek trail and saw that she was a good little hiker.
+She wanted to keep up with Vehrzheen.
+We periodically included her on walks in the woods during which she wore a harness and leash.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At one point we snuck her into the Mercer swim area so Blaise’s swim team members could enjoy her as a kitten.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Sometime after Betty died Nancy inherited the sculpture by Bufano.
+We took a good photo of her sitting by the cat mold.
+By her posture she seemed to be telling us that she was more precious than any sculptor’s model.
+</p>
+
+<img src="bufano1.png"
+     alt="Untzag next to Bufano sculpture."
+     width="100%">
+
+<img src="bufano2.png"
+     alt="Untzag next to Bufano sculpture."
+     width="100%">
+
+<p>
+When she was little she used to like to hide by the day lilies in the front and jump out at by-passers.
+She would also lie down on the sidewalk and let some strangers pet her on her tummy.
+She felt free to enjoy the park across the street and the neighbors in 815 Brown.
+She liked to be on their porch and recently she even felt free to enjoy their nice clean new cars.
+If a window or door was open she felt free to go inside
+</p>
+
+<p>
+In 2006 she went to the shelter because the pound was picking up our neighbor cat (Slim) for being outside without supervision.
+We think Untzag was trying to protect Slim  from being taken.
+There were several cats which looked like Untzag at the pound but she was the only one with a tail which had a white tip.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At one point when Nancy was sick Untzag put her nose on Nancy's feet as she was retching over the toilet bowl.
+Once when Nancy made a trip to the Mercy ER in the night for what we thought was a heart attack she was so happy to see that Untzag was waiting (about a 3 hr wait) on the steps of a home on Lucas so that we could walk home together.
+Sometimes when someone was not feeling well she could just come and share body warmth and closeness.
+She would also knead your body with her front legs.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Untzag liked to keep David company at the computer by sitting on his lap.
+Sometimes he played videos of birds for her on the computer.
+Even though he called her a pest and tired of the fact that she brought in fleas, she knew he has a heart of gold and a nice warm lap.
+</p>
+
+<img src="lap.png"
+     alt="Untzag sitting on David's lap."
+     width="100%">
+
+<p>
+She was not good about having puzzles laying around in an unfinished state.
+She liked  to mess up the pieces or even take them apart.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Untzag was featured in Blaise's High School graduation photo!
+</p>
+
+<img src="graduation.png"
+     alt="Blaise's graduation photo."
+     width="50%"
+     class="center">
+
+<p>
+Untzag was always very welcoming of other animals.
+She played with the Vislas for whom we provided foster care.
+Recently we rescued a cockatiel from the park, whom she tolerated as well.
+She also always wanted to be friends with Vehrzheen even though Vehrzheen thought of her as prey.
+Sometimes Nancy would give Untzag three small treats and she would eat only one or two, leaving the remainder for Vehrzheen.
+Even while Vehrzheen was failing fast, Untzag spent time with her to comfort her.
+Our most recent  photo of Untzag was taken 2014-10-14, a day when Untzag spent many hours next to Vehrzheen on the bed.
+</p>
+
+<img src="bed.png"
+     alt="Untzag and Vehrzheen on David's bed."
+     width="100%">
+
+<p>
+She did hunt birds and baby rabbits.
+She did not care for rabbit eyeballs as she would lay them by the partially eaten body somewhere where we could admire her hunting success.
+She also used to bring mice and chipmunks into the house to “play” with.
+I think she also had some dealings with snakes.
+Blaise remembers one time when Untzag left a living snake in his backpack.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Untzag was not much for games.
+However she did enjoy chasing the small item at the end of the child’s fishing pole which David thought of.
+She cooked up a game of her own to play with me when Nancy was in the bathtub.
+If Nancy had her comb on the edge of the tub, she would like to bat it into the tub from the outside of the tub.
+Nancy's task was to replace it on the edge and move it slowly so that she could bat it down again.
+Neither of us were supposed to see the other.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Untzag travelled with us on many trips – Wisconsin, Maine, the Southern tip of LA, etc.  However she did not like not being able to go outside at nights.
+Once, in WI, we thought we had lost her as she had escaped from the Kozeluh’s home.
+Since it was our last day of vacation, we thought we would have to leave for IA without her, and asked neighbors to watch for her.
+However, just before we had to leave, we found her in the surrounding vegetation.
+On some trips to WI she shopped at Foster and Smith which welcomes pet as well as human shoppers.
+</p>
+
+
+<img src="bates.jpg"
+     alt="Untzag at bates."
+     width="50%"
+     class="center">
+Untzag at Bates.
+
+<p>
+The last time that Blaise saw Untzag was a visit from Graduate School, 2014-09-08.
+Untzag was kind enough to "say goodbye" as Blaise got in the car.
+</p>
+
+<img src="goodbye.jpg"
+     alt="Untzag in the driveway."
+     width="100%">
+
+<p>
+2014-10-21 21:45, Untzag was struck by car on Governor.
+Despite efforts by Nancy, we never got to recover her body.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Rest in peace, Untzag.
+</p>