I had a cat once.

I had a cat:

 A veritable terror to songbirds
 Able to catch fast rabbits in a single bound
 Slayer of mice
 Nightstalker
 She-who-vanishes-into-the-blinds
 to sit in the window
 tail hanging out
 God created this companion
 That I might know what it is
 To stroke the tiger

 Long haired Calico
 Of small stature
 Large purr
 Prone to skin conditions
 that required thorough shampooing
 She complained vociferously but never used her claws
 She enjoyed burrowing into the laundry
 and being made into the bed when new sheets were put on
 She was
 that kind of cat...
 An epic in couplet form
 Unrhymed, unmetered, written entirely in free verse
 kind of cat...

 Genki Kiki -- 1983 to 2001 -- the birds now sing without fear.