Feline Feathers

Our boy cat Tigger will be 8 years old this summer. He was an adorable kitten that just showed up one day and we have taken care of him ever since. He has always had a very sweet disposition, and really has stayed like a kitten in his personality that just wants to be cuddled and taken care of. The last couple of years he has been quite a challenge finding him gentle food that is rich in protein but will not upset his forever sensitive stomach. It can be quite exhausting to take care of him, now that he is a fullfledged ailing senior citizen, but I do so with relentless dedication. When all else fails, humour can be a welcome reprieve. I made my husband and son laugh when I said that one of these days Tigger will sneeze really heard and all that will be left will be a bunch of dusty feathers. After a particularly challenging night with him, Tigger reminded me of some of the toys I remembered as a kid. Every time you put them back together, another piece would fall off. I know it is tempting to think about giving up on Tigger at times, but then when he recovers from yet another winter cold, and he is happy with the new food regimen I tried out for him, he is a kitten all over again and all the frustration and lack of sleep dissipates. I hate to give up on anyone or anything, and I don't want to give up on my aging tomcat either. Over the years we have had to euthanize under a veterinarian's care several of our rescued dogs. That is heartbreaking, when you find out they have cancer and will only suffer needlessly if their death is postponed. Tigger is just one of those pets that is gradually falling apart, one feather at a time, and like a phoenix he always gets better and is all spunky again come spring. I do always look forward to spring, because then I get to catch up on many nights of interrupted sleep, as I smile and watch my Tigger sun himself in the sun in his blanket lined soft basket on the deck. In a next life , I would not mind being a cat. People seem to think it is a privilege to pick up after you, no matter what. No wonder I have seen my cat snicker on more than one occasion. When Tigger does implode into a pile of dusty feathers in the probably not too distant future, I will be very sad, but also very satisfied that I never gave up on him, just like I never gave up on my sweet cat Sneakers, who died 4 years ago and who lived a very happy life for 13 years when her kind heart finally gave out on sunny summer day. She is buried in our backyard and I still get to visit with her. She is resting underneath a big hazelnut bush, that fills every spring and summer with a ton of twittering little birds, very close to the place where she died. With her too, my heart is satisfied that all those years I took very loving care of her. That definitely eases the heartache, I think also for them when that time of saying goodbye comes as inevitable as the setting of the sun at the end of the day.