…or as we affectionately call him, ED, is my old black cat. You can see the silver threads in his coat. I think our vet believes he’s a miracle cat.
Ed has been an outdoor-indoor cat since he first adopted us in 1991. He was roughly two years old at the time, and we were having a vicious winter. Somehow he made it into the garage and was curled up on the seat of the riding mower when I first met him. He had obviously been raised around people, and had just as obviously been abandoned. It’s taken him most of his life to warm up to us, and he’s been grudging about giving away his love and trust.
I know…..WHY keep a cat like that? Who can explain how you fall in love with a “pet?” This cat has trained us to his bidding. Elegante Mother opens the door for him to come and go, and she and I feed him on demand. He’s as likely to slice our hands with his claws as he is to rub around our ankles, begging to be petted. He’s just Ed, and he’s a major part of our lives.
Unfortunately, he has begun to show signs of kidney failure. I knew, before we went for his annual checkup what they were likely to find. I approved the drawing of blood for tests just to confirm what I was seeing, and I was right. He’s past the early stages, and is moving into the more pronounced middle stage.. He’s lost weight, and the fat that normally covers his shoulder blades and pads his hip bones. He drinks, and pees, a lot.
Despite that, he seems to be in good spirits, and is still eager to go out, at least, when he feels the weather is bearable. He’s been inside for most of the winter because it’s been so bitterly cold.
This morning he went out. It’s a bright, sunny, chilly morning. I set the timer for ten minutes and went to see if he was ready to come in. No cat. I looked again five minutes later, and to the side of the door, there’s this black shadow. When I opened the door, I realized that Ed had caught another chipmunk, and was just getting ready to eat! YUCK!!!!
Dear Husband is on burial duty. It’s his job to whisk away the remains. I sure hope that we don’t have any visitors before DH gets home! *G* I suppose I have to go to the door and let Ed in…..
Despite my complaints about chipmunk parts being left around, I’ll really miss this cat. He’s my “kid.” He comes to sit with me at the end of the evening, and we share warmth. I’ll miss the little bugger.