Sunday, June 30, 2013

Happy Sweet 16th to my little girl, Calypso. They grow up so fast.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Nearly 10 years ago, my girlfriend had acquired Mickey from a friend, whose former co-worker needed someone to "babysit" the cat temporarily. Days became weeks, weeks became months and soon it'd become clear that the babysitting would be permanent.

It took me a while to warm up to Mickey. He was a huge tabby: 18-20 pounds on a normal day, longer than most cats, with a baleful, cougar-like face and brick-red nose. His sheer size meant my girlfriend's smaller cat (ironically named "Big Kitty"), was a frequent target of his bullying. Though it was upsetting to watch, Big Kitty, the alpha cat in past groups, rarely backed down from a fight, only fleeing when it became clear he'd soon pin her under his ample girth.

Over time, Mickey's unusual, infectious vocalizations and personality won us over. Big Kitty learned to tolerate and even affectionately rub against her bigger companion, deftly mapping out escape routes and elevated hiding places any time he got too rough.

Efforts to slim Mickey down had failed over the years, despite a carefully-measured ration of weight-control food. His genetics ensured he'd forever be a large cat, the same genes that had likely played a role in his eventual heart condition.

We said our goodbyes to Mickey this weekend, nearly a year after his congestive heart failure diagnosis. The daily dose of Furosemide and Benazepril had thankfully given him a normal, happy quality of life for nearly all the time since. He was 14.

We will miss our tough, big guy.