Departed Friends

		In memory of  Angel, Ginger and Tom

More details below . . .

Percy and Possum, two beautiful gentle tabby cats, came into our care after they had been locked out of their home on the death of their owner.  Percy was a large elderly cat, very dignified, and Possum a dainty younger lookalike.  They were obviously devoted to each other.  Their health check showed that dental work was necessary.  While Possum was under anaesthetic, a large aggressive malignant tumour showed on the back of her tongue – in a week or two her pain would be acute – letting her go peacefully was the only kind thing to do.  I could only be thankful that she had come into care before suffering too much, but it was very sad and upsetting.

MBO'C

Florence was born to a stray mother cat, Little Meep, in Co. Meath in April 1980. There were five females and one male in the litter. They were all lovely kittens and they blossomed with the devoted attention of their mother. But sometimes one kitten is just very special and it is impossible to let her go to a new home. For me, Florence was that kitten. 

 Florence and her mother did not always get along very well. Meep appeared to think that the other kittens had departed to their new homes so why was this one still hanging around. She did her best to chase Florence off - maybe she knew that, fully grown, Florence would be a formidable cat. 
As a teenager, Florence behaved like one. She stayed out all night, talked back to her mother, smacked her granny, went rat-hunting. Eventually she calmed down and she and Meep began to develop a modus vivendi. When we moved to Dublin and lost Meep, Florence was devastated. By this time, Florence was large, very determined and very vocal. She chased any visiting cats out of the garden but was amazingly tolerant of the succession of foster cats who came to stay temporarily while awaiting new homes. Her philosophy was, if you ignore them completely, they will eventually disappear. She remained dignified even when boisterous kittens ran under her legs. She never minded sharing her food with visitors even though she was an enthusiastic eater. She was the only cat I ever knew who was willing to eat cheaper tins of cat food once in a while. 
She had her share of health problems. She tore the cruciate ligament in her leg (she did this while attempting to attack a neighbour's cat through their bedroom window!) and had to have surgery to put in a plastic ligament. She suffered from recurrent cystitis and eventually lost all her teeth - but she managed to eat well with her gums. Three years ago, her younger companions, Mumtaz and Susie, died within 24 hours, the former of cancer and the latter of kidney failure. 
Florence then refused to eat. We took her to the vet, nothing in particular was found, she was put on a drip during the day and came home each evening. This went on for five days. It seemed likely that Florence was about to die too - but, suddenly, she began to eat again and regained her good form. I am quite sure that her hunger-strike was grief at losing her friends. 

 In the last few years, Florence began to look her age. She got thinner and forgot to groom herself. She lost her hearing. But she retained an interest in everything that went on, played with her catnip mouse, liked to go for little outings by car and was particularly pleased to see any dogs. She continued to eat until the day she died. One day, however, that spark in her was gone and she just seemed tired out. We knew it was time to let her go and we said our goodbyes to this dearest, most faithful friend of over 19 years. MN 

Nero the Hero, as many of you who possess his Cats' Aid t-shirt will know, was simply the most wonderful cat in the world (well, I am the editor and I can say what I like!). 

He came to live with us when he was about 8 years old having been in Cats' Aid care for the second time in his life through no fault of his own and it was proving difficult to find a home for such a relatively 'elderly' cat. When we went to Serpentine Avenue to collect Nero and meet him for the first time we like to think that it was love at first sight for all of us. He had some health problems at first which were related to old injuries but once these were sorted out he settled down to a happy and healthy life apart from some joint stiffness. 

Nero had a personality all his own and sometimes it was hard to remember that he was really a cat. He seemed very wise and intelligent and had some very human habits. He liked his food to be warm with plenty of gravy and would give us the most withering look if it wasn't just so. He would crawl over rabid dogs for white fish but wouldn't touch salmon or tuna. He liked to sleep in the bed with his head on the pillow and the covers up around his shoulders. When we lived in a house with no central heating he slept on top of the television and we got used to watching programmes with a long black tail dividing the screen in half. Since we were frozen ourselves we hadn't the heart to move him. 

He was terribly affectionate and very gentle even with small children who found him fascinating. He would suffer being petted and stroked by them when they were admitted to his presence, all the while giving us a look that said we would pay dearly for the inconvenience. He could be a grumpy old sod. Even though both myself and my husband have had many other cats in our lives from childhood to the present day there really was something special about Nero and, when the light is dim, we often think we catch sight of him in his favourite places - on a shelf in the hotpress, on the windowsill over the radiator, underneath a fold in the duvet. He died on February 26th. as a result of a lung tumour, aged about 17, and we won't see his like again. JCC 

Annie, You had a hard life, but you were a great little survivor. 

Abandoned when heavily pregnant you took refuge in the garden of an elderly lady who, while she never evicted you, did not allow you indoors nor did she feed you; and because you were not spayed, over the years you had many, many kittens. Without adequate nourishment and care this must have taken a heavy toll on your physical resources. When the home situation changed, Cats' Aid was asked to help. 

I first saw you sitting in the garden surrounded by about sixteen cats and kittens - a fairly daunting sight! It took time but eventually all were spayed or neutered, the kittens were tamed and homed, the older ones returned. A daily food run was put in place and for a couple of years all went smoothly. On the 18th. July last year I noticed that you were off your food and looking poorly, you had missed a couple of feeding times. By now we had a trusting relationship and when I returned that night I was able to put you in the basket and take you for veterinary assessment. The news was not good, you had acute renal failure and your kidneys were very small and hard. There was no question of your returning to an outdoor life, so you then became an indoor apartment cat along with six cats and two dogs! I thought you might have dificulty settling but you were amazing. In a few days you were very much at home, the dogs did not worry you at all and you treated the occasional hissing from Jessie with the contempt it deserved. I remember when the big bold Christopher played a little roughly with Mignonne, you walked over and gave him a good cuff on the ear, an astonished Christopher shot out with his dignity in tatters! 

You found your own favourite places, in the latter weeks you slept on a corner of the bed next to my left ear - I learned to sleep with little movement, a body at my head and three others pinning my limbs firmly. With good veterinary care and rest and the correct diet you improved so much that I hoped that you would be with us for much longer that had been thought probable but sadly this was not to be. Last month you stopped eating, you responded well to being put on a drip and returned home for three happy weeks, you were so content and seemed to know that this was really home. And then you stopped eating again. This time your body was too worn out to respond to treatment and you became very ill, your suffering made it obvious that it was time to let you go. I am so happy that you knew we were with you at this important transition in your life. Annie, you were loved and valued and you wove a unique and beautiful pattern in the fabric of my life - as we say in South Africa "tot siens" until we meet again, as I know we will. MO'C 

Daz, was a much loved, cosseted cat until the death of her elderly owner. Unfortunately, no provision had been made for such an eventuality so, at the age of 12, Daz was evicted from the only home she had ever known, and left to fend for herself. The trauma she must have experienced does not bear thinking about. She was eventually rescued and was in foster care with a member of Cats' Aid. 
Daz found a wonderful new home with a kind lady in Delgany. She settled in very well but sadly she did not have long to enjoy her ideal accommodation and garden. Daz died of a kidney tumour only a few short months later. 
Daz was so special we gave her her own page on the Internet. You can see it by clicking here. 

ALEX 1993-1999 

Alex was featured in previous Cats' Aid newsletters, particularly in relation to his well-developed mothering instincts. He came into my garden first in January 1994, a wild and pretty white and black kitten of six months. So pretty and dainty was he that I was sure he was a female. Caught and taken to the vet for spaying, his side was shaved for the operation before the vet realised that, in fact, he was male. Alex loved other cats, especially his old friend Humphrey, but was always fairly wary of humans. Humans never did him any harm but visiting toms always did - if there was a cat fight in the garden, Alex always got the worst of it and he had numerous trips to the vet for treatment for cat bites and other injuries. Poor fellow, larger and more aggressive toms seemed to see the word 'victim' emblazoned across Alex's forehead. Catching him to take him to boarding when I was going on holidays was something of a nightmare. Alex moved to Co. Wexford while I was between houses and settled so happily there that it was decided to let him stay. I'm so grateful to Margaret Lynch for allowing him to spend his last 10 months living very happily in her home and garden. He died suddenly in October at the age of only six years. MN 

Angel, Ginger and Tom 
One of the things that I remember about my chilhood was "Angel" she was our cat. She was a beautiful and very placid little lady. She had kitten after kitten, one which we kept and named him "Ginger". Angel was my playmate, my friend and my companion. She loved being petted and rubbed. Angel died when I was 11 years old. Everyone said she died of old age. We buried her in the garden. Even now 14 years on when I pass that spot in the garden I think fondly of her. 
Ginger was killed in a car accident after falling or being pushed off a wall. He too is buried in the garden. 
Tom was a tom cat that wandered into our garden (probably after Angel) and he was a typical tom cat as was Ginger. He loved his food and loved showing off. After Angel and Ginger died he seemed to go off wandering again hopefully he found another home who would look after him. 

I have two cats now and sometimes when I look at them all the wonderful memories come flooding back of Angel, Ginger and Tom. There were wonderful pets and I hope they are happy wherever they are. 

N. S.