Our Kizzy’s real name
when we got him from the animal shelter was Kismet. Which means destiny or
fate. They had found him originally by
the side of the road and picked him up.
He had already been returned once to the shelter – needed too
much love the two men who took him had said.
Imagine. How can anyone or any animal need too much love.
Kizzy was a big Tuxedo cat.
With an offside white splotch on his mouth. When we adopted him we also
had another very much loved cat – a small Siamese named Tempo.
Tempo was the top cat in the household until he died at age
18 about 10 years ago. The two of them were never exactly “fond” of each other
but they accepted each other and occasionally would sleep together. Poor Kizzy
was relegated to the foot of our bed because Tempo already owned the space
between us just below the pillows.
After Tempo died and was buried in our yard, Kizzy took
over. He kind of demanded that we not
get another cat and so we agreed. He
owned us now.
Our cats have always been indoor cats and have never
traveled with us; we have always found a sitter who got to know them and love
them too. Kizzy was no exception; he was always here when we got home – whether
from a long, difficult day at work – or a trip.
Always running to the door, meowing with pleasure, so happy to see us again. Asking to be picked up and held and
petted. And of course – fed. Kizzy was very obvious with his “feed me”
meow.
Two years ago our rather overweight cat began to lose
weight. Slowly. He stopped overeating. The
vet (and we agreed) said older cats slow down this way. But then he developed a
big lump on his side which lab tests couldn’t exactly identify. The vet said it was likely a form of cancer
which could mask itself in tests.
Kizzy survived our usual summer teaching months in Prague –
here at home. For a month with just
Frank here and then for another month with the cat sitter. It was his fifth year of this and we figured
he knew we always came back. And we
did. But Kiz was obviously failing. We tried some digestive enzymes the vet
recommended which seemed to help -- but slowly, our wonderful big cat was
fading away.
This morning we came downstairs and he couldn’t move. Although
he had eaten and been walking around when we went to bed. The vet said later he probably had a stroke. So we sat with him until the vet’s office
opened and then had to call and take him on his final trip.
Tempo died at home ten years ago. We cried and said our goodbyes and then
buried him in the yard. Other cats died other ways. But we ourselves had never
before had to take a beloved pet to the vet to be put to sleep.
It was horrible. It IS
horrible. And yet so much kinder than
what we do to our loved humans. Keep them barely breathing on intravenous lines
hooked up to machines in cold hospital rooms.
Or the reverse – call in the hospice folks who say matter-of-factly your
loved one is going to die and let’s just sit around and wait for it to happen.
Our wonderful cat was in our arms until the vet gave him
something to put him to sleep. We were there,
petting him and talking to him as he fell asleep. We kept petting him until the vet was able to
inject the overdose of anesthesia which put him into his final, forever sleep.
And then we came home to an empty house. And put all his cat things away.
His photo is on our mobile phones. And computers. And his
spirit is everywhere we look. He was our special buddy, our wonderful friend
and companion. A cat with so much love
he even lavished it on strangers who came over for dinner. If you didn’t like cats you were plain out of
luck around Kizzy. He was determined to
be liked.
Kizzy died about 8:30 this morning, September 27, 2012. There
will be no big black and white cat to demand his dinner tonight. Or to sleep in our bed. Or on the rug outside the bedroom door when
we stay in bed too long for him. The cat
dishes are washed and put away, his beds and special rug and toys – gone. The litter box is empty – waiting for its
next user.
Oh yes –there will be other cats in this house eventually;
we can’t live in it alone. But not for awhile.
We are in mourning for our wonderful little friend.
Goodbye Kizzycat.
We will always love and remember you.
We hope you have crossed the rainbow bridge into a well-fed
forever.
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