Cat Tales

I never thought I’d be writing one of these again so soon.

Six days after Salem’s passing, we lost Pumpkin to the effects of her kidney failure. 

This tiny orange furball arrived in October eight years ago. Mom found this dirty, sick kitten on the side of the road, brought her home, bathed her, dried her, and put her on the couch under a blanket for a nap. I came home and didn’t notice anything for several hours until Mom called and told me to check on her. 

I lifted the blanket, and this little orange thing just looked at me and stretched out. What else do you name an Orange kitten that arrives in October? It’s also uncommon to see an orange female. She was medicated for a respiratory infection and quickly bonded with Pepper the dog. She got along with the cats and never had any issues with other animals. People, on the other hand, she wanted nothing to do with anyone else other than Mom and me. She was very shy, and I have no clue why.

She had this squeaky little meow and was a good cuddle kitty. She liked to lie on my chest, or if I was working, she’d stand on the side of the chair with one paw reaching and meowing for pets. She never got big; she stayed small, and despite all the food she ate, she never got fat. She had the biggest yellow green eyes, with the right one having a defect that never affected her vision. I called her my anime cat because of her proportions. She was just adorable. She was always there for her morning wet food, then begging for scraps at dinner. She was a true garbage gut and, if you weren’t paying attention, could easily swipe something from your plate. She loved treats and scratches, but was never a fan of the brush. 

Her favorite toys were the squishy balls with tinsel-like spikes, and laser pointers. She was the one cat that cuddled with everyone. Especially if she wanted that spot, she would cuddle her way into it until the other cat either accepted it or left. For many years, her favorite to cuddle was Latte, the calico. In later years, she became fond of Salem and Yeti, often found in a pile on my bed. 

The last few weeks she began to slowly decline, acting normal, eating and drinking, but was quickly losing weight. After Salem passed, I think she was just too depressed to go on. She quickly became weak and turned down food. There was no choice but to put her to sleep to end her suffering. 

It has been a very hard, depressing week. Both my October kitties are gone. The others seem to be okay at the moment, knowing what has happened to their friends. Yeti is extra needy, and I’ve caught her howling without a toy. Her cuddle buddies are gone.