Hot Wheels came to our house November, 1993 and died on February 3, 2007. Because she was already a cat, not a kitten, when she came, I think she was either 14 years old or a little older when she passed away.
The first time we took her to the vet he noticed that many of her front teeth were missing, so we always suspected she was maybe kicked by a horse... She came wandering into our yard from the direction of the horse riding stable not a 1/2 a mile away. She only had one tooth left when I last looked... little snaggle puss. 
Hot Wheels got her name because she showed up during the funeral of Tum-Tum, an orange cat that was maybe 2 months old. She seemed to be meowing good-bye to him, but seemed really enjoy all the attention from us as we mourned our little kitten. Tum-Tum, like all of our other cats, got hit by a car when he crossed the road. Hot Wheels lived up to her name and always made it across. She used to make me very nervous when I would see her in the cow field across the street. Somehow she was car savvy. Always ran AT me when I drove up the drive way, but then ran to the side. Unnerving!
She endured the ribbon I stuck on her on Christmas morning... and posing on the logs for a better picture!
She was a real hunter and loved being outside! Still a hunter, even in her old age!
She loved to hang out in the garden with me and often accompanied me while I weeded.
I will miss you Hot Wheels!
This photo was taken just three days before she died of old age, in the house, in her sleep.
