Tigger is no longer with us. The cantankerous tabby has been Michelle’s companion for 18 years. The old man has been in renal failure for quite some time, occasionally dipping in and out of poor health. Finally, after a week long decline, we took him to the vet to put him to sleep. We’ve struggled with the decision for months now, though the quality of his life has not been that great, and his grooming and mood have suffered lately. The old man moved with stiffness, wobbled when standing, talked to no one, and drank like a fish.
As a memorial, we placed him at the foot of Ella’s tree so he could share his watchfulness, hardiness and pith with its developing roots. We had joked about getting a cactus to extend his legacy, but they do not fair as well in this climate. Maybe we’ll put one indoors so we can drop it in our laps when we miss him, snag new clothing on it shortly after a first wear, and risk a blood-drawing nip if we pet it too long. The only problem with the plan is that cactus don’t make any noise. Tigger’s secret was that he was part Siamese. Tigger vocalized unlike any other cat I’ve met, and though it was usually a nuisance at 1am, 2am, and then 4am, occasionally it was funny to listen to his vocal contortions. House guests may disagree.
Michelle has had Tigger since she was 10 years old, so he’s done his share of moving. Starting during college (and the flea incident), Tigger has moved 5 times in the last several years. Each time (since the flea incident) he has rebounded quickly. He’s an indoor/outdoor cat, so as long as there was a cat door, he pretty much moved on his own schedule. That’s a double entendre. Oddly enough, each additional move seemed to improve his mood some, though I think he favored the Alberta area most. Cats love Thai food. He was part Siamese after all.
Tigger and I didn’t always get along. Something about me taking his bed and attention soured him to me. Still, it didn’t sour him enough from constantly wanting my attention, or puking on stuff. Still, we had a healthy pseudo-nemesis relationship that I’ll now have to fill with something else. He will be missed, but not as much at night.
Ella officially turned one year old at the beaver den exhibit at the Oregon Zoo today. It was probably pretty obvious that something was up since she had two parents in tow who alternated between tears, smiles, and picture taking. The zoo was of some interest to Ella; she saw a number of the animals, and seemed the most interested by the fish, otters, and other marine exhibits, though the chocolate ice cream was just as engaging. She’s still too young to understand that she is part ape, so I think her interest wasn’t as keen as it will be in coming years.