We let Tiger go today, and I want to honor him here.
He was a great cat, one of three neutered male orange tabby cats that grew old in our household, and I'm going to miss him. He'd been one of five kittens that we kept, years ago, but his litter mate Speckles went missing in their first year, and we eventually lost his larger brother Baby several years ago. We'd also kept a gray tabby male named Dusty, who unfortunately we lost to cancer over two years ago, and Midnight, a magnificent black cat who is still with us. Tiger got along with all of them, as well as others, and he was solicitous with the kittens that came our way, gently grooming the kits.
We moved a couple of times and he was always cooperative about moving, unlike some of the other cats. Baby got spooked during a move and we had to go back the next day to get him, and Midnight bit me pretty hard once when I put him into a cage to move from California back up to Oregon. Tiger however never freaked out or objected when we had to move him, but trusted us to take care of him.
A few years ago Tiger disappeared for a couple of weeks. That was not the first time that happened with one of our cats. Scamp disappeared once for about five weeks in Southern California, and we surmised after he returned that someone kept him inside for awhile until he finally made an escape. Tiger also returned, looking gaunt and glad to be home, so we imagined that he got shut into some garage, or something. Wherever he was, we were glad he returned, and he stuck around after that.
He slowly went blind over the last year, but unfortunately we didn't notice symptoms until he showed dilated eyes and began moving hesitatingly. The vet said he had high blood pressure that had led to detached retinas, and we had just started feeding him low salt cat food. He compensated amazingly well, though, and still got around well enough to find water, food, the cat box and his favorite places.
However, the weather got hot here over the last few days, up into the 90s F or mid-30s C, and Tiger stopped eating and drinking water. My wife took him to the vet today, who said he'd gotten extremely dehydrated, even though we always keep plenty of water out for the cats both indoors and outside. We could have placed Tiger into a pet hospital, restrained and receiving IV fluids for 24 hours or so, but that would have cost about $1,000 or more, with no assurance. I decided not to let Tiger suffer it.
Of those five orange tabbies, Tiger is survived by his skinny knothead brother Goldie, who sleeps at my feet in bed, and my friend Scamp, who apparently still resents the last time I put flea killer on him. Tiger, however, was just sweet, gentle, protective and the most unassuming and civilized cat we have had the privilege to know. I'm feeling rather devastated that I had to decide to let him go on so soon.
Tiger and Baby used to play in our back yard, even when they were no longer kittens or young cats. They would stalk each other and face off on opposite sides of the yard, then rush at each other and leap and pirouette in the air in mock battle when they met in the middle. It was exhilarating to see, in all its playfulness and joy in life, and that is how I am going to remember those two magnificent cats.
I raise my glass to Tiger, 1998-2013, RIP.
He was a great cat, one of three neutered male orange tabby cats that grew old in our household, and I'm going to miss him. He'd been one of five kittens that we kept, years ago, but his litter mate Speckles went missing in their first year, and we eventually lost his larger brother Baby several years ago. We'd also kept a gray tabby male named Dusty, who unfortunately we lost to cancer over two years ago, and Midnight, a magnificent black cat who is still with us. Tiger got along with all of them, as well as others, and he was solicitous with the kittens that came our way, gently grooming the kits.
We moved a couple of times and he was always cooperative about moving, unlike some of the other cats. Baby got spooked during a move and we had to go back the next day to get him, and Midnight bit me pretty hard once when I put him into a cage to move from California back up to Oregon. Tiger however never freaked out or objected when we had to move him, but trusted us to take care of him.
A few years ago Tiger disappeared for a couple of weeks. That was not the first time that happened with one of our cats. Scamp disappeared once for about five weeks in Southern California, and we surmised after he returned that someone kept him inside for awhile until he finally made an escape. Tiger also returned, looking gaunt and glad to be home, so we imagined that he got shut into some garage, or something. Wherever he was, we were glad he returned, and he stuck around after that.
He slowly went blind over the last year, but unfortunately we didn't notice symptoms until he showed dilated eyes and began moving hesitatingly. The vet said he had high blood pressure that had led to detached retinas, and we had just started feeding him low salt cat food. He compensated amazingly well, though, and still got around well enough to find water, food, the cat box and his favorite places.
However, the weather got hot here over the last few days, up into the 90s F or mid-30s C, and Tiger stopped eating and drinking water. My wife took him to the vet today, who said he'd gotten extremely dehydrated, even though we always keep plenty of water out for the cats both indoors and outside. We could have placed Tiger into a pet hospital, restrained and receiving IV fluids for 24 hours or so, but that would have cost about $1,000 or more, with no assurance. I decided not to let Tiger suffer it.
Of those five orange tabbies, Tiger is survived by his skinny knothead brother Goldie, who sleeps at my feet in bed, and my friend Scamp, who apparently still resents the last time I put flea killer on him. Tiger, however, was just sweet, gentle, protective and the most unassuming and civilized cat we have had the privilege to know. I'm feeling rather devastated that I had to decide to let him go on so soon.
Tiger and Baby used to play in our back yard, even when they were no longer kittens or young cats. They would stalk each other and face off on opposite sides of the yard, then rush at each other and leap and pirouette in the air in mock battle when they met in the middle. It was exhilarating to see, in all its playfulness and joy in life, and that is how I am going to remember those two magnificent cats.
I raise my glass to Tiger, 1998-2013, RIP.
