March 1985 - January 26, 1987
NAME ORIGIN
From the Mabinogion, a series of old Welsh folk tales.  Pendaran Dyfed (also spelled Dyved) was a powerful Druid.  Dyfed was a place name rather than a last name, but for whatever reason, it is always Pendaran Dyfed, and not just Pendaran or Pendaran of Dyfed.
Other names considered:  Pryderi (also from the Mabinogion), and Aslan, from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis.
[Welsh folk tales provided names for two of my sister's cats, also:  Taliesin and Arawn.  If you think these look tough to pronounce, my name in Welsh is Gwenhwyfar.  It's no wonder it mutated into Guinevere and then Jennifer.]
NICKNAME(S)
Pen.  He went by Pen or Pendaran.
DATE OF BIRTH
Probably sometime in early March, 1985.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Long, tall, and fairly large.  He weighed around 13-14 pounds (5.9 - 6.4 kg).
MEOW
Pen didn't talk much and I'm sorry to say I'm having a hard time remembering what he sounded like.  I believe he had a middle-of-the-road sort of meow: not harsh or whiny or overly loud.
PURR / BISCUITS
Purr:  Medium volume; frequent.
Biscuits:  He rarely made biscuits.
HISTORY
Some friends of my roommate adopted Pendaran as a kitten, but moved to an apartment complex that didn't allow pets.  They were looking for a home for him, and I was ready to adopt my first cat after moving out on my own.   He was about three months old when he came to live with me, and it was love at first sight.
PERSONALITY
Pendaran was the quintessential one-person cat.  He was very close to me and very affectionate, but was not overly friendly to anyone else.  He tolerated my roommates for the most part, but that was all.  At night, he would sit on my chest and purr, finally ending up in the crook of my arm with his head on my shoulder.   Sometimes, he would stand on his hind legs in my lap and throw his arms around my neck in a sort of hug.
Pen was also a very intelligent cat and more than a little on the protective side.  I once had a roommate I loathed.  Pen obviously sensed that I couldn't stand her and decided to teach her a lesson by leaving a little ...umm... surprise on her pillow one morning.  That was the only time he ever went outside the litter box.  The roommate moved out shortly after that incident, much to my amusement and delight.
MEDICAL CONDITIONS
Dilated Cardiomyopathy.  See Details.
HOBBIES / INTERESTS
He loved to get inside a pillowcase and be swung around the room in circles.  He would get all dizzy and silly afterward, but would come right back for more.  Toilet paper shredding and playing with his favorite toy, a plastic octopus, ranked right up there, too.
FRIENDS
He was close to Shere Khan, who was one of my roommate's cats, to Blue Moon, and (briefly) to Roo.

SCARED OF THE VACUUM CLEANER?

It's funny, the way we forget things as time goes on.  I can't remember.  He wasn't scared of anything else though, so I doubt it.