Farewell Thomas
A grey day yesterday, as I had to say goodbye to yet another one of my cats. Thomas had a good run, 14 years and we had some good times. He was a lump of a tabby and at times a bruiser to Tiger. In recent times, he and his mother Alex had an annoying habit of trying to sit on top of each other to get closer to me. The game progressed up my torso as the night wore on until someone lashed out...
Tom had had thyroid problems for a few years and the litter and his appetite can testify, he also went thin as a rake and then last week, his abdomen swelled to a small balloon. Yesterday morning, I took one look and knew. he wasn't too aware of the world and just lived for two things - the food bowl and rest. Time was up.
I hate these days, I've lost 4 cats in 2 years and now there's only1 left. We had so many years together, it's like losing family.
there were some wonderful times. Tom arrived with Alex and sister Poppy, refugees from a house with an impending cat-hating boyfriend. He wasn't keen on being buddies for a long time, one time I rescued him from the middle of a thunderstorm and he thanked me by raking my arms with his back legs.
Then one day, I had unpacked and built some furniture. Tom heard me rustle some waste paper and his ears pricked. We had a game of chase for a while before I got bored and started watching TV. Soon, I noticed the paper at my feet and Tom sitting there expectantly. We played chase the wild crackly paper all night!
The first time I left him to go on holiday, he managed to get run over! he was lucky and had his shoulder put out. For a while it used to loop up when he walked. That faded with time, though the vet said it wouldn't.
Tom was a rascal for getting into scrapes. I found him walking badly and thought his shoulder had gone - it turned out he had been trying to scratch off his collar and had got his leg inside the collar that was still on his neck. last year we found him sitting with his mouth open drooling. Fearing the worst, I rushed him to the vets, to find he had again loosened his collar and had slipped his lower jaw under it. It was clear so couldn't be seen straight away. I worried about him sticking his tongue out at me, but found he had got it hooked onto his lower canines...
When I went to see my now wife in Estonia, my mum and aunt moved in. Tom moved out. After 3 nights, Aunt got up in the night to pay a visit and found Tom. She shrieked with joy - and they didn't see him for another 3 days...
He used to go off up the road and had managed to get the tiniest of gaps in the fence and followed his path home. The path became a road, he used it so much. He was always found sunning himself under trees in various parts of the garden, so that's where I buried him. His Mum is still with me. 15, deaf, 3 good teeth and spends all day asleep.
The place is so quiet without him
Sleep well, puss...
posted by Geraint @ 10:33 pm
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