The old English proverb about “A cat having nine lives,” goes on to say, “For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays.” Though only a proverb, myth, or legend—and not to be taken seriously—it could not hold more true for our cat Alex, who survived against all odds, lived some of his life on borrowed time, and cheated death multiple times. Through all of his challenges and near-death experiences, Alex beat the odds and lived a surprisingly long life until August 2020, when he had a fatal stroke that left him paralyzed and took his life, his ninth and final life.