Our "BOY".
I know, what kind of name is that? Well honestly, I didn't think we would have him very long. We already had three cats, all girls, and this stray boy came to us in the fall of 2002 already declawed and neutered. Call us naïve, but I thought we were dealing with a lost pet and we would eventually find his worried owners. Several newspaper ads for lost pets produced no results.
We continued feeding him outside at our front door until Thanksgiving that year. In the background I could hear the coyotes howling. In he came, and our life with our first boy began, cat #4.
Soon after we took him in, we did have a scare. While I was getting ready for work, I discovered the back door had sprung open one winter morning and he had taken off ~ running through the snow. By the time I got my boots and coat on, I lost track of him. That night, my husband and I scoured the neighborhood in freezing temperatures, knocking on doors, calling out his name in an effort to find him. One couple down the street said there was a gray cat at their sliding glass doors earlier, but they turned the lights off on him. We returned home, hoping he would come back. Several hours later, my husband heard crying at our sliding glass doors. It was BOY. This time, I spared no time and went out barefoot in the snow to scoop him up. He never tried to leave again.
He became a welcome addition quickly. Our little tortoise shell Patches latched on to him immediately and they became inseparable. Boy would spend his day grooming her, as she nestled in bed, curled up right beside him. For many years, it was a familiar sight to see the two of them laying together all day at the foot of our bed.
Sometimes he would be lounging on the top of our couch and I had made a comment on more than one occasion that he always looked like he was giving me an evil eye. It was just that way about him. He didn't particularly like to be held and many times if you were holding him for any longer than a couple of minutes, he would let you know when he wanted down.
He loved to go outside for supervised outings and he would usually find the dirtiest and most dusty spot, and just roll on his back from one side to the other. He was a mess when it was time to come back in and would fuss when I tried to comb him to get the worst of the dirt out of his coat. Another of his favorite things to do was to take a sock in his mouth (usually in the middle of the night) and travel through the house making awful sounds. Have no clue what that meant, except to wake us up. Oh, and if you had time, play tug of war to remove the sock. We were even more horrified when he managed to find underwear to put in his mouth.
We have taken him into the vet for various reasons throughout the 12 years we have had him. His canine tooth was loose and it had to be pulled (I sure hope it wasn't because of tug-of-war), occasionally he would limp for several days and the vet attributed it to arthritis, sometimes he would stop eating for days and the vet suggested we force feed him with a syringe and baby food, and miraculously he would get better. On one occasion we took him to a vet specialist who suggested B12 shots and it was the spark that he needed. Personally I think he was bi-polar and had some depression issues, but we loved him just the same. I regret now, not giving him a proper name.
This past spring we noticed him drinking more water and he became unusually clingy, wanting us to pick him up and hold him for long periods of time. The vet said his numbers indicated he was in the early stages of renal failure, a disease we knew all too well, having experienced with our two previous fur babies. We did try a new drug that we administered to him on a daily basis, but elected not to do the subQ fluids. Did it make a difference? It is hard to say. I do know he maintained an appetite, eating something every day, including the morning he passed ~ but him taking residence in the basement to be by himself the last 24 hours, and our touch bringing him distress, we knew it was time.
*****
The vet came to our house tonight, and without the stress of putting Boy in a carrier and leaving home, Boy gently went to sleep. We were both by his side, holding him until the end.
Sleep well Boy. You have been a great companion to our resident babies and a true friend to Patches for 12 years. I know she will miss you ~ WE WILL miss you!
Special thanks to D. Frederick Birely for sponsoring my BOY's page. I remember we had been out cemetery walking and stopped at Arthur's Deli in Dixon the day the vet called me and said that Boy was in early renal failure. I will never forget that day.
I know, what kind of name is that? Well honestly, I didn't think we would have him very long. We already had three cats, all girls, and this stray boy came to us in the fall of 2002 already declawed and neutered. Call us naïve, but I thought we were dealing with a lost pet and we would eventually find his worried owners. Several newspaper ads for lost pets produced no results.
We continued feeding him outside at our front door until Thanksgiving that year. In the background I could hear the coyotes howling. In he came, and our life with our first boy began, cat #4.
Soon after we took him in, we did have a scare. While I was getting ready for work, I discovered the back door had sprung open one winter morning and he had taken off ~ running through the snow. By the time I got my boots and coat on, I lost track of him. That night, my husband and I scoured the neighborhood in freezing temperatures, knocking on doors, calling out his name in an effort to find him. One couple down the street said there was a gray cat at their sliding glass doors earlier, but they turned the lights off on him. We returned home, hoping he would come back. Several hours later, my husband heard crying at our sliding glass doors. It was BOY. This time, I spared no time and went out barefoot in the snow to scoop him up. He never tried to leave again.
He became a welcome addition quickly. Our little tortoise shell Patches latched on to him immediately and they became inseparable. Boy would spend his day grooming her, as she nestled in bed, curled up right beside him. For many years, it was a familiar sight to see the two of them laying together all day at the foot of our bed.
Sometimes he would be lounging on the top of our couch and I had made a comment on more than one occasion that he always looked like he was giving me an evil eye. It was just that way about him. He didn't particularly like to be held and many times if you were holding him for any longer than a couple of minutes, he would let you know when he wanted down.
He loved to go outside for supervised outings and he would usually find the dirtiest and most dusty spot, and just roll on his back from one side to the other. He was a mess when it was time to come back in and would fuss when I tried to comb him to get the worst of the dirt out of his coat. Another of his favorite things to do was to take a sock in his mouth (usually in the middle of the night) and travel through the house making awful sounds. Have no clue what that meant, except to wake us up. Oh, and if you had time, play tug of war to remove the sock. We were even more horrified when he managed to find underwear to put in his mouth.
We have taken him into the vet for various reasons throughout the 12 years we have had him. His canine tooth was loose and it had to be pulled (I sure hope it wasn't because of tug-of-war), occasionally he would limp for several days and the vet attributed it to arthritis, sometimes he would stop eating for days and the vet suggested we force feed him with a syringe and baby food, and miraculously he would get better. On one occasion we took him to a vet specialist who suggested B12 shots and it was the spark that he needed. Personally I think he was bi-polar and had some depression issues, but we loved him just the same. I regret now, not giving him a proper name.
This past spring we noticed him drinking more water and he became unusually clingy, wanting us to pick him up and hold him for long periods of time. The vet said his numbers indicated he was in the early stages of renal failure, a disease we knew all too well, having experienced with our two previous fur babies. We did try a new drug that we administered to him on a daily basis, but elected not to do the subQ fluids. Did it make a difference? It is hard to say. I do know he maintained an appetite, eating something every day, including the morning he passed ~ but him taking residence in the basement to be by himself the last 24 hours, and our touch bringing him distress, we knew it was time.
*****
The vet came to our house tonight, and without the stress of putting Boy in a carrier and leaving home, Boy gently went to sleep. We were both by his side, holding him until the end.
Sleep well Boy. You have been a great companion to our resident babies and a true friend to Patches for 12 years. I know she will miss you ~ WE WILL miss you!
Special thanks to D. Frederick Birely for sponsoring my BOY's page. I remember we had been out cemetery walking and stopped at Arthur's Deli in Dixon the day the vet called me and said that Boy was in early renal failure. I will never forget that day.
Our "BOY".
I know, what kind of name is that? Well honestly, I didn't think we would have him very long. We already had three cats, all girls, and this stray boy came to us in the fall of 2002 already declawed and neutered. Call us naïve, but I thought we were dealing with a lost pet and we would eventually find his worried owners. Several newspaper ads for lost pets produced no results.
We continued feeding him outside at our front door until Thanksgiving that year. In the background I could hear the coyotes howling. In he came, and our life with our first boy began, cat #4.
Soon after we took him in, we did have a scare. While I was getting ready for work, I discovered the back door had sprung open one winter morning and he had taken off ~ running through the snow. By the time I got my boots and coat on, I lost track of him. That night, my husband and I scoured the neighborhood in freezing temperatures, knocking on doors, calling out his name in an effort to find him. One couple down the street said there was a gray cat at their sliding glass doors earlier, but they turned the lights off on him. We returned home, hoping he would come back. Several hours later, my husband heard crying at our sliding glass doors. It was BOY. This time, I spared no time and went out barefoot in the snow to scoop him up. He never tried to leave again.
He became a welcome addition quickly. Our little tortoise shell Patches latched on to him immediately and they became inseparable. Boy would spend his day grooming her, as she nestled in bed, curled up right beside him. For many years, it was a familiar sight to see the two of them laying together all day at the foot of our bed.
Sometimes he would be lounging on the top of our couch and I had made a comment on more than one occasion that he always looked like he was giving me an evil eye. It was just that way about him. He didn't particularly like to be held and many times if you were holding him for any longer than a couple of minutes, he would let you know when he wanted down.
He loved to go outside for supervised outings and he would usually find the dirtiest and most dusty spot, and just roll on his back from one side to the other. He was a mess when it was time to come back in and would fuss when I tried to comb him to get the worst of the dirt out of his coat. Another of his favorite things to do was to take a sock in his mouth (usually in the middle of the night) and travel through the house making awful sounds. Have no clue what that meant, except to wake us up. Oh, and if you had time, play tug of war to remove the sock. We were even more horrified when he managed to find underwear to put in his mouth.
We have taken him into the vet for various reasons throughout the 12 years we have had him. His canine tooth was loose and it had to be pulled (I sure hope it wasn't because of tug-of-war), occasionally he would limp for several days and the vet attributed it to arthritis, sometimes he would stop eating for days and the vet suggested we force feed him with a syringe and baby food, and miraculously he would get better. On one occasion we took him to a vet specialist who suggested B12 shots and it was the spark that he needed. Personally I think he was bi-polar and had some depression issues, but we loved him just the same. I regret now, not giving him a proper name.
This past spring we noticed him drinking more water and he became unusually clingy, wanting us to pick him up and hold him for long periods of time. The vet said his numbers indicated he was in the early stages of renal failure, a disease we knew all too well, having experienced with our two previous fur babies. We did try a new drug that we administered to him on a daily basis, but elected not to do the subQ fluids. Did it make a difference? It is hard to say. I do know he maintained an appetite, eating something every day, including the morning he passed ~ but him taking residence in the basement to be by himself the last 24 hours, and our touch bringing him distress, we knew it was time.
*****
The vet came to our house tonight, and without the stress of putting Boy in a carrier and leaving home, Boy gently went to sleep. We were both by his side, holding him until the end.
Sleep well Boy. You have been a great companion to our resident babies and a true friend to Patches for 12 years. I know she will miss you ~ WE WILL miss you!
Special thanks to D. Frederick Birely for sponsoring my BOY's page. I remember we had been out cemetery walking and stopped at Arthur's Deli in Dixon the day the vet called me and said that Boy was in early renal failure. I will never forget that day.
I know, what kind of name is that? Well honestly, I didn't think we would have him very long. We already had three cats, all girls, and this stray boy came to us in the fall of 2002 already declawed and neutered. Call us naïve, but I thought we were dealing with a lost pet and we would eventually find his worried owners. Several newspaper ads for lost pets produced no results.
We continued feeding him outside at our front door until Thanksgiving that year. In the background I could hear the coyotes howling. In he came, and our life with our first boy began, cat #4.
Soon after we took him in, we did have a scare. While I was getting ready for work, I discovered the back door had sprung open one winter morning and he had taken off ~ running through the snow. By the time I got my boots and coat on, I lost track of him. That night, my husband and I scoured the neighborhood in freezing temperatures, knocking on doors, calling out his name in an effort to find him. One couple down the street said there was a gray cat at their sliding glass doors earlier, but they turned the lights off on him. We returned home, hoping he would come back. Several hours later, my husband heard crying at our sliding glass doors. It was BOY. This time, I spared no time and went out barefoot in the snow to scoop him up. He never tried to leave again.
He became a welcome addition quickly. Our little tortoise shell Patches latched on to him immediately and they became inseparable. Boy would spend his day grooming her, as she nestled in bed, curled up right beside him. For many years, it was a familiar sight to see the two of them laying together all day at the foot of our bed.
Sometimes he would be lounging on the top of our couch and I had made a comment on more than one occasion that he always looked like he was giving me an evil eye. It was just that way about him. He didn't particularly like to be held and many times if you were holding him for any longer than a couple of minutes, he would let you know when he wanted down.
He loved to go outside for supervised outings and he would usually find the dirtiest and most dusty spot, and just roll on his back from one side to the other. He was a mess when it was time to come back in and would fuss when I tried to comb him to get the worst of the dirt out of his coat. Another of his favorite things to do was to take a sock in his mouth (usually in the middle of the night) and travel through the house making awful sounds. Have no clue what that meant, except to wake us up. Oh, and if you had time, play tug of war to remove the sock. We were even more horrified when he managed to find underwear to put in his mouth.
We have taken him into the vet for various reasons throughout the 12 years we have had him. His canine tooth was loose and it had to be pulled (I sure hope it wasn't because of tug-of-war), occasionally he would limp for several days and the vet attributed it to arthritis, sometimes he would stop eating for days and the vet suggested we force feed him with a syringe and baby food, and miraculously he would get better. On one occasion we took him to a vet specialist who suggested B12 shots and it was the spark that he needed. Personally I think he was bi-polar and had some depression issues, but we loved him just the same. I regret now, not giving him a proper name.
This past spring we noticed him drinking more water and he became unusually clingy, wanting us to pick him up and hold him for long periods of time. The vet said his numbers indicated he was in the early stages of renal failure, a disease we knew all too well, having experienced with our two previous fur babies. We did try a new drug that we administered to him on a daily basis, but elected not to do the subQ fluids. Did it make a difference? It is hard to say. I do know he maintained an appetite, eating something every day, including the morning he passed ~ but him taking residence in the basement to be by himself the last 24 hours, and our touch bringing him distress, we knew it was time.
*****
The vet came to our house tonight, and without the stress of putting Boy in a carrier and leaving home, Boy gently went to sleep. We were both by his side, holding him until the end.
Sleep well Boy. You have been a great companion to our resident babies and a true friend to Patches for 12 years. I know she will miss you ~ WE WILL miss you!
Special thanks to D. Frederick Birely for sponsoring my BOY's page. I remember we had been out cemetery walking and stopped at Arthur's Deli in Dixon the day the vet called me and said that Boy was in early renal failure. I will never forget that day.
