Sir Pumpkin Pie a la Mode, 13, passed away in the loving arms of his companion at about 11 am on Sunday, September 21, 2025, after a brief illness.

Pumpkin was born August 31, 2012, under a porch in Wellsville, Ohio. He had one sister cuddled up next to him, waiting for their mother to return, but she never did. They were cared for by a loving woman named Michelle until they were big enough to be on their own. His sister stayed with Michelle, and Pumpkin found his way to the home of his lifelong family, Jeffrey and Elizabeth Zoellers, and their son, Richard. He was so small and, being November, his new Mommy crocheted him a lime green sweater to keep him warm.

He grew up with the furry family Von Katt... The matriarch, Belle, the patriarch, Griffey, and their children, Precious, Mercedes, and Tabitha. He enjoyed playing with the other cats. His best friend came to be Marigold, a ginger tabby with white markings, just like him. "Goldie" liked to run under the computer table into the "Cone of Invisibility" and hide from Pumpkin. They were literally the best of friends.

As the older cats passed on. Pumpkin and Goldie found themselves the only 2 remaining cats. They lived together happily until tragedy struck, and the Zoellers family found themselves homeless one winter. They made the reluctant decision to give up Goldie to Angels for Animals. But Pumpkin had always been special. He had a deformed tail that bent and twisted at odd angles. He also had a touch of asthma, and the Zoellers family feared that Pumpkin might live his entire life there because he wasn't "perfect." Fortunately for Pumpkin, the Zoellers family thought he couldn't be any more perfect, and were able to find a new home where he could stay with them. He even had a new title, he was now "Sir Pumpkin Pie a la Mode, Emotional Support Cat Extraordinaire". How many pie-bald ginger tabbies do you know who are actually listed on the lease? He was very proud of his title and would routinely remind you of his special status.

He enjoyed nearly 8 more years with his loving family, enjoying his "nummies," sunning himself by the window, and never leaving his house because Mommy told him not to go outside. He only slipped up twice, once to fight off a "vicious" raccoon and once to meet Mommy when she came home from the doctor's.

Pumpkin never forgot his best friend, Goldie. He often went to the door to look outside, possibly trying to find his lost friend. But, one day, while he was looking outside, he spotted a black cat. It was love at first sight. Esmeralda would be his soulmate. He allowed her to eat out of his food dish, use the potty in his litter box, and sleep with him next to Mommy. Unfortunately, 2 years ago, Esme developed a respiratory illness that couldn't be treated and she passed away. No one ever took Esme's place.

Pumpkin was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, his adopted cat family, and his best friend, Esmeralda. He is survived by his Mommy and Daddy, his Buddy, Richard, and several neighborhood cats that he insisted on taking care of: Whiskers, Gingerbread, Mouth, and June-June, and the back porch cats: Mus No Tache and Toby. The Zoellers family will continue to feed his friends, as Pumpkin would have wanted. But no more nummies.

Arner Funeral Chapels in Chester, WV, handled the arrangements of his cremation. His ashes have been interred in a beautiful handcarved wooden urn inlaid with blue resin pawprints.

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