Old cat no longer on the block
By readejahn
7 comments
Not a gardening blog, but there is an alchemilla mollis in the background of the portrait.
My daugter adopted him from a rescue home. He was a real character, not very bright, but very affectionate. He was also a bit of a tart, and would go with anyone when bored. One of the neighbours would often find him in the house, even once woke up to find him on her knee! So he would often go missing for days at a time. Then he didn’t come back. Workmen had been in the road laying cable, and he had jumped in the van. He was found six months later (he’d been “chipped”) about 20 miles away, rather bedraggled, it didn’t look as if he’d found a friendly lap that time.
A year on and he’s gone again. They waited six months, a year, then moved house and adopted two more cats.
We often talked about Garf, he’d been so loved. (You know what’s coming?) After five years missing someone took him to the vet, where he was scanned, and my daughter brought him home. He hadn’t been far away, he’d probably gone ‘home’ off and on and wondered where everyone had gone.
Unfortunately he didn’t get on with the new cats, so I took him in, having lost a much-loved little tortoiseshell not long before.
I must admit we had a bit of a love-hate relationship, as he tended to demand affection when it was not necessarily forthcoming, and fought relentlessly with my neighbour’s ‘oriental’ – former crescent ‘top cat’. However his decline in deafness and dementia was sad, and the decision to end it painful.
No, he isn’t buried in the garden.
19 Sep, 2008
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Comments
Thats an amazing story. Obviously a very independent character.
19 Sep, 2008
Ahhh what a Lovely Cat, I must say he had some Adventures in his Life, and he must of been special because he didn't have any problems finding someone to love him.. :)
19 Sep, 2008
Sorry to hear the sad news - but what an eventful life!
19 Sep, 2008
Oh Readjahne you have a kindred spirit in Mrs Bonkers.
She too rescues anything and everything given up trying to decorate! Im more of a pragmatist but she pours so much love and attention I ve lost count of the major bereavements we ve had.
Trouble is I m the one who has to do the vet thing as she cant face it . Makes you wonder doesnt it ? Sometimes treat our animals better than relatives.
19 Sep, 2008
A wonderful story.
20 Sep, 2008
Thanks for this one.
We always thought we were "not cat people" but Mr Wavytail (aka Socks, or even The Didster, would appear to be proving us wrong. Nothing nicer in the mornings than to hear his bell and purr.
Last night all of us enjoyed the Rudyard Kipling story about the cat who walked by himself. He just had this aloof expression, meaning - I told you so.
24 Oct, 2008
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Yes! I have heard similar stories but not one for that length of time. He was really a beautiful cat. I have three cats who go in and out all day but at night when I call their names and say "bedtime", they all come running. Afraid they are going to get stuck outside which has happened a couple of times. They definitely do not like to get stuck outdoors overnight.
19 Sep, 2008