Awwww, Benjy was one of seven, as well. He was also the seventh cat in the household at the time when we first got him, although we had other losses and new arrivals during his life. And now, Danny is another seventh. And believe it or not, being held upside down and having their bellies scratched are things that both enjoy(ed) in common! I know it is unusual! What a hoot. Benjy left behind Gracie, a year younger than him, whose life we saved when she was a wee injured baby, and who became our only cat who stood up to his Alpha dominant posturings. The two of them were quite a pair. She hisses at Danny, but she will get over it. I have some videos on YouTube of them, which I haven't looked at since he passed, but my channel is called MandolaViola.
Quite a few years back, we had an alpha female cat named Pud. She lived to be 20, and when she passed (in '06) we buried her next to a tiny avocado tree that someone had given me in a pot and I had just recently transplanted. In the following years, that tree took over the whole area, and gives us these humungous and delicious alligator pears weighing up to 3 pounds, which I share with everyone at my church who wants them for a few months, as well as distribute around my neighborhood. There's one section that hangs into the neighboring yard, so we let the next door neighbors keep everything they want from that part. I've never successfully grown anything else edible, despite all my efforts. But that avocado tree... whoa!
"Goofball even has a scratch on one of my ukes, which I refuse to repair."
I wouldn't either! That is a precious memento.
She sounds so special. They are such a big part of our lives, aren't they? And they are so worth it, even with the inevitable grief at their passing.
Take good care of yourself and the other kitties, especially Mrs. Hudson. (gotta love that name!)
bratsche